Teachers in Auburn School District are developing collaborative leadership skills to improve student learning for all students. Partnering with the Center for Strengthening the Teaching Profession (CSTP), Auburn School District launched the first Auburn Teacher Leadership Academy (ATLA) for 50 teachers from across the district earlier this school year. 

In August 2010, the teachers participated in a four-day training integrating strategies and skills to assist their fellow teachers in improving student achievement. Research indicates that the best professional practice occurs when we change the culture within our schools from isolation to collaboration. Through a focus on learning in a results-oriented collaborative culture, there is a collective commitment to continuous improvement.

ATLA teachers will have the opportunity to meet as a cohort eight more times during the 2010-11 school year. The key leadership skills teachers learn during ATLA are:

• Working with adult learners
• Communication
• Collaboration
• Knowledge of content and pedagogy
• Systems thinking

On September 28, teachers participated in their fifth day of leadership academy activities. Teachers began the day by developing norms for the remainder of their 2010-11 ATLA training sessions. Teachers will have the opportunity to use this skill when developing norms with their Professional Learning Community (PLC) teacher teams, which meet during the 2010-11 late start Mondays. PLCs allow teachers to work and collaborate together for student learning. Teachers also practiced deep listening skills and a “Chalk Talk” activity where they learned how to glean information and ideas from everyone within a group quickly and accurately.

According to Mike Clancy, Auburn Mountainview High School dean of students and ATLA participant, “All teachers have the capacity to lead. The training provides us with the time and tools to learn what our leadership strengths are and then how to share those strengths with our colleagues. Since we as teachers and individuals all have different strengths, we can all be leaders and share our strengths with one another in order to build leadership capacity in our schools.”

Lyn Hess, Lakeland Hills reading and language arts specialist and ATLA participant concurs, “ATLA encourages all teachers to share their expertise with their colleagues. As we share these leadership skills with our colleagues everyone will benefit.”

This is the primary goal of ATLA—to develop leadership skills and then share the expertise with others. “The days of teachers working in isolation are over,” remarks Jeanne Harmon, CSTP trainer. “It’s now about improving a system where teachers work together and share their expertise with one another to improve student learning. ATLA provides teachers with the time and knowledge to begin this shift from working in isolation to collaboration.”

Each year additional Auburn teachers will benefit from this training. Fifty more teachers will form the second cohort and kick off their training in August 2011. Ultimately, 250 teachers will participate in ATLA training.

ATLA training will increase the leadership capacity of Auburn School District teachers and provide teachers the skills to work collaboratively together for student learning. The focus on teacher leadership will ultimately increase student achievement.

For more information about ATLA, visit the Auburn School District website at www.auburn.wednet.edu.