Culture

Photo courtesy/The Catholic Schools Office

Catholic Schools Office

The Teacher Leader Academy: Invitation and engagement

Friday, March 6, 2026Culture

Submit a Letter to the Editor

The future of Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Boston will be shaped not by chance, but by the systems we build to form and sustain those called to lead in the classroom or beyond.

Eileen
McLaughlin

One point of reflection over the course of my time as superintendent of schools in the Archdiocese of Boston has been to ask myself, "How did I get here?"
This reflection has brought me to realize the two specific factors in each progressive leadership opportunity that paved my way from classroom teacher to superintendent. At each stage, there has been an invitation followed by engagement.
The first lesson I ever taught was my first foray into leadership. I had done quite a bit of student teaching in various school settings by the time my cooperating teacher, Mrs. Marie O'Brien, asked me if I was ready to lead the sophomore class in reading Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun." I was ready. I was excited. I was nervous. I knew that I had Marie's professional support and that she would be there to coach me in my preparation and delivery.
That first literary unit led to 12 years in the classroom. During that time as a teacher, more invitations came. I was asked to chair Mount Alvernia High School's NEASC Reaccreditation process. I became the English Department chair. I was invited to consider applying for the head of school position. I was nominated to apply for the Lynch Leadership Academy fellowship.

What I've realized through my reflection is that invitation alone is not enough. What I found on the other side of each of these invitations was authentic engagement. I was asked to lead something explicitly, something that had an identified community of people I would work with to reach specific deliverables, objectives, and responsibilities. The leadership was tied to good work that helped me build the muscle needed to do more good work. Leadership was always tied to community.
This personal inquiry of "How did I get here?" has led me to imagine programs that will invite and engage other educational professionals to ensure that the Catholic Schools Office provides the support necessary to develop the next generation of leaders.
Remembering the support that I encountered as a new teacher and how crucial that was to my choosing to stay in Catholic education led to the creation of the McNeice Academy for Excellence in Catholic Education last spring. A program for all new teachers in the Archdiocese of Boston to introduce them to the pillars of Instructional Leadership, Spiritual Leadership, and Executive Management that will provide for success in the classroom. The second cohort of the McNeice Academy will come together this summer.
This spring, the Catholic Schools Office announces another program to support Instructional Leadership in Boston Catholic Schools. The Teacher Leader Academy will prepare two veteran teachers at each of the over 50 parish elementary schools across the archdiocese to lead colleagues in professional development during the school year.
My teaching experience was at the high school level, where I had the benefit of a department structure. As a member of the English Department, I met regularly with peers to discuss instructional practices, curriculum materials, and grade-level standards. The support of a community of peers was integral to my continued commitment to Catholic education. The invitation to lead that group offered me an opportunity to engage with professionals in conversation and planning that allowed me to develop skills associated with adult learning environments.
The Archdiocesan Teacher Leader Academy will provide support for experienced teachers from every parish elementary school to learn together in the summer of 2026 so that they might lead a grade band of peers at the school level throughout the 2026-27 school year. These veteran teachers will be invited by their school principal to engage in the training that will be offered this summer. Beginning in the fall of 2026, these teachers will work to lead conversations at the school level among their grade-band peers -- conversations about instructional practices, curriculum resources, and student achievement. Each of these teacher leaders will be compensated for participation in this archdiocesan initiative.
When I ask myself, "How did I get here?" I remember a series of invitations -- some small, some daunting -- and the grace to say yes. I see mentors who worked with me. I see communities that entrusted me with meaningful work. And I see engagement that transformed each opportunity into growth.
Our task now is to ensure that this same pathway is visible and accessible to others.
Leadership in Catholic education does not begin with a title; it begins with a classroom, a conversation, and a willingness to serve. If we are intentional about extending invitations and equally intentional about providing authentic engagement on the other side of those invitations, we will cultivate leaders who are grounded in faith, strengthened by community, and prepared for the good work ahead.
The future of Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Boston will be shaped not by chance, but by the systems we build to form and sustain those called to lead in the classroom or beyond. My hope is that through programs like McNeice Academy and the Teacher Leader Academy, we are forming leaders -- educators who will one day look back and ask, "How did I get here?" and recognize that someone invited them, supported them, and believed in them. And when that happens, the cycle of invitation and engagement will continue -- strengthening our schools, our communities, and the mission entrusted to us.

- Eileen McLaughlin is superintendent of Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Boston.