The author states that being a leader is more than being put "in charge" of something. It means sharing and modeling what's best for students. She describes real-world teacher leadership as participating on or heading committees or acting as department heads for some teachers. While for others, it means mentoring other teachers, asking probing…

Many middle schools do not use one of the most important strategies to improve student achievement and create socially equitable, developmentally responsive middle schools: becoming a professional learning community. This article summarizes the five disciplines which are vital for learning organizations -- systems thinking, personal mastery,…

School-family partnerships (SFPs) have been the focus of research, policy, and practice efforts for several years. Increasing the interest in SFPs has been the finding that when schools and families cooperate closely, children benefit. The more supportive links there are between settings, the more potential there is for healthy development. Such…