Building Teacher Coalitions at Pea Ridge Intermediate School
In a small town in Northwest Arkansas, Pea Ridge Intermediate School (PRIS) is successfully utilizing an innovative model to enhance teacher leadership and retention. The school of 415 third- and fourth-grade students has faced challenges competing with larger districts nearby that often recruit teachers with salaries of $6,000-10,000 more per year. Then Mindy Bowlin became the principal in 2019 and encouraged PRIS to consider alternative pathways to success. A former social worker who took a nontraditional path to the classroom, Bowlin understood the frustration of being a teacher left out of decision-making and how peer mentorship and sharing growth opportunities and responsibilities across teams could help.
With each passing year, Bowlin and her team began to broaden the number of PRIS teachers who had access to leadership opportunities. Over time, a coalition approach that brings teachers directly into the decision-making process without taking them out of the classroom was born. Today, PRIS teachers meet a few times each month to discuss tasks and offer advice. Team leads also participate in administrative meetings to ensure school policies and other campus-wide decisions reflect their teachers’ needs and support the highest-quality learning environment possible.
“We run the school together,” said Bowlin. “This approach has allowed for a more effective distribution of work and a better understanding of instructional practices.” She notes how the model also gives teachers an opportunity to flex their leadership muscles while remaining in the classroom. She admits the practice comes with risks – the increased experience could make teachers more appealing to other districts – but retention is strong. “The teachers see the culture we are building and really appreciate having a voice at the table, having input on the decisions that will impact their classrooms,” Bowlin said.
And thanks to support and resources provided through the LeARner Collective, this unique model can now expand beyond Pea Ridge. Bowlin recently shared best practices with other schools in the LeARner Collective in a recent mini-masterclass “Creating Conditions for Building Teacher Leadership as a Principal.” With great educators at the forefront, we are excited to see more unique strategies implemented across the state, furthering Arkansas’s reputation as a leader in teacher recruitment and retention.
