This study probes more deeply on defining the "reform agenda" and answering the question, "How do coaches balance pushing the reform agenda and meeting the immediate needs of school staff?" This study first teases apart what coaches mean by "reform agenda" and "immediate needs." The term "reform agenda" has multiple owners: the district reform agenda, the principal's reform agenda, Center for Collaborative Education's (CCE's) reform agenda, and/or the coach's reform agenda and therefore multiple meanings. The school staff's attitudes towards whole school change depend upon how they perceive and experience each reform agenda. This study identifies some of the "immediate needs" which potentially detract from the work of whole school change. It then describes coaches' strategies for achieving the balance between reform and reality, the challenges faced in achieving this balance, and ways that CCE may address these challenges to develop the coaching and reform models. Three appendices are included: (1) CCE Networks; (2) CCE Mission and Theory of Action; and (3) Interview Protocol. (Contains 1 table.)