Why Teacher Leadership?
There is a need for accomplished teachers to expand their influence from their
classroom of students to colleagues and policy leaders in their school and beyond.
Because teachers work with students daily, they are the experts to make decisions
about curriculum and instruction and advocate for the profession. Teachers are
closest to the students to be able to implement changes in a comprehensive and
continuous manner. Teacher leaders working in collaborative teams with support
impact the improvement of teaching and learning throughout the school and
district.
Enabling teachers to move through a lattice career pathway rather than a “flat”
profession retains expert teachers through professional opportunities for
leadership. Teacher leaders assume new roles and responsibilities that keep good
teachers in the classroom.
The principal role is “impossible” and the role of principal has become more
complex and challenging. Creating systems of shared leadership in schools provide
principals with much-needed assistance. This system for teacher leadership
opportunities cultivates a largely untapped resource for change and improvement in
schools. Harnessing talent for common goals results in shared accountability for
student achievement.
What is Teacher Leadership?
“Teacher leadership is the process by which teachers, individually or collectively,
influence their colleagues, principals, and other members of the school community
to improve teaching and learning practices with the aim of increased student
learning and achievement” (York-Barr, Duke, 2004 in the 2009 Teacher Leader
Model Standards)
What does it mean to be a teacher leader?
“A teacher leader is a highly effective educator who is trained in and practices
teacher leadership. Teacher leaders foster a collaborative culture to support
educator development and student learning; access and use research to improve
practice and student learning; promote professional learning for continuous
improvement; facilitate improvements in instruction and student learning; promote
the appropriate use of assessments and data for school and district improvement;
improve outreach and collaboration with families and community; engage in
shaping and implementing policy; and advocate for student learning and the
profession. “ (NNSTOY 2015, including all seven domains of the Teacher Leader
Model Standards)
Teacher Leader Model Standards
In 2010, the Teacher Leadership Exploratory Consortium, representing a broad
array of education organizations, launched the Teacher Leader Model Standards.
“The Standards follow a format similar to that of the Interstate School Leaders
Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) State Standards for School Leaders—that is, a series
of broadly stated expectations or “domains” that define critical dimensions of
teacher leadership. Under each domain, there are “functions” that more specifically
define the range of actions or expectations for teacher leaders related to the
domain.” (Preface to Teacher Leader Model Standards, p 5)
“These Standards describe the knowledge base needed by the teacher leader in
order to meet the performance expectations related to each domain. The functions
then describe in more detail key actions and practices related to each domain. It is
not expected that an individual teacher leaders should or could embody the many
dimensions of teacher leadership outlined in the Teacher Leader Model Standards. “
(Preface to Teacher Leader Model Standards, p. 9)
Illinois Teacher Leader Endorsement programs
Twenty Illinois universities and colleges have approved programs for teachers to
seek the Illinois Teacher Leader Endorsement on the Professional. Educator License.
Lists of institutions and contact information can be found at
http://www.nnstoy.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/IL-TLE-Program-List-andContacts.pdf.
Programs range from qualifying for the endorsement to including a Masters’ Degree
or Doctorate Degree. Eligibility is for Illinois Pre-k through grade 12 teachers with a
master’s degree from an accredited institution and who have passed the basic skills
tests. “The teacher leader endorsement is intended to increase the quality of
leadership, as well as teaching and learning practices, and recognize the critical
importance that leadership by teachers brings to the overall school improvement
mission of the school and its personnel.” The Administrative Code 23 Part 25.30
and 32 can be found at http://www.isbe.net/rules/archive/pdfs/25ark.pdf
Illinois Teacher Leadership Network (ITLN)
Through a proposal to the USDOE Teach to Lead Initiative, the Illinois State
Teachers of the Year and Finalists (ILSTOY) convened the Illinois Teacher
Leadership Network in May 2015 as a network of leaders representing 23
educational organizations. The ITLN set an overall goal to build a culture of teacher
leadership throughout Illinois and a mission to increasing success for all students
through teacher leadership in instruction, professional collaboration, policy, and
advocacy. All twenty-three organizations committed to the following statements:
 Changing the culture so that everyone understands recognizes and promotes
teachers as leaders.  Promoting best practices in the development and utilization of teacher leaders.  Finding the resources to provide the training and support to teacher leaders and
administrators as they develop cultures of differentiated leadership.  Providing opportunities for teacher leaders to become collaborative partners with
multiple stakeholders in moving school communities forward.  Improving practices in teacher leadership through a culture of continuous
improvement. Currently, the ITLN meets every two to three months and subcommittees are
working on the following six priority actions for 2015-2016:
1. Come to consensus on a teacher leadership definition and vision.
2. Explore and implement a framework for teacher leadership.
3. Identify districts with teacher leadership components in all areas of the state.
4. Build awareness of teacher leadership in Illinois.
5. Communicate with and educate policy makers about teacher leadership.
6. Define the role of ITLN.
P20 Council Teacher and Leader Effectiveness Committee
The Illinois P-20 Council Teacher and Leader Effectiveness Committee is a
subcommittee of the P-20 Council. The mission of the P20 Council Committee on
Teacher and Leader Effectiveness is to advise the Governor on recommendations for
strengthening and aligning the preparation, recruitment, certification, selection,
evaluation, support, development, and retention of highly effective and diverse
teachers and leaders. Dr. Erika Hunt and Audrey Soglin are the co-chairs of this
committee. Since 2014, the Committee has focused on teacher leadership in Illinois
and hired Pam Reilly, 2014 Illinois Teacher of the Year in 2015. The Committee
completed the following:
 Developed and analyzed the data from surveys to teachers, principals,
superintendents, and school board members.
 Analyzed the syllabi, tasks, and assessments of the Illinois Teacher
Leadership Endorsement programs in alignment with national and state
standards for teacher leadership.
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Convened bi-monthly meetings and webinars with a membership of over 150
educational leaders throughout Illinois.
Conducted a visit to the Iowa Department of Education and the Cedar Falls
School District to learn about the TLC program.
Organized a visit from the United States Department of Education Teacher
Ambassador Maddie Fennell to—
o Meet with teacher leaders in the Unit 5 School District in
Normal/Bloomington.
o Held a focus group discussion with teachers on the ESEA and PARCC
with area teachers.
o Conducted a round table discussion with Illinois State University
faculty on their new Teacher Leadership Endorsement.
o Spoke at a public event on teacher leadership and the Teach to Lead
Initiative.
ISBE CTQ Partnership
State Superintendent convened an advisory team to partner with ISBE and the
Center for Teacher Quality (CTQ) to support a teacher-led and designed platform for
teachers throughout Illinois to share their voices in meaningful discussions
Superintendent Smith is committed to supporting teachers to facilitate this space.
Evanston teacher and state teacher leader Bill Farmer leads a team of ten teacher
leaders are expanding to about thirty teacher leaders to design the system for
Illinois teachers to connect with teachers throughout the state and for Dr. Smith to
seek their voices. The team of teachers met face-to-face one time in November and
continues to meet through phone conferencing and the CTQ Collaboratory platform.
Teach to Lead
“Led by the U.S. Department of Education, National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards and ASCD, Teach to Lead® works to catalyze fundamental changes in the
culture of schools and the culture of teaching so that teachers play a more central
role in transforming teaching and learning and in developing policies that affect
their work. – In coordination with supporting organizations, Teach to Lead® hosts
regional Teacher Leadership Summits to help spotlight and advance the
groundbreaking, teacher-led work that is happening in states, districts, and schools
across the country. - Summits allow participating teachers, principals, districts,
supporting organizations and states to:
 Share ideas and best practices and learn from examples of existing teacher
leadership efforts;
 Identify common challenges and create concrete, actionable teacher
leadership plans to address them locally;
 Develop their ideas into action plans for implementation.
 Network and build relationships with other educators and leaders in their
region; and
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Identify promising ideas for follow-up support through future engagement
events.
The U.S. Department of Education, ASCD and the National Board work closely with
supporting organizations to send out invitations to attend regional teacher
leadership summits in a variety of ways. Teachers have the opportunity to submit
their ideas through an online survey to be considered to attend summits.
Participants are selected by a panel of educators based on the teacher leadership
ideas they have submitted through an online survey. There will be no charge for the
summit, but each participant will be responsible to pay their own travel expenses.
Another opportunity for the teams is to host a “LAB” convened by the Department of
Education in the team’s home state with support to enable key leaders to learn
about how they can support the work.