Leadership as a Practice: How Distributed Leadership Creates Shared Accountability
Reimagining Teacher Teacher Leadership
In Leadership as a Practice, Empower Schools and Teacher-Powered Schools examine how Denver Green School-Northfield uses distributed leadership, teacher agency, and Innovation Zone flexibility to create shared accountability for student outcomes.
The case study shows how Denver Green School-Northfield, a member of the Luminary Learning Network, shares leadership across educators and school leaders through a partnership model that supports collaborative decision-making. It also explains how the school uses Innovation School and Innovation Zone status to create flexibility around staffing, budget, schedule, calendar, curriculum, professional development, and schoolwide planning.
Empower Schools supports the launch, operation, and sustainability of Innovation Schools through direct partnerships and by advocating for the policies, governance structures, and local conditions that make school-level innovation possible.
In this resource:
How Denver Green School-Northfield uses distributed leadership to support shared accountability
How the Luminary Learning Network provides flexibility, support, and governance for Innovation Schools
How teacher agency shapes schoolwide decisions, classroom practice, and student experiences
How schedule, calendar, and budget flexibility help educators align resources to the school’s mission
What other schools and districts can learn from Denver Green School’s approach to leadership, collaboration, and continuous improvement
Best for: district leaders, school leaders, teacher leaders, state education leaders, policymakers, and advocates exploring Innovation Schools, distributed leadership, school-level autonomy, Innovation Zones, or educator empowerment.
This case study was co-produced as a special collaboration between Empower Schools and Teacher Powered Schools. Learn more about Teacher Powered Schools here.
