Advocacy for Educators AND Expanding Roles for Teachers:
1. Advocacy for Educators
Educators once largely relied on unions and professional associations to be their voices in policy forums. But the expanding role of social media has made it possible for individuals and nonunion organizations to exert greater in?uence than ever before. Using the following points as headers, address each one.
• Where are there examples of individuals and organizations that have tried — both successfully and unsuccessfully — to in?uence policy? What lessons did they learn about what works and what doesn’t?
• How have blogging and other social media been used effectively in advocacy?
• What’s in the advocate’s toolkit? What do educators need to know to become effective advocates?
• What restrictions are there on an educator’s involvement in advocacy?
• What lies ahead for educator advocacy? What tools and tactics are untested but seem promising?
2. Expanding Roles for Teachers:
Teacher leadership is a concept that’s growing up. A teacher leader doesn’t necessarily aspire to the principalship. Teacher leaders are earning degrees, certifications, and endorsements in teacher leadership, running schools, writing curricula and assessments, joining policy debates, and connecting schools with community resources. Using the following points as headers, address each one. Total response should be 2-3 pages double spaced.
• What is teacher leadership? What are the different forms that teacher leadership takes in practice? How does one learn to be a teacher leader? What are the limits to teacher leadership? Are there limits or dangers in expanding teacher roles in schools?
• What implications does teacher leadership have for initial teacher preparation, compensation, reward structures, working conditions, and career ladders?
• How are large charter school organizations grooming their teachers for leadership?
• What do individual teachers risk by stepping up to leadership, and what do they gain? What, if anything, do students gain? How do districts benefit?
• What changes in the principalship can be expected because of expanding teacher leadership roles in schools? Will the role of principal disappear?
How do teacher leaders and principals work together? What is the nature of their shared leadership work?
• Where are three examples of teacher-led schools, and how are they different from other schools?