These teachers have proven their effective teaching skills and have led their students to solid achievement gains. Established Teachers also demonstrate an ongoing commitment to their own learning and improvement, and may begin to take on leadership roles within their schools or for the district.
IMPACT Observations
Teachers at the Established Teacher stage will receive five observations. Four will be formal observations: two by an administrator and two by a master educator. During Cycle 2, these teachers will also receive an informal* administrator observation.
These teachers have proven their effective teaching skills and have led their students to solid achievement gains. Established Teachers also demonstrate an ongoing commitment to their own learning and improvement, and may begin to take on leadership roles within their schools or for the district.
Please note that Established Teachers in their first year in DCPS will be observed according to the schedule for the Teacher stage so that they have the opportunity to receive an informal observation before any formal observations.
* Informal observations will not count toward final IMPACT ratings.
For more information about IMPACT for teachers at this stage, please refer to your IMPACT guidebook.
Leadership Opportunities
Teachers at this stage are eligible for a variety of leadership opportunities, including:
- Teachers Central to Leadership Fellowship page 32
- Common Core Reading Corps page 34
- Teacher Selection Ambassador page 42
For descriptions of all of the opportunities available to Established Teachers, please refer to the Leadership Opportunities Catalog section of this guidebook, beginning on page 30.
Advancing to the Next Stage
A teacher will advance from the Established Teacher stage to the Advanced Teacher stage once she or he has earned two consecutive Effective ratings or one Highly Effective rating as an Established Teacher.
Spotlight: Meet Patricia Odom
Patricia previously worked in the school district of Philadelphia and the Mississippi public school system, but was excited to join DCPS in 2011 because if its innovative practices around increasing student achievement. She is currently in her fourth year of teaching at Kelly Miller Middle school, where she serves as a Teach Plus T3 Teacher Lead and Positive Behavior Support Chairperson. Patricia is proud to have participated in the Chancellor's Teachers' Cabinet where she provided insight regarding intiatives to improve teacher retention and enhance professional development.
Teacher leadership is important when working to establish sustainable change because it allows administrators to have a broader reach and increases teacher investment in the process of change. When teacher leaders work together with administators to identify instructional goals and learning targets, there are opportunity for real-time feedback, and students are immediately impacted.