One of the greatest challenges facing education systems is implementing the changes that make schools, and therefore, nations, internationally competitive. The resistance to change, the possibilities of change, and the roles the many and various stakeholders play in leading change have been noted by scholars on the topic of change in school. While…

Early career teachers often feel overwhelmed by the complex, intense and unpredictable nature of their work. Recently, policy initiatives have been introduced to provide new teachers with extra release-time from face-to-face classroom teaching duties to assist them in their transition to the workforce. This paper reports on a critical policy study…

On April 20, 1999, two Columbine High School students walked into their school midday and killed 12 students and one teacher. Twenty-one other students were injured. All that had been normal came to an abrupt end. Education leaders in Jefferson County, Colorado, quickly realized they were laying the groundwork for a new normal. Colorado's…

Over the past 20 years, federal and state reforms have drawn on heavy-handed attempts to close the achievement gap through top-down management of teachers. Such approaches have often included high-stakes accountability systems that mandate what to teach and how to teach it and that evaluate teachers on the basis of annual standardized test scores.…

This presentation retraces some of the often forgotten history, dating back to 1860s, of Aotearoa/New Zealand that formed aspects of our education structures. Of particular interest is the relationship between educational innovation and change that came about through the active involvement of teachers as policy champions as they pursued their goal…

"Pathways to Teacher Leadership" investigates emerging patterns in the development and effectiveness of teacher leadership.What roles do teachers pursue as they seek to lead change in their schools? What pressures and challenges do emerging leaders face? How can principals and peers support effective teacher leadership? Marya R. Levenson…

Many vocational education, technology education, and now technology and engineering education leaders have made their mark on the profession. Their legacy is something that members of the profession enjoy and have the responsibility to continue to build upon. This is the sixth in a series of articles entitled "The Legacy Project" that…

All teachers are leaders, and each person can define what leadership looks like to them. Teachers must take a leadership stance to grow professionally. Leadership does not have to mean late-night meetings or hours on a tedious committee. This article provides a list that will help teachers brainstorm ways to take themselves to the next level in…

The past several years have seen a growing interest in, and adoption of, Teacher Leader (TL) programs throughout the country and among TIF 4 grantees. Often, these programs have been embedded within large- scale career ladder compensation systems. Several recent writings describe this recent growth surge, design issues in the creation of a total…

This publication describes Baltimore's Model Pathway, the process for becoming a Model Teacher, and lessons the LEA learned from working with teachers and the Baltimore Teacher's Union to negotiate their new differentiated career pathways and compensation.

In 2006, several dedicated early childhood professionals began work on the creation of the "Nebraska Core Competencies for Early Childhood Professionals." Representatives from across Nebraska worked together. After the input from various focus groups, the document became public in July of 2007. The current revision process began in late…

Multi-Classroom Leadership is the cornerstone of an Opportunity Culture. Teachers with a record of high-growth student learning and leadership competencies, known as multi-classroom leaders or MCLs, teach part of the time and lead small, collaborative teams of two to eight teachers in the same grade or subject to meet each MCL's standards of…

A recent survey found that while 86 percent of urban school districts have teacher leader roles, only 32 percent offered specialized training for teachers stepping into those roles. Developing strong and effective teacher leaders who can guide their colleagues to success should be central to any school improvement strategy, but it requires far…

At Arlington Heights High School, a grassroots effort began in the 2010-2011 school year with the formation of a new committee of teacher leaders on campus, tasked with envisioning and creating campus change hand-in-hand with administration. This committee's membership has continued to evolve over the last five years, and we are now known as the…

The mission of teacher leadership is to elevate teachers as experts and leaders in and beyond the classroom. This framework contains six spheres or dimensions, each describing a set of dispositions, core beliefs, knowledge base, requisite skills and unique roles for teacher leaders. While the spheres are interrelated, with each one broadening the…