ERIC Number: EJ1036848
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Apr
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0031-7217
EISSN: N/A
A Different Model for School Success: Empower Teachers
Farris-Berg, Kim
Phi Delta Kappan, v95 n7 p31-36 Apr 2014
This article opens with a thought provoking question--When it comes to defining teacher leadership, how much do we limit ourselves by assuming that the way teachers work today must always be the way teachers work? The author points out that pioneering groups of public school teachers across the United States are advancing a new definition of teacher leadership: "teacher partnerships." As such, they are securing autonomy to collectively make decisions that influence their whole school's success. Educators and advocates have created and embraced professional learning communities (PLCs), hybrid roles, and teacher-led professional development. In some places, teachers can individually become curriculum specialists or project and team leaders. Teachers can even pursue a teacher leader certification to qualify them for such roles. These are excellent teacher leadership opportunities. The very existence of schools where teachers call the shots, and the ways in which teachers are using this opportunity, signal that we can consciously move past our assumptions about the limitations of teachers' working arrangements.
Descriptors: Teacher Empowerment, Public School Teachers, Teacher Leadership, Partnerships in Education, Communities of Practice, Faculty Development, Professional Autonomy, Teacher Certification, School Culture, Academic Achievement, Educational Innovation, Teacher Collaboration, Elementary Secondary Education
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A