Teacher Powered Schools

Teacher teams secure autonomy to design and run school

As educators, we understand the importance of having the flexibility and control to create the best learning environment for our students. That's why we are excited to share with you the concept of teacher-powered schools.

In a teacher-powered school, teachers have the unique opportunity to design and run their schools. This means that final decision-making authority lies with the collective group of teachers, rather than being handed down from administrators or other outside forces.

The benefits of a teacher-powered school are numerous. For one, teachers are able to create a learning environment that best meets the needs of their students. Additionally, teachers are more invested in the success of their school, as they have a say in its operations and direction.

In a teacher-powered school, administrators are selected by the teachers, and their role is to support the teacher teams’ decisions, rather than to dictate them. This creates a culture of collaboration and teamwork, where everyone is working together towards a common goal. For example, the article linked below from EdWeek highlights a teacher-powered school, Impact Academy.

Collaboration was a priority for teachers when designing Impact Academy. In addition to their professional learning community time, teachers in each community meet weekly for 100 minutes to reflect on instructional strategies and go over student data.

“I think the collaboration piece is huge—feeling like you are a team and these kids are yours together,” said Leah Johnson, a 2nd grade teacher.

At Elevate Teaching, we believe that empowering teachers is key to improving our education system. Teacher-powered schools are a prime example of this, and we encourage educators to explore this innovative approach to school management.