Arkansas MCL™ Pathway for Lead Professional Educator Designation

The Lead Professional Educator Designation pathway for MCL™ educators is intended for Arkansas teachers who have or are about to begin the Multi-Classroom Leader^® role. 

Overview: This comprehensive pathway, for current or newly hired MCL™ educators in eligible Arkansas school districts* who seek the Lead Professional Educator Designation, takes place from July to May. The pathway uses the interconnected Opportunity Culture^® Summer Professional Learning and School-Year Professional Learning courses. Together, these offer a rigorous, practice-based experience aligned with the core team leadership responsibilities of an MCL™ educator and the Teacher Leader Model Standards (TLMS), with an emphasis on Domain 3: Promoting Professional Learning for Continuous Improvement.

Benefits: State recognition of your role through the Lead Professional Educator Designation; hands-on training in coaching, feedback, and team leadership, for both novice and experienced teachers; collaboration and networking with other teacher-leaders; practical leadership tools for immediate use.

Who Should Attend: Current or newly hired MCL™ educators in eligible Arkansas school districts* seeking the Lead Professional Educator Designation.

*Eligible Arkansas Districts: Augusta School District, Blytheville School District, Brinkley School District, Crossett School District, Cutter Morning Star Public Schools, Earle School District, Forrest City School District, Gentry Public Schools, Lee County School District, Lincoln Consolidated School District, North Little Rock School District, Osceola School District, Texarkana Arkansas School District

Session Dates and Costs:
In-Person SPL Raleigh, NC July 8–9, 2026* + Virtual SYPL** = $3,265

In-Person SPL Oklahoma (dates and location TBD)* + Virtual SYPL** = $3,265

SPL Virtual (July 28-30, 2026) + Virtual SYPL** $2,845

*Travel and lodging are not included in the registration cost for in-person SPL.
** See SYPL session dates below

Session Info:

Summer Professional Learning (SPL): In July, join SPL virtually over three days, or come to North Carolina or Oklahoma, for two days of in-person SPL. These high-impact sessions establish foundational knowledge for the MCL™ role and the distributed leadership model.

SPL-1 Distributed Leadership & MCL™ Role—Explore key distributed leadership structures and create a sample Opportunity Culture^® schedule.

SPL-2 Building Cohesive Teams—Study the elements of highly effective, cohesive teams, and practice enrollment conversations using situational leadership strategies.

SPL-3 Coaching Foundations—Define your coaching vision and develop skills for scripting coaching conversations.

SPL-4 Effective Observation & Action Steps—Practice strengthening low-inference observation notes and how to generate action steps.

School-Year Professional Learning (SYPL): This yearlong, virtual learning series includes ongoing support through four core sessions, two 30-minute individual check-ins, a structured capstone process, and a portfolio of practice, fostering a network of continuous growth and encouragement.

Each SYPL session includes prework, with make-up recordings available to ensure accessibility. Educators maintain an electronic portfolio of artifacts throughout the year and complete a capstone presentation before the end of the school year, showcasing measurable impact on student outcomes and team growth.

Each virtual session runs from 5:05–7:00 p.m. EST.

SYPL-1 Capstone Review (September)—Review the capstone criteria and set your yearlong leadership goal.

SYPL-2 Observation and Feedback: Coaching Conversations (October 8, 2026)—Conduct a deep dive into structured coaching conversation protocols to enhance your feedback delivery.

SYPL-3 Using Data to Drive Instruction (December 3, 2026) —Build your skills in analyzing student data and leading data meetings.

SYPL-4 Observing Data Meetings and Providing Feedback (February 18, 2027)—Practice refining support for teacher data practices, with feedback script development.

SYPL-5 Maximizing Time and Capacity 2.0 (April 22, 2027)—Audit and refine your schedules and use of release time to maximize impact.

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