Funding Acknowledgment
The Teacher Leadership Network is made possible by funding received from the Learning Community of Douglas and Sarpy Counties as part of the Superintendents’ Early Childhood Plan. The Superintendents’ Plan is a collaborative effort of the 11 school districts in metropolitan Omaha, Nebraska, to develop programming for young children and families, especially those facing persistent economic and social challenges. This program has served thousands of students since its establishment in 2015.
About the Authors
Amy Schmidtke, EdD, is director of educational practice at the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska. With more than 30 years of experience as an early childhood educator, instructional coach, and author, her work focuses on leadership for early learning and intentional teaching that blends child-guided exploration with purposeful adult support. aschmidtke @ nebraska. edu
Mary Beth Pistillo, MS, is an early childhood specialist at the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska. She has more than 35 years of experience as a preschool and kindergarten teacher, adjunct faculty member, training coordinator at the Nebraska Department of Education, and instructional coach.
Greta Morris is a public outreach communications specialist at the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska. Through media relations, storytelling, and strategic communications, she shares stories from educators and communities that build public understanding and support for early childhood initiatives. gretamorris @ nebraska. edu
References
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NAEYC. 2019.“ Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education.” Position statement. NAEYC. naeyc. org / resources / positionstatements / equity.
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Schmidtke, A. 2020.“ Influences on the Implementation of Guided Play Practices in Kindergarten: A Grounded Theory Study.” EdD diss., University of Nebraska at Omaha. digitalcommons. unomaha. edu / studentwork / 3692 /.
Schmidtke, A., ed. 2025. The Intentional Teacher: Choosing the Best Strategies for Young Children’ s Learning. 3rd ed. NAEYC.
Teacher Leadership Exploratory Consortium. 2011. Teacher Leader Model Standards. National Education Association. nea. org / sites / default / files / 2020-07 / teacher _ leader _ model _ standards. pdf.
Wenger, E. 1998. Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity. Cambridge University Press.
Photographs: p. 30, © Getty Images; p. 34, courtesy of the authors Copyright © 2026 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. See permissions and reprints online at NAEYC. org / resources / permissions.
36 Young Children
Summer 2026