(DES MOINES, Iowa) Iowa's Teacher Leadership and Compensation (TLC) system is expanding to principals.
"It is the building principal who can attract great teachers to the building, nurture their professional growth, and build a community of learning," said Tom Lane, the Executive Director of Iowa's Area Education Agencies during Governor Kim Reynolds' weekly news conference Monday.
The Iowa AEA, along with the School Administrators of Iowa and the Iowa Department of Education are involved in the effort, which aims to coach principals on how to make the most of the Teacher Leadership and Compensation (TLC) system.
“This is a remarkable tribute to focusing on long term sustainability,” Gov. Reynolds said. “It speaks to the value educators place on Iowa’s TLC system and provides a systematic approach to continually improving instruction to raise student achievement. We know when principals understand how to support teacher leaders, it leads to success.”
The principal support program will build on the Iowa Department of Education’s previous work with the New York City Leadership Academy. Together, in collaboration with the Area Education Agencies (AEA) and SAI, the education department and leadership academy built a comprehensive curriculum with the goal of training school administrators in how to facilitate TLC to maximize support for teachers.
“Iowa’s TLC system has empowered teachers to take on important leadership roles in their schools, setting the stage for all teachers to learn from each other instead of operating in isolation within their classrooms,” Iowa Department of Education Director Ryan Wise said. “The principal support program helps principals develop the skills they need to maximize the impact of their teacher leaders.”
Organizers say this school year, SAI stepped in to help train 27 principals. Next school year, SAI has committed to expand training with workshops and one-on-one coaching for 100 principals.
Iowa currently has the most extensive TLC system in the nation. More than 25 percent of teachers in all of the state’s 333 school districts are in leadership roles, such as instructional coaches and mentors.