Teacher Powered
What does it mean? Teacher-powered is a type of governing structure in which teachers make school-wide decisions collaboratively. Chrysalis Charter School honors the teacher-powered idea that those closest to the students are better equipped to make informed decisions based on their needs. This is important because it creates personal ownership; teachers are responsible for creating a school that families want to enroll in. Driving forces that support informed decision making include…
- Keeping Students at the Center of Decision Making
- Meaningfully Involving Families & Communities
- Honoring Student Voice and Choice
- Fostering a Collaborative Culture
- Embracing Transparency in Decision Making
- Creating Shared Leadership Structures
- Reimagining and Rotate Leadership Positions
- Engaging in Peer Observation
- Taking on a Learner Mindset
This student-centered, bottom-up organization is central to Chrysalis’ identity as a teacher-powered school and gives us the autonomy to be flexible for the ever changing needs of our community. Chrysalis won the 2017 Teacher-Powered Schools Initiative Extraordinary Achievement Award for our teacher-powered model. Chrysalis Charter was part of a Teacher-powered study and features in the book Trusting Teachers with School Success, by Kim Farris-Berg and Edward Dirkswager. For more information, see the Teacher-Powered Schools website or contact our office.
