For a traditionally marginalized group of Black and Latinx students participating in an interdistrict transfer program to a suburban school district, one teacher leader advocated for and created more equitable conditions.

Teacher leadership is critical for building capacity and improving student learning. With the demands placed upon school principals, shared leadership is a necessary component of high performing schools. However, sustained teacher leadership is only possible if we attend to the wellbeing of teacher leaders, and the pandemic has brought significant…

Schools and districts have held book clubs for professional learning for decades. In the Hawaii Department of Education, educators participating in Na Kumu Alaka'i Teacher Leader Academy are breaking the mold by engaging in unbook clubs (Cameli, 2013), shared learning experiences that focus on a topic but are not limited to one reading or…

The impact of the pandemic on student learning was significant and widened pre-existing achievement gaps for historically disadvantaged students. To provide insight on the most effective strategies that teachers and leaders can adopt, educators in three partner districts that have invested in improving classroom instruction as their primary lever…

In order to humanize and connect future educators across programs, this case study explains how a Northern California four-year university created a weekly professional development speaker series, Teachers, Eduleaders, Advocates, and Scholars (TEAS). TEAS aims to connect future educators to current practitioners to better meet the needs of PK-12…

This article describes the need for additional cross-cultural study of teacher leadership. A rationale for researching teacher leadership is presented based on the need to provide clarity to the definition of the concept and to understand better how to facilitate teacher leadership development. A primary research question is shared: "How is…

When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted in-person education in spring 2020, learning leaders urgently needed collaborative professional learning -- to take deep breaths, reflect on how to shift their practices, and support one another emotionally and logistically to survive and eventually thrive in this unfamiliar learning environment. However, many…

PPfT evolved in several distinct ways in 2020-2021. PPfT PL opportunities continued to expand as a new pathway, CPI, was launched. It was also the first year all teachers automatically participated in PPfT compensation. Revising the IP and PGR rubrics in collaboration with the PPfT oversight committee was also a major implementation goal achieved…

Successful implementation of the current English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum invites a new approach to teacher professional learning (PL). A focus on establishing and renewing relationships must play a role in developing the collaboration necessary for curriculum implementation. This article presents a research-based argument that effective and…

Professional educators--in the classroom, library, counseling center, or anywhere in between--share one overarching goal: ensuring all students receive the rich, well-rounded education they need to be productive, engaged citizens. In this regular feature, we explore the work of professional educators--their accomplishments and their challenges--so…

Many instructional leaders--superintendents, assistant superintendents, curriculum coordinators, principals, assistant principals, instructional coaches--forget how hard it is to teach. The real-life experience of teaching, with its day-to-day intensity, fades a little bit each month one is not in the classroom. There is, however, a way that…

The question of achieving equity remains an enduring concern for K-12 teachers and school leaders. Work toward equity and social justice in K-12 schools requires the authentic participation and engagement of racially marginalized students and families. Van Lac, Érica Fernández, and Katherine Cumings Mansfield offer real-life examples of what it…

This piece highlights the everyday challenges within the classroom and without. Further, it explores the recourse teachers can take to mitigate those challenges. It is an anecdotal piece from the perspective of a teacher, leader, and advocate in education. It serves as a reminder to fellow educators of the reasons we need to be active in our own…

This article introduces new perspectives, principles and recommendations for the successful development of teacher leadership. It draws from literature on teacher leadership, work redesign, and on-the-job leadership development to explore key insights and questions for teacher leadership development, and it presents a conceptual-theoretical model…

Teacher and principal leaders at the school building level often are tasked with taking on duties in addition to their regular job serving as instructional leaders focusing on improving instructional practice in their schools. Effective job design for teacher and principal leaders that offers the appropriate level of autonomy and a balance of…