Teacher Influence

Through focusing on data utilization, curriculum and pedagogy, teachers are freed to improve and examine their practice and contribute to each other's success. The processes are developed at the local level. Teachers decide through consensus and cohesion the best methods to employ through the use of a Learning Evaluation. Notice that in these documents the only items that are implemented by the teachers are collaborative processes. All other strategies, methods, programs, philosophies and tactics are decided on by the teams through processes in the evaluation. Teachers need to have familiar knowledge about each other's practice. If knowledge about one another's work develops via learning together collaboratively, and a learning stance is assumed, then teachers co-construct knowledge about effective teaching practices.

Knowing each other's practice builds cohesion. The principal's role in all of this is to facilitate the conversation, steer consensus and hold teams accountable for the collaborative decisions that they make. Accountability is redefined. Accountability currently lends itself to meaning something related to letter grades, test scores, evaluation ratings and rankings. Accountability in this model means being responsible to the collective decisions made by the team, regardless of any quantifiable outcome. Teamwork and agreed-upon actions are placed first, analysis of results second. The theory is that if the teams follow the process, they will have success more often than failure, with a variety of initiatives, programs and strategies impacting students' learning in the long run. We need to hold each other accountable to the process, not the end result, because the results have to be owned by everyone. The end result simply communicates a need, or next step. It does not communicate overall success. Overall success is found in the foundational work of the team(s). This requires leaders responsive to teacher collaboration. Teachers must be empowered and have direct involvement in decision making. This creates an environment where teams can create and share knowledge.