South Union 5th Grade Teacher Selected by NEA for Teacher Leadership Initiative

Four educators from Des Moines Public Schools – Alex Hammer of Weeks Middle School, Anson Bonte of Callanan Middle School, Sara Earleywine of Hoyt Middle School, and Julie Goering of South Union Elementary School – are among 150 teachers chosen to participate in the new Teacher Leadership Initiative, a program sponsored by the National Education Association and other organizations to help develop a new generation of leaders in the teaching profession. The Des Moines teachers will join colleagues from six states in the pilot year of this program.

In addition to developing new leaders in education, participants in the Teacher Leadership Initiative will also focus on policy areas including the Common Core, educator evaluations, and school redesign.

Below is a press release from the NEA announcing the selection of the DMPS teachers selected to participate in the program.

WASHINGTON –Several local teachers from the Des Moines Public Schools were selected to participate in the national Teacher Leadership Initiative, a program to develop a new generation of leaders within the teaching profession.

Alex Hammer (Weeks MS), Anson Bonte (Callanan MS), Sara Earleywine (Hoyt MS), and Julie Goering (South Union ES) were 4 of the 150 educators from six states chosen for the 2014 pilot year.

The Teacher Leadership Initiative (TLI) is a joint endeavor of the National Education Association (NEA), the Center for Teaching Quality (CTQ) and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (National Board).  The initiative is the product of the organizations’ shared vision of teacher-leadership advancing the profession. The long-term goals of the TLI are: 1) define the foundational competencies of teacher leadership; 2) develop relevant experiences and supports to help teachers cultivate those competencies; and 3) activate teachers to be leaders for their profession as a result of their participation in this process. One hundred and fifty educators representing Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Massachusetts, Michigan and Mississippi were chosen for the 2014 pilot year.

“This initiative will ultimately develop expertise and engage thousands of teacher-leaders in leadership work in schools, with NEA affiliates, and in state houses throughout the country—because every student should have the best possible educators in their schools.” said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. “The program will prepare and support the next generation of our profession’s leaders to meet the demands of a 21st century teaching professional and ensure the success of their students.”

Participants will engage with an interactive curriculum designed and facilitated by other expert teachers. Their learning will take place on CTQ’s Collaboratory platform and in face-to-face meetings. Once teacher leaders have been prepared, TLI will mobilize their leadership to help advance student learning, strengthen the teaching profession, and provide vision and direction to the Association.  In addition, the partners will develop systems to support their on-going professional growth.

“The initiative will call on the voices and expertise of accomplished teachers,” said CTQ CEO Barnett Berry. “It’s time to blur the lines of distinction between those who teach in schools and those who lead them.”

“The National Board is proud to partner with NEA and CTQ on the Teacher Leadership Initiative,” said Ron Thorpe, president and CEO of the National Board. “It is our strong belief that positive change in education must be driven by the profession and shaped by the invaluable experience of teachers working in classrooms. The TLI initiative marks an important milestone in our collective effort to elevate the profession.”

The national initiative was announced on January 7, 2014 at the NEA headquarters in Washington, D.C.