Rachel Bacosa is the Director of Transformative Practice Integration at the Center for Reaching and Teaching the Whole Child (CRTWC). She brings over two decades of experience in education, serving as a classroom teacher, cooperating teacher, university supervisor for teacher candidates, and mentor to district leaders. Her long-standing partnership with CRTWC, dating back to its earliest days, provides her with more than a decade of institutional knowledge. During this time, she has contributed in multiple capacities, including as a professional development specialist with the CRTWC Teacher Educator Institute and as a consultant working to embed the Framework in PK–12 schools and higher education.

In her role, Rachel collaborates to translate CRTWC’s research-based Anchor Competencies Framework into meaningful, sustainable practices that strengthen educator preparation and classroom practice. She bridges teacher preparation with PK–12 realities, co-designs and facilitates inclusive professional learning experiences, and contributes practitioner insights and institutional memory to ensure CRTWC’s offerings and resources remain responsive, practice-tested, and grounded in educator voice. She brings expertise in trauma-informed coaching, culturally sustaining pedagogy, and adult learning—work that includes mentoring teacher educators and clinical faculty, as well as advancing site-based models that bridge teacher preparation with classroom realities. Her leadership also extends to building partnerships across schools, universities, and community organizations to align daily practice with long-term systems change.

Rachel is passionate about helping educators reconnect with their purpose and sustain their resilience so that whole-child, whole-educator practices can thrive across schools and universities. Grounded in the belief that “educator resilience is student resilience,” Rachel integrates storytelling, reflection, and relationship-building into her leadership. She continues to serve as a resilience consultant with Acknowledge Alliance, supporting educators and school communities in fostering well-being, connection, and care.