• Internal Pathways & Development > Teacher Leadership, Roles, & Development

Welcome to Teacher Leadership, Roles, & Development

  • We believe that a great teacher is one of the most important factors in our students’ growth and achievement. Teacher Leadership allows our best teachers to share the expertise they have developed with fellow teachers, extending a great teacher’s impact and helping more students grow. In Denver Public Schools, teacher leaders play a vital role in ensuring that teachers and schools are able to break historical patterns of inequity so that each and every student thrives, not by accident, but by design.

  • Application & Stipend Information

    Senior/Team Lead Pool Application

    Apply to the Senior/Team Lead (S/TL) Pool. This visible pool of interested candidates is used by principals across the district as they search for strong fits for their leadership openings.

    TLC Vacancies at Schools

    Apply to Posted TLC Vacancies At Schools. Please note that you must secure a teacher role at a school in order to serve in a Team Specialist or New Teacher Ambassador role at that school. Senior Team Lead and Team Lead roles are hybrid roles, encompassing both the teacher and teacher leader responsibilities. Search for TLC vacancies at schools across the district by using the following keywords on the DPS Job Board:

    • "SeniorTeamLead"
    • "TeamLead"
    • "TeamSpecialist"
    • "RegionalTeamSpecialist"
    • "NewTeacherAmbassador"
    • "TLC"
    • "TeacherLeader"

    Review Your Eligibility

    Candidates must meet eligibility requirements in order to apply for and serve in teacher leader roles. You may still apply to teacher leader roles if you can provide teacher effectiveness data to the hiring manager as evidence of meeting eligibility requirements during the school-based selection process. Eligibility Requirements to Apply for TLC Roles

    Stipend Information

    Learn more information about stipends. 

  • Teacher Leader Professional Learning Opportunities

    Teacher Leader Scope and Sequence

    The scope and sequence articulates the progression of skills in development of leadership competencies in service of best first instruction. The intention is to promote alignment of support across stakeholders and empower individuals to personalize their own learning trajectory. This document is NOT a performance evaluation tool. To support clarity of expectations refer to the Teacher Leader Role Descriptions or LEAD Framework Scoring Guidance. The role progression listed is a recommendation. Individuals should identify the skills that align to their own development, not just their role.

    How can this be used?

    • Aspiring and Current Teacher Leaders – Drive your own learning by identifying your strengths and gaps
    • Leaders of Leaders – Ground feedback conversations in a common language, differentiate supports for teacher leaders based on individual strengths and gaps, and provide clarity for aspiring teacher leader development
    • Central Support Partners – Align central-based supports with school-based supports for structured, social, and experiential learning

  • Pathways to Teacher Leadership

    What is the Aspiring Teacher Leader of Color Cohort?

    This cohort experience is designed to support DPS educators and professionals of color in developing both adaptive and technical skills aligned to the Teacher Leader roles. The cohort will focus on cultivating leaders for equity who aspire to become Leaders within their school and community.

     

    Why do we offer the Aspiring Teacher Leader of Color Cohort?

    Research has shown us the importance of schools having a racially diverse teacher workforce and increasing teachers of color representation to close opportunity gaps. Specifically, students who share the same background as their teacher receive more effective role modeling, higher expectations for learning and their future, and fewer cultural differences, allowing teachers to provide instruction more effectively. A new study also showed that students of color have a 39% higher chance of graduating if they have just one teacher of color in their educational career. DPS is committed to growing and amplifying the impact of educators of color whose backgrounds and experiences reflect those of our students and families. 

  • Requirements and Expectations for New and Returning Teacher Leaders

    Professional learning for teacher leaders is designed to support their individual development of foundational leadership competencies essential in their role. These foundational leadership development sessions are aligned to the Teacher Leader Scope and Sequence and LEAD Framework and are an opportunity for teacher leaders to engage in shared learning with peers across the district. Teacher leaders will additionally engage in required learning for their role as part of leadership weeks, regional learning, and school-specific learning.

    Attending professional learning sessions alone will not support leaders to master the skills they need to be effective in their role. Participants will need support from their school-based coach/supervisor to practice and apply their learning.

    Leader Look fors, Teacher Leader Professional LearningDocuments to support application and implementation of learning from sessions for New-to-Role Teacher Leaders

  • Beyond Year One of Teacher Leadership

     

    What is the Thrive Cohort?

    The Thrive program is designed for Senior Team Leads who have been in their role for at least two years and are seeking to further develop their capacity through advanced educational opportunities. The program aims to foster a strong community of learners, supporting educators across the district. Through THRIVE, we are committed to cultivating meaningful connections and creating an environment where educators can grow, learn, and collaborate effectively. The program not only enhances professional skills but also offers a platform for Senior Team Leads to connect with peers and enjoy the journey of continuous improvement. We aim to empower educators to lead with confidence, creativity, and a shared sense of purpose.

    Why do we offer the Thrive Fellowship Cohort?

    Denver Public Schools is actively working to address biases and inequities within the district. As part of this effort, they have developed the Thrive Cohort as a strategic initiative to empower Senior/Team Leads. This five-month cohort experience aims to connect and empower Senior/Team Leads by providing a professional learning community where they can deepen their understanding of transformational leadership, personal development, and reflect on current challenges in their roles. The goal of Thrive is to build leadership capacity and create a more inclusive and supportive environment for all Senior/Team Leads to drive positive change within their schools.

     

    THRIVE Partners

    The Internal Pathways and Development Team supports the development of a team of New S/TL Mentors who are current S/TLs with three or more years of experience in the role. The Mentor Team meets five times during the school year to deepen their own understanding about facilitating equity center adult learning. Each Mentor will connect individually with their caseload of Mentees (new S/TLs) to provide personalized support. Learn more information about Mentor Model for New Senior Team Leads.