[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-590745-105":59,"doc-detail-590745-en":129},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":122,"head_meta":124,"extra_data":126,"updated_unix":128},105,"en","cultivating-teacher-leaders","Cultivating Teacher Leaders","","Cultivating Teacher Leaders describes how an AFT-led program helps educators research classroom- and school-level policy concerns, refine teaching practices around those policies, and translate findings into actionable recommendations. It outlines why teacher leadership matters for student success and how connecting teachers with policymakers improves education decisions that are otherwise distant from daily classroom realities. The article explains participant selection, two-day orientations, cohort research over eight months, and program supports such as curriculum resources and ongoing community access.",{"@graph":69,"@context":121},[70,84,104],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":35,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/cultivating-teacher-leaders/590745/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":98,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":99,"interactionStatistic":100},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/cultivating-teacher-leaders/590745.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Stanley","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":101,"interactionType":102,"userInteractionCount":4},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":103},"ViewAction",{"@type":105,"mainEntity":106},"FAQPage",[107,113,117],{"name":108,"@type":109,"acceptedAnswer":110},"Why does the article emphasize teacher leadership?","Question",{"text":111,"@type":112},"It argues that teachers connect with students daily and understand what works in classrooms, so their leadership is essential for school and district success.","Answer",{"name":114,"@type":109,"acceptedAnswer":115},"How does the AFT Teacher Leaders Program work?",{"text":116,"@type":112},"Local presidents submit applications, selected locals appoint facilitators, and facilitators lead cohorts of about 12 educators who meet monthly over eight months to research policy and share recommendations.",{"name":118,"@type":109,"acceptedAnswer":119},"What support and resources do participating teachers receive?",{"text":120,"@type":112},"The program provides technical assistance, curriculum materials such as The Power of Teacher Networks, stipends, ongoing coaching (including meeting planning and conference calls), and access to an online community of teacher leaders.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":123,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":125,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":127,"site_id":62},590745,1792070329,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":130},{"doc_id":127,"user_id":131,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":132,"doc_module":4,"category_id":34,"category_name":35,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":133,"file_id":134,"file_url":135,"file_type":136,"file_size":137,"view_count":4,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":39,"language":138,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":139,"faqs":140,"seo_title":141,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":128,"read_time":46},2336477405376,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_29158cc5080c5b710cf443261637dec0","# Cultivating Teacher Leaders\n\nA Union-Led Effort Connects Classroom Practice to Education Policy  \nPHOTO6RAPHSBYASTAFF  \nBY RoBIN VITUCCI AND MARJORIE BROWN  \ne've allived throogh the unintended consequencesof even the most thoughtful policies.Adhering to astrict class and bell schedule makes sense,unlessyou teach at the end of the day and regularly losemany of your students to early disnissaland much of your teach-ing time to afternoon announcements.And “freshman clusters”suunds like a great idea,unless your district lacks the infrastruc-ture and personnel to support them.But what if we gave stake-holders,namely educators,a chance to research a policy theyfound irksome(orworse),hone their practices around this policy,and end up fixing what's broken in the process?  \nEffective teacher leadership recognizes that teachers areessential to the success of a school and the district as a whole.Such leadership can take place in individual classrooms oramong teachers,but leadership onalarger scale happens whenteachers have opportunities to influence policy.The public aswell as policymakers know that teachers are the ones who con-nect with students every day and have directknowledge of whatis working or not working in the classroom or school.  \nTeacher leadership is vital to student success,with researchfinding positive connections between student achievement  \nRobin Vitucci is aseniorassociateandMarjorie Brown isanassistant direc-torin the American Federation ofTeachers'educationalissues department.This article is based on a research briefpublished by the AFT in 2017,\"Teacher Leadership:From Practice to Policy,\"available at wuu.aft.org/sites/default/files/tlp3_practicetopolicy.pdf.  \n4 AMERICAN EDUCATOR |SPRING 2019  \nand teacherleadership and collaboration.Countries with top-performing educational systems,like Finland and Singapore,promote teacher professionalism and connecting teachers withpolicymakers.'Decisions in the U.S.education system,on theother hand,are typically made by people who are far removedfrom the classroom.Teacher leadership,while certainly not anew idea,is increasingly important in our current climate toensure students are taught in environments that are focusedon their needs rather than on the ideas of far-removed politi-cians and policymakers,or those who have little experience inpublic education.  \nUltimately,teachers must play a part in changing the narra-tive and practice of top-down school reforms.As authnr andeducator Frederick M.Hess has written,teachers must be\"readyto stepout of their classroom,able to deal with policymakers ingood faith,and willing tomake teacher leadershipmore than anempty phrase.\"2≠  \nTeacherleaders who are members ofthe American Federa-tion of Teachers are doingjust that.Since 2011,the AFT TeacherLeaders Program(TLP)has helped prepare educators(typi-cally teachers)to facilitate discussions of policy issues that  \nimpact the profession both locally and nationally.5 The pro-gram has brought together and coached cohorts ofteachers totake active leadership roles in their individual schools,schooldistricts,and local communities.As teacher leaders,theseeducators have served as catalysts to build the profession andstrengthen not just the union but also its connection to thecommunity,in order to generate support for and better under-standing of public schools.  \n## How the Teacher Leaders Program Works\n\nTo participate in the program,local presidents submit an appli-cation in late winter and are selected in early spring.Once alocalis accepted into the program,educators who are interestedin joining must submit an application to their local.The localpresident then selects a member of the local to become a pro-gram facilitator,and both the president and the facilitator mustattend a two-day orientation run by the AFT.Each facilitator istrained to lead a cohort of apprnximately 12 educators,called\"teacher leaders,\"who meet over eight months during theschoolyear,one Saturday each month fora full day","cbCainMOUoUBj2u9","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCainMOUoUBj2u9","pdf",1207136,"English","# How the Teacher Leaders Program Works\n## Application, selection, and orientation\n## Cohort training, research, and policy conversations","[{\"question\":\"Why does the article emphasize teacher leadership?\",\"answer\":\"It argues that teachers connect with students daily and understand what works in classrooms, so their leadership is essential for school and district success.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the AFT Teacher Leaders Program work?\",\"answer\":\"Local presidents submit applications, selected locals appoint facilitators, and facilitators lead cohorts of about 12 educators who meet monthly over eight months to research policy and share recommendations.\"},{\"question\":\"What support and resources do participating teachers receive?\",\"answer\":\"The program provides technical assistance, curriculum materials such as The Power of Teacher Networks, stipends, ongoing coaching (including meeting planning and conference calls), and access to an online community of teacher leaders.\"}]","Cultivating Teacher Leaders | PDF"]