• Internal Pathways & Development > Teacher Leadership Operations & Implementation

Welcome to Teacher Leadership Operations & Implementation

  • What is Teacher Leadership & Collaboration? Teachers are organized into teams guided by a teacher leader. Teacher leaders provide their teachers with one-on-one coaching, feedback and meaningful team time that improves teaching and learning every single day. TLC allows our best teachers to share their knowledge and experience with fellow teachers to ensure strong instruction while staying true to their first love: teaching their own classroom of kids. Teacher leaders spend half their time in the classroom teaching and half their time observing, coaching, and planning with their team of teachers.

    The TLC Operations & Implementation components are designed to provide you with action steps and resources to support the rollout of Teacher Leadership & Collaboration at your school.

  • Key Terms

    1:1 Support

    1:1 support involves work and collaboration between a Senior Team Lead or Team Lead and an individual teacher on their team.

    CollaboRATE

    CollaboRATE is an annual survey for all DPS employees allowing them to provide feedback to their leaders.

    Collaborative Team Time

    Collaborative team time involves professional learning, planning or other instructional activities that all teacher on a specific TLC team (led by a Senior Team Lead or Team Lead) do together.

    Design

    Teacher Leadership & Collaboration Design is a year-long engagement process by which schools develop a multi-year plan for a distributive leadership team that includes Team Leads and complementary teacher-leadership roles that best meet the unique needs of their school.

    End-of-Year Conversation

    End-of-Year Conversations are planned discussions between School Leaders and teachers as well as Senior Team Leads and teachers to review End-of-Year LEAP ratings.

    Instructional Leadership Team

    The Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) is the group of school leaders that drive the instructional vision of a school by focusing specifically on improving instruction, and in turn, student outcomes. The ILT is comprised of all levels of instructional leaders – assistant principals, deans of instruction, senior team leads, team leads, etc. – a principal identifies as critical to driving instructional quality, and who are likely involved with teacher growth and performance, particularly observation and feedback. ILT members are the instructional leadership core of a building.

    LEAD

    The LEAD growth and performance system is used to communicate performance levels, provide meaningful feedback to inform professional growth planning and guide professional learning for school leaders. LEAD was created through collaboration with current and former DPS school leaders and central office leadership.

    LEAP

    LEAP or Leading Effective Academic Practice is the growth and performance system for teachers that helps ensure we have a great teacher in every classroom.

    Learning Cycle

    Learning Cycles ensure teachers have opportunities to continue to grow their teaching practice in ways that are timely, personalized and related to their personal, school and district goals.

    Mid-Year Conversations

    Mid-year conversations are an important opportunity for teachers to talk with their school leaders about expectations and receive useful feedback

    New Teacher Ambassador

    The New Teacher Ambassador (NTA) is a TLC role responsible for providing school-based logistical and social emotional support to all teachers new to DPS, including both novice and experience, in order to build a sense of community, belonging, and understanding of their role in DPS.

    Regional Team Specialist

    The Regional Team Specialist is a TLC role which builds the capacity of a cohort of teachers to effectively plan for and implement standards by delivering high-quality facilitation of collaborative time.

    Senior Team Lead

    The Senior Team Lead is a highly effective teacher who leads a team of teachers (aligned by grade level, content area, or other relevant grouping based on school need) in developing their ability to effectively deliver instruction and increase student outcomes.

    Team Caseload

    The number of teachers a Senior Team Lead or Team Lead has on his or her team.

    Team Lead

    The Team Lead is a highly effective teacher who leads a team of teachers (aligned by grade level, content area, or other relevant grouping based on school need) in developing their ability to effectively deliver instruction and increase student outcomes.

    Team Specialist

    The Team Specialist role builds the capacity of a subset of teachers (aligned by grade level, content area, or other relevant grouping based on school need) to effectively plan for and implement standards, by delivering high-quality facilitation of collaborative team time.

    Team Teacher

    A Team Teacher is a teacher working directly with a Senior Team Lead or Team Lead.