Agency in the Classroom Setting
As educators learn that they do not have to leave the classroom to lead, they begin to build influence through their teaching, strengthen collaboration through communities of practice, and deepen leadership through family partnerships. This aligns with evidence-based leadership models( Schmidtke 2020; Cooper 2022) and also mirrors what research has shown: Educational improvement efforts are most effective when teachers have the agency to intentionally contribute to their design and delivery( Douglass 2017; Nicholson et al. 2020).
Agency refers to a person’ s ability to make choices and influence events. In early childhood settings, children exercise agency when they make choices during play, explore ideas, and take an active role in their learning( NAEYC 2020a). Teachers exercise agency when they act on their professional judgment and make decisions in the best interests of children. This might include knowing when to follow a child’ s idea, when to step in with a question, and when to make space for exploration and peer interaction( Loewenberg 2016; Douglass 2017). Such moment-to-moment decisions are grounded in teachers’ knowledge of child development, relationships with families, and understanding of their classroom contexts.
The Teacher Leadership Network began in 2024 to put these ideas about teacher leadership and agency into action. It currently brings together prekindergarten-through-grade-3 teachers from nine Omaha area school districts to strengthen their leadership and expand their roles in school planning and improvement. Informed by the Whole Leadership Framework( Abel et al. 2017), the Teacher Leadership Network emphasizes collaboration and shared decision making that keep leaders close to children’ s daily experiences( see“ Teacher Leadership Network at a Glance” on this page).
Teacher Leadership Network at a Glance
The Teacher Leadership Network grew out of a simple but powerful realization: To strengthen early learning in schools, we must include the people who work and connect with children and families every day— their teachers.
Across the Omaha metropolitan area, educators were implementing the School as Hub for Early Learning approach, which organizes schools as strong, connected communities for children, families, and educators from birth through grade 3( Buffett Early Childhood Institute 2025). Its purpose is to align systems, strengthen relationships, and ensure that every child experiences a continuous pathway of high-quality learning( Abel et al. 2017). But making that vision real requires leadership at all levels, and one essential perspective was often missing: The classroom teacher.
The Teacher Leadership Network positions teachers as essential partners in planning and decision making alongside principals, home visitors, family facilitators, and others. Staff from the Buffett Early Childhood Institute create and facilitate workshops and site visits, provide individual coaching, and support network members. This includes answering their questions and ensuring their perspectives are integrated into the Superintendents’ Early Childhood Plan, which aims to develop early childhood programs for young children living in poverty. Institute staff also provide support in collaborating with principals to develop the role of the teacher leader.
As the Teacher Leadership Network has grown, so has its reach. What began as a learning experience for individual teachers is now influencing how entire schools and districts think about early learning.
32 Young Children
Summer 2026