Teacher Leadership in and through ECET2KY

By: Scott Diamond

A few weeks ago, I traveled to Louisville to attend my second statewide ECET2 convening. The commute was longer, but much safer than it was last year – highways and traffic congestion beat snowdrifts and whiteout conditions any time!

I am a second-career teacher and new to teacher leadership. Last year’s statewide ECET2 convening was my first introduction to teacher leadership – so this visit was an anniversary of sorts for me.

You might be wondering what impressed me most about the convening. Many things, in fact, were impressive. The keynote speakers were inspirational, making the visit well worthwhile, even without all the other wonderful experiences. The camaraderie at meals reconnected me to the many teacher leaders who have held me up and supported me as a leader, and which reminded me of why I love teachers and am driven to teach. The content provided by the breakout sessions was incredibly useful. And lastly the advice offered by new friends in the colleague circles was supportive and sagely.

Yes, all of these experiences impressed me at the ECET2 convening. However, there is something that I have not yet mentioned that continues to impress me, which was what originally drove me to join the teacher-leader movement after last year’s ECET2 convening in Kentucky, and what fills me with hope for our future as teachers and leaders. That is seeing the Fund for Transforming Education enable MeMe Ratliff and her fellow organizers to model teacher leadership through the convening itself. The organizers of the ECET2 convening utilized new and veteran teacher leaders to lead and facilitate breakout sessions, and to create and conduct colleague circles.

The content about teacher leadership at the ECET2 Kentucky convening was great, but the examples of teacher leadership portrayed through the ECET2 convening were greater.

This is a guest post written by Dr. Scott Diamond, who currently serves as science teacher and Dean of the College of Inquiry for the Learning Center at Linlee, Fayette County Public School’s alternative program for students at risk of dropping out. K-12 education is his second career; prior to becoming a teacher seven years ago; Scott was a biomedical research faculty member at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and then at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. 

Interested in writing a guest blog post? Contact Amanda Riley.