Revolutionary Collaboration: Transforming Teacher Roles to Drive Regional Outcomes
Reimagining Teacher Teacher Leadership
In Revolutionary Collaboration, Empower Schools and Teacher-Powered Schools examine how the Washtenaw Educational Options Consortium in Ypsilanti, Michigan uses shared leadership, teacher-powered practices, and regional collaboration to expand options for students across Washtenaw County.
The case study shows how WEOC’s schools use flexible schedules, advisory models, shared decision-making structures, and hybrid teacher leadership roles to better meet student needs. It also explains how the consortium structure allows nine Washtenaw County school districts and the Washtenaw Intermediate School District to work together to offer students public school options that individual districts may not be able to create on their own.
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 WEOC uses a regional consortium model to expand public school options
How teacher-powered practices shape schedules, learning programs, curriculum, and decision-making
How Program Quality Committees give educators a formal role in school improvement
How shared governance and site-level autonomy support continuous program improvement
What other communities can learn from WEOC’s approach to teacher leadership, student-centered learning, and regional collaboration
Best for: district leaders, school leaders, teacher leaders, state education leaders, policymakers, and advocates exploring Innovation Schools, teacher leadership, school-level autonomy, regional collaboration, 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.
