Abstract
Teacher leadership has emerged as a promising strategy for school improvement. Yet, there is limited research on the development of teacher leaders, especially in programs initiated and managed by school districts. To address this gap, this case study examined a teacher leadership program in a large urban district in the United States. In this unique initiative, six teacher leaders represented approximately 300 colleagues to support their development. Data were collected through a demographic survey, ten semi-structured interviews, and document analysis, using a conceptual framework that integrated the communities of practice (Wenger-Trayner & Wenger-Trayner, 2015) and pillar practices (Drago-Severson, 2004) frameworks for analysis. The findings revealed that this small group of teacher leaders advocated for their colleagues' interests, aided by pillar practices that nurtured a collaborative environment, facilitated by a central office leader. Additionally, specific pillar practices were implemented across the program to cultivate teacher leadership throughout the district. These findings led to themes that highlighted the significance of district-level infrastructure in legitimizing and sustaining teacher leadership, leadership and advocacy within communities of practice, and the role of pillar practices in developing teacher leadership. Recommendations are provided for district leaders on initiating, nurturing, and sustaining teacher leadership development programs, along with suggestions for future research.
