LEADING EDUCATORS INC

For too many students, the United States public education system is failing. Students of color trail white peers by an average of 2 grade levels, and upon entering fourth grade, children from low-income families are already two to three grades behind their higher-income peers. Data show that the top 20% of teachers generate 5 to 6 more months of student learning each year than a poor-performing teacher, but the nation’s 50 largest districts lose approximately 10,000 high-performing teachers each year.

Moreover, it is estimated that in the next decade 40% of today's principals will retire. School leaders who are retiring are not being replaced by enough qualified candidates, as traditional teacher preparation emphasizes leading students but pays little to no attention to the skills required to lead adults. With support and training, teacher-leaders can fill that void. Teacher-leaders assume a wide range of roles to support school and student success. Leading Educators focuses on the recruitment of roles such as grade level chairs and department heads, with the belief that an investment their leadership development will enhance the entire school's capacity to improve. They can help galvanize a school around ambitious goals and establish conditions that support teachers and facilitate student success, but often these leaders are not developed.

Opportunities for collaboration and embedded, continuous professional learning are increasing although still less common in the U.S. than in other nations where students achieve at high levels. Visions for the future of teaching in the United States emphasize the need for greater flexibility and options in career pathways. , Leading Educators responds to this demand.

Leading Educators is the only national program that explicitly and exclusively supports the management and leadership development of teacher-leaders. Teacher-leader development focused on student results in turn supports the capacity of schools to yield high student achievement, retain great teachers, and bolster the talent pipeline. Leading Educators is dedicated to creating a national movement built on teacher leadership that drives student results. In so doing, Leading Educators curbs the trend of our most promising teachers leaving the most challenging schools and builds a pool of potential future school leaders.