Bridging Early Childhood and Primary Grades
Ben Thomas is a prekindergarten teacher at Liberty Elementary School in Omaha. This Title I school serves 643 children, pre-K to grade 6. Mr. Thomas has 12 years of experience in early childhood education, is a Teach for America alumnus, and spent seven years working in the New York City area. He joined the Teacher Leadership Network to connect with district staff and other early childhood educators and now shares ways to apply developmentally appropriate strategies— like guided play and language-rich interactions— consistently across grade levels.
“ I’ ve exercised agency by using my voice during our school’ s instructional leadership team meetings to consistently represent early childhood perspectives in schoolwide decisions,” he says.“ Rather than waiting to be asked, I see it as my responsibility to ensure pre-K is included in conversations about curriculum, data, and school improvement.”
Mr. Thomas now leads grade-level meetings, mentors new teachers, and participates in his school leadership team. Through workshops and site visits, he sees how his work connects to the early childhood system as a whole. For example, collaboration with network members who teach different grades has highlighted the importance of maintaining continuity between grades, a key aspect of the superintendents’ plan.
“ Collaborating more intentionally with other teams has helped me see our work as aligned rather than separate, and it’ s strengthened how we support the whole child and family,” Mr. Thomas says.“ Meetings are a space where teacher leaders share what’ s happening in their schools, discuss district early childhood priorities, and problem solve around instruction, family engagement, and systems alignment.”
Educators’ efforts become more intentional and aligned when they work together on clear goals, reflect on evidence, and learn from one another( Frey et al. 2006). When collaboration becomes part of a school’ s daily culture, teachers build shared responsibility for children’ s learning and well-being, and leadership grows stronger.
When Teachers Lead, Everyone Thrives
Teacher leadership does not need to begin with a promotion or a new role. Rather, it can start with the daily work teachers do: Noticing what children need, adapting instruction, collaborating with families, and sharing ideas with colleagues. Meaningful improvement occurs when educators learn with and from one another and when teachers are trusted to lead change( Fullan 2016). Indeed, when schools create structures and supports that honor classroom educators’ expertise, the educators step forward as leaders in transformative ways. Schools become more cohesive, family partnerships deepen, and early learning goals move from district plans into daily practice.
34 Young Children
Summer 2026