No school leader has the time or the expertise to handle all their school’s challenges alone. Schools that thrive tap into the many talents that their staff members possess in tackling those challenges. In doing so, a variety of auxiliary benefits are gained. Teachers who contribute to their schools beyond classroom instruction have higher reports of job satisfaction and retention.

Teacher leadership also improves sustainability for school efforts, since program support is distributed across several individuals. In the instance that an administrator does leave a school, teacher leadership provides a pipeline of personnel for formal school leadership. These lessons apply equally well to districts in considering how best to take advantage of the wide variety of skills possessed by teacher leaders, administrators, and support staff members such as curriculum specialists, assessment writers, and instructional coaches.