A Cedar Ridge school teacher has been selected to participate in a statewide leadership program.
According to a release from the University of Arkansas, Britney Davis (pictured), who teaches fourth and fifth-grade math in the Cedar Ridge School District, was recently selected as an IMPACT Arkansas Principal Fellow.
IMPACT is a U of A-based program building leadership capacity in high-needs, rural schools across the state for nearly a decade.
“I am excited to participate in the IMPACT Fellowship program so I can learn and develop the skills necessary to become an effective and influential leader in my community and school,” Davis said. “This program is unique in that it will connect me with other educators across the state of Arkansas, allowing me to network with others. I am so grateful for this opportunity to grow, both personally and professionally, and I look forward to giving back to the students and community I serve.”
The selection process for the eighth cohort of fellows was highly competitive. The 19 new members met for the first time this summer to begin an intensive leadership institute. They spent time bonding as a cohort and taking the first steps of the 18-month program. IMPACT fellows, who earn a master’s degree in educational leadership from the U of A, have become instructional facilitators, assistant principals, or principals. The program has proven successful as a teacher-leader pipeline for the highest-needs schools in the state.
The educators chosen for the latest IMPACT cohort hail from 10 Arkansas school districts and 16 schools new to the program.
“Our footprint now includes more than half the high-poverty districts in the state,” said IMPACT Executive Director John Bacon. “We are excited to welcome this impressive group of future leaders for Arkansas schools serving high percentages of economically disadvantaged students.”
IMPACT graduates commit to staying in their current school for two years. Nearly 100% remain in Arkansas schools, and 81% remain in high-poverty schools.
“Hiring and supporting a highly qualified school leader is the single most important thing a school district can do to move the needle forward for school culture, student achievement, the desirability of the workplace, and building more positive relationships with the community,” said John Pijanowski, the original creator of the program and principal investigator at the U of A.
Davis (far left, front row seated) with her IMPACT Fellowship group.
Images provided by the University of Arkansas
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