Instructional Insights

Arkansas Lead Professional Educator Designation

Submitted by the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching

Great mentors help grow great teachers - which is why Arkansas is elevating educators through designations. Arkansas’ Educator Professional Designations provide career opportunities and financial incentives for teachers while also building instructional leadership capacity. The DESE encourages districts to leverage teachers with the Lead Professional Educator designation to fulfill a variety of leadership roles based on the school’s culture and climate.

Earning the Lead Professional Educator Designation prepares teachers to guide and support their colleagues from the classroom through training and on-site coaching that builds instructional expertise. Lead educators will develop the skills, knowledge, and disposition to improve teacher collaboration and growth in their schools.

One pathway to obtain this designation is provided by the National Institute of Excellence in Teaching’s (NIET) AR Lead Professional Educator Pathway. Educators who have participated in NIET’s pathway have spoken highly of the experience, including Patricia Dailey, a veteran teacher at Salem High School in Salem School District.

“This has been a wonderful learning experience,” Dailey said about the Lead Professional Educator Pathway. “Not only do I feel able to coach a teacher, but I have learned some skills that I can use in my own classroom. After 33 years of teaching, this has fueled me to try something new and to continue learning.”

If you would like additional information on this pathway to share with your lead teachers, please contact NIET’s Amy Gayle at agayle@niet.org.