Teacher Leadership

Leveraging teachers' expertise both within and outside the classroom is critical for supporting students' success, providing professional growth opportunities for teachers, and building capacity within schools and districts. To encourage teacher leadership opportunities, DESE partnered with ten districts during the 2014-15 school year through a Teacher Leadership Professional Learning Network. Resources from this partnership and along with our ongoing work with teachers through the Teacher Advisory Cabinet are included below. We hope these resources will promote opportunities and conversations about how teacher leadership can be embedded within districts to support student learning and educator effectiveness.

Distributed Leadership Resources

• An Interactive Planning Guide for Distributed Leadership, A district resource from DESE's 2015-16 Distributed Leadership Professional Learning Network

• Building a School Culture that Promotes Teacher Leadership, Advice from DESE's Teacher and Principal Advisory Cabinets

• Creating and Sustaining Teacher Leadership Roles, Lessons Learned from Districts through DESE's Teacher Leadership Professional Learning Network

• Springfield Public Schools' Effective Educator Coach Program

Case Studies from the Teacher Leadership Professional Learning Network

• Leadership Boards and Councils: Decentralizing Decision-making in Revere Public Schools

• From Coach to Supervisor: Shifting Roles in Wareham Public Schools

• Who can be a Teacher Leader? Broadening the Definition in New Bedford Public Schools

• Moving to a Shared Curriculum: Teachers Leading the Way in Northampton Public Schools

• Slow and Steady Wins the Race: Building Trust in Wakefield Public Schools

Other Resources

• February 14, 2017 Convening Keynote Address by Milken Educator Michelle Ryan

• Educator Recognition Programs

Last Updated: June 5, 2020