Reframing Notions of Teacher Professionalism: New Perspectives on Teacher Autonomy and Instructional Improvement in the United States

• In Event: School Improvement and Turnaround

Abstract

In the effort to improve instruction and reduce disparities for students on a large scale, one reform effort in the U.S. has focused on building instructionally-focused education systems where central office and school leaders collaborate with teachers to organize and manage instruction. These efforts are playing out in a variety of contexts in the U.S., including in public school districts, non-profits, and other educational networks, and it is shifting how teachers carry out the day-to-day work of instruction. In this comparative case study of two instructionally-focused educational networks, we explored the ways in which central hubs, school leaders, and teachers work together to organize, manage, and improve instruction and how these efforts intersect with legacy norms of individual teacher autonomy.

Authors

• Angela Lyle, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

• Donald J. Peurach, University of Michigan