A component of Iowa Governor Terry Branstad's education plan is the development of a five tier professional classification system. You can page through the report developed by the Task Force on Teacher Leadership and Compensation here. While there are a wide array of opinions regarding the plan and its details, one element is intriguing- especially to an aspiring school administrator. The concept of the teacher leader and a tiered system of increasing responsibility may be the ticket to alleviating some of the time constraints and clustered schedules hoisted upon school administrators. While the focal point of the report and the recommendations emphasizes funding and teacher pay, a rather sticky issue to say the least, this teacher leader concept shines nicely, especially when considering the use of retired educators to add value and best practice knowledge to the discussion.
Within the scope of improving the craft of our profession, there is an additional focus on recruiting and retaining excellent teachers. The system we have now is not perfect. A new teacher's success tends to be based on a couple of walk-throughs and less than a handful of formal observations. This is not the case in all districts- some have quality mentoring and induction programs. However, in my experience and discussion with teaching pals, I find the former to be true in many places. Through implementing teacher leaders in buildings and districts, we have the opportunity to have many eyes and ears in the classroom to help nurture and encourage new and practicing educators in doing what is best for kids.
As it stands now, many teachers who desire a leadership position must leave the classroom to serve as an instructional coach, a facilitator, or an administrator...leaving them away from the majority of kids throughout the day. Often, the best teachers leave the classroom to take on those positions because their knowledge and methods are appreciated and should be on display as an instructional leader. The proposed tiered system allows for teachers to find a pathway that is suited for their individual interests and career goals without needing to leave the classroom fully.
Some questions still remain. What qualifications make me a good fit for which pathway? Who decides where I am placed? How will the State fund this initiative without reducing local control? How can we empower career teachers to be leaders in their own way regardless of title or designation? Will this help kids learn and succeed in a changing world.
The last question is the most important. How will what is changed- teacher pay, classification, licensure, whatever... how will it guarantee that our students are positioned for success beyond our schoolyard or Wi-Fi signal?
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