West Virginia Legislature House Bill 4804 provides an opportunity for school districts to design teacher leader roles that can provide teachers with opportunities for advancement without leaving the classroom. The Teacher Leadership funding provides for multiple leadership opportunities including training and salary stipends for the roles. School districts can take several approaches to identify and designing pertinent teacher leadership roles for their locale including:
School districts just beginning to design and implement a teacher leadership program may begin with common roles that are relevant in most circumstances, such as cooperating teachers and mentor teachers.
Cooperating teacher leaders work closely with preservice teachers, modeling instruction and gradually releasing instructional responsibilities as preservice teachers develop readiness. Mentors provide ongoing support to new or struggling teachers by conducting observations, providing feedback, supporting lesson planning and data analysis, and coteaching.
Eligibility criteria for either of these roles typically entail a minimum of three years of teaching experience and an effective or highly effective (or comparable) evaluation rating. Teachers in these roles may receive a stipend and role-related additional training that focuses on pertinent competencies, such as communication, collaboration, and content knowledge.
For additional information, guidelines and recommendations for establishing a staffing plan for teacher leader programs, see Teacher leader programs: Structure and staffing in four TIF districts.
For more support please contact the Region 5 Comprehensive Center
