As a building principal for more than a decade, one of my greatest professional frustrations—shared by many principals—is how the daily demands of the role often prevent us from being present in classrooms and fully effective as instructional leaders. Most principals enter the role hoping to move beyond the constant operational grind of assistant principal duties—supervision, discipline, scheduling, and crisis management—and into work that centers on growing instructional practice through coaching, professional development, and real-time feedback. Unfortunately, without adequate assistant principal allocations or intentional teacher leadership structures, principals are frequently pulled back into day-to-day minutiae. Over time, this imbalance leads to burnout, reduced job satisfaction, and a sense that the work is reactive rather than impactful.

This was exactly where I found myself five years ago. Recognizing that something needed to change, our leadership team began exploring a teaming model grounded in Teacher Powered Practices. Almost immediately, I saw the potential—not only to transform our campus culture at Aprende Middle School, but also to fundamentally redefine my role as an instructional leader.

Teacher Leadership Without Leaving the Classroom

Many teachers aspire to lead, but not at the expense of leaving the classroom—the very place where they feel most connected to students and their craft. Our model intentionally honors that reality. Teacher leaders remain full-time classroom teachers with daily student contact, responsibility for planning and delivering instruction, and ownership of student outcomes. At the same time, they are empowered to oversee team operations, facilitate collaboration, mentor colleagues, and participate in meaningful decision-making that directly impacts teaching and learning.

This structure offers the “best of both worlds”: authentic leadership opportunities without sacrificing instructional practice. Teacher leaders are compensated with a stipend that reflects the additional responsibilities, time, and emotional labor inherent in this multifaceted role. Importantly, the model remains cost-neutral within a large public school district. We fund teacher leadership stipends by reallocating resources—specifically, by reducing administrative staffing by 0.5 FTE—demonstrating that innovation does not always require additional funding, but rather strategic redesign.

Our teacher leaders oversee all operations of the teams they lead (one teacher leader at each grade level, 6-8) and have full decision making authority over all aspects I have control over as a building leader in a large traditional public school (learning program, professional development, assessment flexibility and control, selecting colleagues, budget, staff pattern, schedule).  They also guide and facilitate instructional priorities and collaboration among team members, in addition to being the first point of contact for parents and for minor student discipline issues.  

Increased Principal Effectiveness, Satisfaction, and Opportunity

Now in our third year of implementation, with team leads at each grade level, my sense of purpose and professional fulfillment as a principal is stronger than at any other point in my career. I am consistently in classrooms, observing instruction, providing targeted feedback, and engaging in instructional conversations that directly impact teacher practices. I have the time and capacity to mentor teacher leaders, helping them grow their skills in facilitation, conflict resolution, and instructional leadership. I am also able to research, design, and support professional development that is timely, relevant, and responsive to teacher needs.

Perhaps most importantly, I have reignited my passion for instructional leadership. The work feels proactive and meaningful, and my daily efforts are aligned with the reasons I entered school leadership in the first place. This shift has also expanded my influence beyond my own campus. I now have opportunities to collaborate with and support other principals who are exploring alternative and innovative staffing models and teacher leadership pathways. As a result, my leadership capacity—and impact—has grown, further enhancing my job satisfaction and sense of professional efficacy.

Teacher Leadership Inspires Teacher and Student Autonomy and Creativity

The impact of this model extends well beyond leadership structures. Since implementation, we have seen increased teacher satisfaction and retention—most notably, no teachers have chosen to leave Aprende since the model began. With greater autonomy and trust, teachers feel empowered to take instructional risks, pilot new ideas, and tap into creative approaches that better meet the needs of their students.

This shift has naturally extended to students as well. As teachers experience the benefits of reduced top-down control and increased professional agency, they are more inclined to create learning environments that offer students similar freedom to explore, collaborate, and think creatively. The result is a school culture that values ownership, innovation, and shared responsibility for learning—among both adults and students.

Ultimately, transforming instructional leadership through teacher leadership opportunities has not only improved systems and outcomes, but has also restored joy, purpose, and sustainability to the work of leading a school.

Renee Kory is in her 11^th year as principal of Aprende Middle School in a large suburban traditional public school system in Phoenix, AZ.  She began engaging in professional development with Teacher Powered Schools in 2022 and now serves as a TPS Ambassador.