Teacher leadership and organizational structure The implications of restructured leadership in an Edison school

Traditional models of school organization favor peaked hierarchies that concentrate power and leadership responsibility on the office of the principal. As these models struggle to effectively meet the needs of education in the new millennium, leadership structures that distribute leadership influence and empower teachers to play a greater role in the leadership of the school, are slowly being implemented. This study examines the restructuring of school leadership at a school making the transition from a traditional elementary school to an Edison charter school and investigates the impact the new organizational structure had on teacher leadership. Qualitative data were collected over a fouryear period during annual visits to conduct over 50 interviews with district administrators, school administrators, teachers, and the school support staff. The research findings indicate that the structure implemented at the Edison school differed greatly from traditional school leadership structures, as it successfully distributed leadership influence and enhanced the nature and scope of teacher leadership.