0.2 Lindahl, r. (april 2011). school leadership structures in  (Page 3/7)

Spillane (2006) provided a useful differentiation between shared leadership and distributed leadership , contending that shared leadership involves a formal leader plus other leaders, whereas distributed leadership is about leadership practice, not roles, about interactions, not heroes (p. 4). Although this semantic differentiation is not universally adhered to in the knowledge base, it is very helpful when examining the emerging leadership structure efforts in Alabama’s schools.

An overview of some of the shared leadership initiatives in alabama’s schools

In 2005, the Alabama Department of Education designed and implemented the Teacher Leader Network, which piloted a three-year program of a formal teacher leader in each of the 66 Alabama schools that did not make Adequate Yearly Progress in 2004 (Alabama Department of Education, 2010a). This was accompanied by other State initiatives, such as the Accountability Roundtable and State Support Teams for schools failing to make Adequate Yearly Progress, and the Alabama Math, Science, and Technology Initiative (AMSTI), Alabama Reading Initiative (ARI), and the Alabama Reading First Initiative (ARFI), all of which moved selected teachers into leadership roles in the school, e.g., coaches, specialists, or faculty facilitators (Alabama Department of Education, 2010b).

In 2008, the Alabama Department of Education, through the Governor’s Commission on Quality Teaching (GCQT) (2008), proposed new directions in teacher leadership through the creation of Professional Pathways for Alabama Teachers. These Pathways proposed to alter the teacher certification levels to provide teachers with greater opportunities to assume broader roles in instructional improvement, without having to leave the classroom full-time or to become an administrator. With experience, proven performance, and training, teachers would progress from apprentice teacher to classroom teacher to professional teacher. At the professional teacher level, they would assume such leadership roles as leading teams of colleagues, serving as a school improvement committee chair, cooperating teacher, or department or grade level chairperson. Teachers desiring to assume greater leadership roles could pursue training and certification as a master teacher or learning designer . The former role would focus on supporting the learning of peers (e.g., mentor or demonstration teacher). Teachers attaining the learning designer certification might serve as specialists in assessment, data analysis, school improvement, or technology integration. Both of these groups of teachers would remain in their classrooms part-time, but would receive release time to exercise these additional roles (GCQT, 2008). The State Department of Education also created a statewide mentoring program, in which recommended, experienced teachers provide one-on-one mentoring for new teachers.

Parallel to these efforts, in July, 2005, the Alabama State Board of Education adopted new Standards for Instructional Leaders (Alabama Department of Education, 2006). The Governor’s Congress on School Leadership (Alabama Department of Education, 2005) proposed that teachers holding Instructional Leader certification not receive a salary increase for that certification until they actually assume an administrative position. Furthermore, it developed far more rigorous program standards for those master’s degree programs preparing Instructional Leaders. As thousands of teachers in Alabama had previously completed their master’s degrees in such programs with no intention of moving into an administrative position, these new directions reduced the enrollment in these programs. In an effort to provide prospective teachers with programs more related to their roles, the Governor’s Congress on School Leadership proposed that teachers earn master’s degrees in their content areas and that new Teacher Leadership programs be developed at the post-master’s level. On November 25, 2009, State Superintendent of Education Joseph Morton (personal communication) released drafts of the new program approval standards for Class AA Teacher Leadership programs, with implementation intended for spring, 2010. This certification is aimed at classroom teachers who have successful teaching experience and content expertise who want to remain in the classroom, but who also want to be better prepared to assume leadership (not as administrators) roles in their schools.