The following is a press release from the Kenan Fellows Program.
The Kenan Fellows Program for Curriculum and Leadership Development at N.C. State University has pledged its support for Teach to Lead, a national initiative that aims to advance student outcomes by expanding opportunities for teacher leadership.
Launched in 2014 as a joint effort of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and the U.S. Department of Education, the Teach to Lead initiative aims to “spur fundamental changes in the culture of schools and the teaching profession so that teachers can play a more central role in the development of policies that affect their work.” Promoting teacher leadership is a core value of the Kenan Fellows Program, which addresses the critical need for high-quality professional development for educators, and is the largest (science, technology, engineering and math) STEM-focused teacher fellowship in North Carolina.
“By committing our support to the Teach to Lead initiative, we affirm our belief that stronger teachers lead to stronger students,” said Elaine Franklin, director of the Kenan Fellows Program. “Being a part of the national dialogue on teacher leadership will help raise awareness for the many benefits schools and districts gain from investing in teacher leaders.”
Across the country, more schools and districts are creating formal and informal roles for teacher leaders and, importantly, providing professional development for teachers to effectively take on these new roles. Teacher leaders are critical to the success of students and their local communities by helping enhance the productivity of teachers and leaders in their schools; offering their expertise in curriculum design, professional development and coaching, and modeling of effective instructional strategies; and helping improve student outcomes, including standardized test scores, graduation rates, and college and career readiness.
The Kenan Fellows Program has committed to promoting the work of Teach to Lead through these actions:
- Encouraging teacher leaders to submit articles to our bi-annual online journal: The Journal of Interdisciplinary Teacher Leadership
- Sharing our model for developing STEM teacher leaders at Teach to Lead summits and other venues as appropriate
- Providing access to our online learning modules developed by Kenan Fellows
- Collaborating with other Teach to Lead partners to facilitate regional/national gatherings
