The purpose of the Teacher Leadership Endorsement is to equip teacher leaders with the knowledge, skills, and experiences to lead school level teams of teachers in improving student achievement. Candidates attend four (4) face-to-face, full-day sessions where they receive direct instruction and practice expected skills prior to leading a team in this work. One additional work session is provided, however, attendance is optional. This job-embedded process focuses on the real work of schools, adding immediate value to the school and district. Successful completion results in the Teacher Leadership Endorsement, which is one of the qualifiers for pursuing Lead Professional Certification.
Target Audience:
Instructional Coaches, Teacher Leaders, Grade Level Chairpersons, Department Chairpersons
Benefits to the District and School:
- Job-embedded application of knowledge and skills needed to lead others in school improvement efforts
- A formalized distributed leadership model that would support communication of expectations as well encourage two-way communication among all levels throughout the district
- Fostering a culture of continuous learning at all levels through teacher-led professional learning communities
- Create a systemic process for professional growth, thus ensuring a common language, aligned goals, and consistency of implementation.
System Requirements:
- Identify appropriate candidates
- Identify and prioritize skills which best support school and district needs
- Provide four days of release time during the school year
- Provide a district liaison to work with the cohort director
Time Commitment:
4/5 face-to-face meetings, online assignments, job-embedded tasks involving leading teams in the critical work of school improvement (September to September)