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Opinion Blog

Classroom Q&A

With Larry Ferlazzo

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to lferlazzo@epe.org. Read more from this blog.

Teaching Profession Opinion

Q&A Collections: Teacher Leadership

By Larry Ferlazzo — August 17, 2021 3 min read
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During the summer, I am sharing thematic posts bringing together responses on similar topics from the past 10 years. You can see all those collections from the first nine years here.

Here are the ones I’ve published so far:

The 11 Most Popular Classroom Q&A Posts of the Year

Race & Racism in 69ý

School Closures & the Coronavirus Crisis

Classroom-Management Advice

Best Ways to Begin the School Year

Best Ways to End the School Year

Student Motivation & Social-Emotional Learning

Implementing the Common Core

Challenging Normative Gender Culture in Education

Teaching Social Studies

Cooperative & Collaborative Learning

Using Tech With 69ý

Student Voices

Parent Engagement in 69ý

Teaching English-Language Learners

69ý Instruction

Writing Instruction

Education Policy Issues

Assessment

Differentiating Instruction

Math Instruction

Science Instruction

Advice for New Teachers

Author Interviews

Entering the Teaching Profession

The Inclusive Classroom

Learning & the Brain

Administrator Leadership

Today’s theme is on teacher leadership. You can see the list of posts following this excerpt from one of them:

teachersmustraise

* Teachers Share What They Want Central Offices & Public Officials to Hear

Those making policy decisions often don’t ask educators what they need. Teachers suggest ways they can be helpful to people in the trenches.

Four educators share their thoughts on the biggest dangers facing schools, including the silence of educators, often keeping mum in the “face of injustices that in our hearts and minds we know are unethical.”

Three educators discuss dangers facing education today, including gun violence and teacher burnout, as well as shrinking school budgets that threaten programs and student well-being.

Megan M. Allen, David Allen, John DeFlaminis, Mustafa Abdul-Jabbar, and Eric Yoak, along with readers, share their suggestions for ways teacher leaders can respond when new administrators are not thrilled with their role or presence.

Laura Robb, Kylene Beers, Susan Chenelle, ReLeah Cossett, Christopher Lehman, Matt Townsley, Anthony Cody, and Patty O’Grady contribute their ideas on teacher leadership. I’ve also included comments from readers.

Regie Routman, Aubrie Rojee, Megan M. Allen, Shane Safir, Sean Slade, and Barnett Berry share their thoughts on what teacher leadership looks like....

This post includes contributions from Randi Weingarten, Jody Spiro, Susan Ochshorn, and Meghan Everette discussing how teachers can effectively engage in educational policy decisions. I’ve also included comments by readers.

Karen Baptiste, Eric C. Heins, Mary Tedrow, and David Griffith share their suggestions on how teachers can affect education policy decisions.

Today’s contributors on the topic of making change in schools include Catherine Beck, Paul D’Elia, Michael Lamond, Julie Combs, Stacey Edmonson, Sandra Harris, PJ Caposey, and Kirke H. Olson. In addition, you can see quite a few comments from readers.

Educators Sally Zepeda, Bill Sterrett, Pete Hall, and Opal Davis Dawson share their thoughts on how teachers can encourage—and “embrace"—change.

I share my thoughts here, as do Renee Moore and Kelly Young.

I interview Barnett Berry about the book (Jossey-Bass 2013) authored by Barnett and Center for Teaching Quality colleagues Ann Byrd and Alan Wieder. In it, they document the leadership journeys of eight classroom educators (several who are regular contributors to this blog) who are spreading their expertise beyond their schools, districts, and states—and even nationally and internationally.

This is Part One in a series responding to the question: “How can teachers best relate to superintendents—and vice versa?”

This post provides responses from a teacher’s perspective, with contributions from Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers; Dean Vogel, president of the California Teachers Association; and Barnett Berry of the Center for Teaching Quality.

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The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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