"Planning for Teacher Leadership to Effect Systemic Change," a twelve-month planning project, seeks to assess the needs for K-8 mathematics teacher-leaders in the Newark Public Schools. The Newark Public Schools, the largest district in New Jersey, serves approximately 45,000 students. In recent years, Newark's educational system has been plagued with chronic underachievement as evidenced by poor student performance on state assessments. The New Jersey State Department of Education has assumed control of the daily operations of the school system and mandated implementation of a model of whole school reform. The goals of the planning project are:
Identify needs/strengths of current teacher-leaders and classroom teachers with regard to mathematics content, mathematics reform and pedagogy. Investigate and explore models of successful teacher leadership and training programs in urban systems. Select a teacher-leader model and develop a training plan to meet identified needs. Align, coordinate and integrate the proposed plan with other district initiatives to ensure cohesiveness and to foster and support effective instructional practices.
The project is managed by the Newark Public Schools.
