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A joint initiative begun in spring 2014 by the National Education Association, the Center for Teaching Quality, and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the Teacher Leadership Initiative is an effort to recruit, prepare, and support teachers to lead a transformed teaching profession. The initiative’s goals are to create accomplished-level teacher leader standards, develop training and support to meet those standards, and activate at least 1,000 teachers to be leaders by 2017.

TAP: The System for Teacher and Student Advancement allows teachers to pursue a variety of leadership positions throughout their careers, including mentor and master teacher. TAP provides training and certification services to prepare master and mentor teachers to conduct professional learning activities. Master and mentor teachers take on additional responsibilities and authority, including conducting evaluations, and are required to have a longer work year.

New York City has a variety of opportunities for teachers interested in teacher leadership, from roles for specific instructional hurdles (such as the implementation of the Common Core standards) to more general roles, such as lead teachers or mentors. 

The one-year Emerging Leaders Program is designed to strengthen the leadership skills of talented teachers, coaches, and assistant principals in partner districts and charter management organizations.  

The National Network of State Teachers of the Year provides training workshops led by state teachers of the year for teacher leaders. The workshops are based on the seven domains of the Teacher Leader Model Standards and cover strategies on leading adult learners, creating a collaborative environment, and facilitating highly effective teams.

The National Academy of Advanced Teacher Education (NAATE) two-year program is designed to enable experienced, high-performing teachers to deepen their classroom practice and gain skills to lead other teachers. Each participant uses the case study method, and develops and implements a year-long inquiry project focused on their school’s needs.

The Learning Forward Academy is a two-and-a-half-year program designed to empower teacher leaders to improve their instructional practice and become professional learning subject-matter experts so they can lead change in others. It includes in-person learning days, annual conferences, and ongoing virtual collaboration with academy participants.

Through a two-year fellowship, Leading Educators partners with schools and districts to maximize the leadership development of early- to middle-career teachers to bolster the talent pipeline, increase student achievement, and develop the skills and sustainability of teachers on their teams. 

Designed exclusively for KIPP teachers in leadership roles, the KIPP Teacher Leader Program is designed to help teacher leaders hone their instructional skills while learning new strategies to bring out the best in their colleagues. Participants in the one-year program focus on developing the leadership competencies and behaviors of the KIPP School Leadership Competency Model. 

The Center for Teacher Leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University offers two-day conferences designed to give teacher leaders the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that they will need to work effectively with adults. It also offers workshops on communication skills, team building, and time management, as well as role-specific training focused on instructional mentoring, observing and conferencing, and data-driven coaching.