From Preservice to Teacher Leadership: Meeting the Future in Educator Preparation

Amidst myriad reforms, the education landscape is rapidly shifting. There has been a call for teacher leadership to lead these reforms, helping transform the profession and reshape education. The call for teacher leadership is changing the role of a teacher, and as this role transforms, so must teacher education. The authors examine teacher leadership and ask the question: Can the seeds of teacher leadership be cultivated before a preservice teacher graduates to the school district? This article lays the foundation for ongoing research with three colleagues at separate teacher education institutes. Preservice teachers read about and interact via video conferencing with teacher leaders from across the country to see if and how they think differently about the potential of leading education—from inside America’s classrooms.