{"id":6819,"date":"2025-12-18T10:31:33","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T15:31:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stlucie.k12.fl.us\/td\/?page_id=6819"},"modified":"2026-03-30T16:29:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T20:29:08","slug":"teacher-leader-academy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.stlucie.k12.fl.us\/td\/teacher-leader-academy\/","title":{"rendered":"Teacher Leader Academy"},"content":{"rendered":"
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/4″][vc_widget_sidebar show_bg=”false” sidebar_id=”sidebar_1″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1741282153093{padding-left: 20px !important;}”]

Become a catalyst for change!<\/h3><\/div>
Join the St. Lucie Public Schools Teacher Leader Academy<\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div>[vc_column_text css=””]The St. Lucie Public Schools Teacher Leader Academy is a dynamic, three-year journey designed to empower educators in St. Lucie Public Schools to grow as leaders, innovators, and collaborators.<\/p>\n

The Teacher Leader Academy affords educators the opportunity to collaborate closely with Instructional Specialists from Talent Development within the Office of Teaching and Learning, who provide personalized support, mentorship, and encouragement throughout the journey\u2014empowering participants to grow into confident, strategic, and inspiring learning leaders ready to make a meaningful difference in their schools and across the district.<\/p>\n

Through a blend of leadership theory, district-specific learning, and hands-on application, participants develop high-impact skills in communication, collaboration, systems thinking, and change management. This journey strengthens their leadership identity, expands their influence, and prepares them to lead school and district initiatives with clarity and purpose.<\/p>\n

Graduates emerge as highly marketable candidates for leadership roles\u2014ready to inspire, innovate, and drive meaningful change across the district.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_btn title=”Apply to the Teacher Leader Academy” style=”outline” shape=”square” color=”sky” size=”lg” css=”” link=”url:%20https%3A%2F%2Fsurvey.stlucie.k12.fl.us%2F%3Fff_landing%3D71″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/4″ css=”.vc_custom_1741282160191{padding-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_single_image image=”6895″ img_size=”medium” css=”” image_hovers=”false”]

Contacts<\/h3><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div>[vc_empty_space height=”12px”][vc_column_text css=””]Year 1: <\/strong>Didi Johnson<\/a>
\n<\/strong>Coordinator of Quality Instruction<\/p>\n

Year 2: <\/strong>Dr. Belinda Benner-Ordonez<\/a>
\nInstructional Specialist<\/p>\n

Year 3: <\/strong>Kim Wadsworth<\/a>
\n<\/strong>Instructional Specialist[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/4″][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”3\/4″][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=””]\n

The Teacher Leader Academy Micro-Credential<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

A three-year journey that cultivates empowered, innovative educators.<\/span><\/p>\n

Year 1<\/strong>:<\/span> Foundations of Leadership builds essential knowledge of district processes and leadership responsibilities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Year 2<\/strong>: <\/span>Learning Expeditions deepens leadership through immersive, classroom-based experiences that promote inquiry, collaboration, and instructional excellence.<\/span><\/p>\n

Year 3<\/strong>:<\/span> Innovate Ed Teacher-Led Conference positions teachers as designers and facilitators of a district-wide professional learning conference, celebrating educator expertise and fostering a culture of shared leadership and continuous growth across the<\/span> St. Lucie Public School District.<\/span><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text]

<\/div>
+<\/i>Year 1: Foundations of Leadership<\/span><\/a><\/dt>
\"\"\"\"Year 1 of the Teacher Leader Academy lays the groundwork for transformative leadership by equipping educators with the essential knowledge, skills, and mindset to lead with purpose and impact.<\/p>\n

Participants engage in a structured learning experience that explores the core principles of leadership within the context of St. Lucie Public Schools, including a deep dive into district systems, policies, and strategic priorities.<\/p>\n

This foundational year also encourages participants to reflect on their personal leadership identity, set professional growth goals, and begin to see themselves as catalysts for innovation in their schools.<\/p>\n

By the end of Year 1, teacher leaders are prepared to take on expanded roles, contribute meaningfully to school initiatives, and support their colleagues in creating high-impact learning environments for all students.<\/div><\/dd>

+<\/i>Year 2: Learning Expeditions<\/span><\/a><\/dt>
\"\"\"\"In Year 2 of the Academy, Teacher Leaders deepen their leadership by designing and facilitating Learning Expeditions \u2014 immersive, classroom-embedded experiences that spark curiosity, foster inquiry, and connect learning across the district.<\/p>\n

These expeditions are grounded in real-world challenges and interdisciplinary exploration, empowering teachers and enriching instructional practice. New teachers are invited to also join the learning trek.<\/p>\n

Teacher Leaders will showcase learning in their own classrooms hosting others from across the district and will lead participants in shared problem-solving protocols, collaborate to share best practices, and contribute to a growing library of resources and tools that support innovative teaching and learning.<\/p>\n

The Learning Expeditions provide all teachers a powerful opportunity to grow, lead, and make a lasting impact in their school community.<\/div><\/dd>

+<\/i>Year 3: Innovate Ed Teacher-Led Conference<\/span><\/a><\/dt>
\"\"
\n\"\"In Year 3 of the Teacher Leader Academy, cohort leaders take center stage as they plan, design, and organize Innovate Ed: A Teacher-Led Conference, a district-wide professional learning event that blends highly effective instructional strategies with innovative technology integration.<\/p>\n

Teacher leaders curate this half-day experience by:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Seeking and vetting presenters<\/li>\n
  • Designing engaging, relevant sessions<\/li>\n
  • Creating a collaborative space for teachers to learn from one another<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Focused on professional learning for teachers, by teachers, Innovate Ed celebrates educator expertise and fosters a culture of shared leadership, creativity, and continuous improvement across the district.<\/div><\/dd><\/dl><\/div>[vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    [vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/4″][vc_widget_sidebar show_bg=”false” sidebar_id=”sidebar_1″][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1741282153093{padding-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=””]The St. Lucie Public Schools Teacher Leader Academy is a dynamic, three-year journey designed to empower educators in St. Lucie Public Schools to grow as leaders, innovators, and collaborators. The Teacher Leader Academy affords educators the opportunity to collaborate closely with Instructional Specialists from Talent Development within…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-6819","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stlucie.k12.fl.us\/td\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6819","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stlucie.k12.fl.us\/td\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stlucie.k12.fl.us\/td\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stlucie.k12.fl.us\/td\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stlucie.k12.fl.us\/td\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6819"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"https:\/\/www.stlucie.k12.fl.us\/td\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6819\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6957,"href":"https:\/\/www.stlucie.k12.fl.us\/td\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6819\/revisions\/6957"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stlucie.k12.fl.us\/td\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6819"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}