Teacher Leader and Innovation Academy 

The purpose of the Teacher Leader and Innovation Academy is to equip teacher leaders with the knowledge, skills, and experience to lead school level teams of teachers in improving student achievement. Candidates attend sessions where they receive direct instruction and practice so they can lead teams in this work. This job-embedded curriculum focuses on the real work of schools, adding immediate value to the school and district. 

Target Audience: Instructional Coaches, Teacher Leaders, Grade Level Chairpersons, Department Chairpersons. This course is for teachers interested in serving in teacher leadership roles, not necessarily administrative roles. 

Candidate admission to the SCCPSS Teacher Leader and Innovation Academy requires the following: 

• Valid, level 4 or higher clear, renewable certificate

• Recommendation from your current school administrator

• Minimum of 3 years teaching experience

Benefits to the District and School:  

1. A formalized distributed leadership model that would support communication of expectations and encourage two-way communication among all levels throughout the district. 

2. Fostering a culture of continuous learning at all levels through teacher-led professional learning communities. 

3. Create a systematic process for professional growth, thus ensuring a common language, aligned goals, and consistency of implementation. 

Course Topics: 

1. Building Collaborative Teams 

2. Data-Driven Instruction 

3. Observation and Feedback 

4. Leading Student Culture 

Course Texts (provided to you): 

1. Aguilar, E. (2016). The art of coaching teams: Building resilient communities that transform schools. 

2. Bambrick-Santoyo, P. (2019).  Driven by data: A practical guide to improve instruction. 

3. Bambrick-Santoyo, P. (2016). Get better faster: A 90-day plan for coaching new teachers. 

4. Additional required texts as provided by the instructor  

The Savannah Chatham County Public Schools Teacher Leader & Innovation Academy is based on the Georgia Professional Standards Commission’s Rule 505.3.73, which prepares individuals to serve in teacher leader roles in grades P-12.