Although leadership has long been recognized as a critical component of effective P12 schools, leading 21st century schools requires careful attention to myriad, often complex tasks. To successfully complete the diverse tasks, a principal needs support from teacher leaders who actively and collaboratively assess student-learning progress, supervise curriculum development and instruction, implement school-improvement initiatives, and monitor impact of those efforts. This collectively enacted learning-centered leadership requires complex interrelationships based on mutual openness, relational trust, and shared responsibilities for achieving required outcomes.

Teacher leaders can positively influence outcomes through building relationships among their peers, breaking down barriers that inhibit collegial collaboration, and sharing resources to improve instruction. Although their leadership may be formal (e.g., academic coach, department chair) or informal (e.g., advocate, instructional model, peer mentor), teachers aspiring to become teacher leaders must thus be prepared to:

model professionalism through leading by example, engaging in continuous professional development, and sharing their expertise;
collaborate purposefully and effectively with others to achieve shared goals;
initiate improvement in student achievement and school performance; and
influence change through active involvement in decision making.
Regardless of the roles or tasks they assume, purposefully developed and engaged teacher leaders help build organizational capacity and create sustainable change within a school culture.

By Tricia Browne-Ferrigno, Ph.D.
Reference: https://education.uky.edu/