Leadership Development

Every educator deserves the opportunity to develop as a leader. We find unique ways to bring educators together, equipping them with the resources and practice needed to inspire the change our students are counting on.

Teacher Leader Fellowship

Develop technical and leadership skills in this year-long program, culminating in an impact project to enact change for diverse learners in your school.

Coaching Collaborative

Engage alongside fellow coaches through a summer workshop and a year of development and individualized coaching that focuses on the core competencies of a diverse learner leader.

Fellowship Process

Problem

Teachers of students with disabilities and English learners are often one of a few in their schools, lack access to adequate support and development opportunities, and, as a result, experience high rates of burnout.

DLC's Support

The DLC Teacher Leader Fellowship exists to connect teachers to relevant professional growth experiences, resources, and networks to propel best practice for diverse learners and increase teacher efficacy. The Fellowship helps diverse learner educators feel empowered as leaders within and outside of their school buildings.

Results

When asked whether they felt equipped to lead others in using best practices for diverse learners, Fellows grew from an average rating of 3.3 to 4.4 out of 5 in the course of the year. Fellows reported a renewed sense of personal growth from collaborating with other educators, advocating within their schools, and witnessing student success in their impact projects.

What They Said

“This experience has been one of the most valuable growth opportunities I’ve ever participated in. The timing couldn’t have been better with all of the challenges we faced this year. As someone who is towards the end of her teaching career, this experience has helped me see how I can share and help others on this journey.”

“This was my favorite year of teaching by far and I owe so much of that to the DLC. It was energizing and encouraging to tackle such a “big” issue common in schools and to consistently be thinking of ways to solve it. The DLC helped me come up with so many creative solutions and really helped me feel confident in the impact I, as a single educator, can have on an entire school’s culture and practices.”

Coach Collaborative Process

Problem

Leading a team of diverse learner educators can be nuanced and challenging work. In order to mitigate challenges, leaders require development opportunities catered to their specific experiences, but it can be difficult to find these opportunities.

DLC's Support

The Coaching Collaborative is a year-long cohort model designed for diverse learner leaders (Coaches, Coordinators, and Directors working with Multilingual Learner Teachers and/or Special Education Teams). Through the Coaching Collaborative, participants will receive in-person professional development, access to quality resources, and on-site coaching.

Results

When asked about their participation in the Coaching Collaborative, Coaches rated the experience as 9.6 out of 10. Coaches reported feeling more empowered to lead teams of diverse learner educators.

What They Said

“With this cohort, I was able to be vulnerable and seek advice for real situations that were uncomfortable in my department. This Coaching Collaborative (the resources, my coach, my partners) made me believe that I could be a transformational coach by intentionally using what was provided. I used to think good coaches were naturally good and that’s why they were put in / selected for coaching positions, but now I know so much of it can be learned… and I am in charge of that learning.”

“It has been a huge year of development and growth, thanks to the Coaching Collaborative. I owe so much to the DLC for allowing structured reflection with a community of others in the same boat.”

What Participants Are Saying

Due to the DLC Fellowship, I had motivation to dig deeper into my teaching practice and think holistically about EL instruction at my school. ... From the full group meetings, discussions, and resource sharing to observations and thought-partnering in the classroom from my coach, each element of support equipped me with strategies and ideas that I would not have had access to otherwise. My school’s EL students greatly benefited from the fellowship, and I’m so thankful for all that it provided to my practice.

The DLC Fellowship encouraged me to collaborate and consult with general education teachers at my new school to improve learning for my students. It also provided me with amazing coaching, feedback, and resources that helped me better reach my students this year, but I know will also have a lasting effect on my professional practice as a teacher moving forward as well. Finally, the DLC connected me with a fantastic group of educators who I felt lucky to be able to learn from and collaborate with this year!

The DLC Fellowship has provided meaningful professional development and time to focus on a practical solution to a need in our school building. It has specifically increased our capacity in the domain of teacher leadership and has encouraged both of us to take on that role in our school.

The DLC has fostered an environment of like-minded educators who can problem solve together. This environment has been incredibly helpful and nourishing.

This was my favorite year of teaching by far and I owe so much of that to the DLC. It was energizing and encouraging to tackle such a “big” issue common in schools and to consistently be thinking of ways to solve it. The DLC helped me come up with so many creative solutions and really helped me feel confident in the impact I, as a single educator, can have on an entire school’s culture and practices.

The biggest thing I gained from the fellowship experience is a greater sense of self as a teacher, leader, and person. By participating in this fellowship I spent much time reflecting on my practices and really thinking more deeply about education and how showing up for my students impacts our day to day. I also gained another community network of educators that have similar goals and work ethics that I was able to learn from.

This was one of the most impactful things I have done to support my teaching since I started as a professional. I would have never thought as a teacher I would be able to or think that I could present to our entire staff and have them learn from me. I now want to continue to do this every year.

This experience has been one of the most valuable growth opportunities I've ever participated in. The timing couldn't have been better with all of the challenges we faced this year. As someone who is towards the end of her teaching career, the training has helped me see how I can share and help others on this journey.

Thank you so much for bringing together like minded teachers from across the educational and school spectrum. This organization does an amazing job starting and continuing the conversation around advocating for diverse learners, and I am looking forward to continuing to connect and be involved going forward!

This experience has allowed me to form connections outside of my school building that have not just been beneficial in my professional, but also my personal life.

Partner with us to support teachers and help all students succeed.

When you give to the Diverse Learners Cooperative, your gift directly supports our work with teachers. We offer personalized coaching, valuable collaborative networks, and high quality resources so that teachers (and their learners) can succeed.

Join us in creating more inclusive and equitable schools.

Sign up for our twice-monthly newsletter to see how educators are making an impact in their schools. You’ll be the first to hear about DLC news and opportunities to be a part of our vision for increasing diverse learner teacher retention and implementing high-quality resources for diverse learners.