Different Classrooms, Shared Leadership: How CU Boulder’s Teacher Leadership Program Empowers Educators Across Colorado

Teacher leadership doesn’t look the same in every classroom—or every community. For Kortney Firme–a principal at a small K-12 school in northeastern Colorado–it means building bridges in a rural district where educators often work in isolation. For Caitlin Duffy—a veteran elementary school teacher turned social-emotional learning specialist in a Denver metro suburban district—it’s about empowering colleagues and elevating the teaching profession from within. Both enrolled in CU Boulder’s Teacher Leadership program, which helped them discover new confidence, clarity and connection in their roles.

While it may not be surprising for teachers to want to continue learning and growing as professionals, Firme and Duffy came to CU Boulder for different reasons. After 23 years of teaching, Firme was looking for new strategies to support her students and staff in the classroom and to lead by example. 

“My priority is removing the barriers for students and teachers to make sure that learning is happening in the classroom,” Firme said. “How can I help make learning accessible for all students, and how do I make teaching accessible for all teachers?”

Caitlin Duffy

Duffy was practiced at teaching social emotional skills, but was looking for more strategies and tools to hone her expertise as well as to find her voice as a leader. 

“Starting as a SEL specialist, I needed a lot more skills than being good at teaching social emotional learning,” Duffy explained. “I found it invaluable to be able to choose courses that helped me build a lot of background knowledge in how SEL came to be and helped strengthen my teacher coaching skills. It is so unique to find a program that can be tailored to the students exact interests.”

Discovering their Inner Leader

Both educators sought growth without leaving their schools—they wanted to lead from within. Firme and Duffy were able to choose the specific areas of practice on which to focus their studies and to complete the coursework around their busy schedules. Both appreciated how relevant and applicable their program coursework was to their daily work. 

“The good thing about the Teacher Leadership program–especially the social-emotional learning certificate and the teacher leadership certificate–is that all of the projects I turned in for CU were things I was already doing in my school,” Duffy said. “The coaching conversations that I learned how to do and script out I was using day-to-day.”

Echoing the sentiment is Firme, who believes the program has been invaluable in creating new systems in her district. 

Kortney Firme

“I could take what I was learning and use it in my day-to-day administrative work,” Firme said. “I was able to turn around lessons about restorative justice practices and have students be a part of the solution. I mentored a 4th grade teacher who had some classroom management issues, and we started restorative practices in that classroom.”

Building Community and Connection

In addition to feeling empowered to implement meaningful change in their schools, the program’s certificate capstone experiences—a three-week summer course where students work collaboratively on projects that reflect all the content and curriculum from that certificate—provided Duffy and Firme with a community to lean on, helping them build a foundation for ongoing professional collaboration.

“Coming from a small rural district, I didn’t have a lot of opportunities to connect with other educators,” Firme explained. “Being in a cohort of people who understand the same struggles was so validating. It felt good to know I wasn’t alone in what I was experiencing. We could share ideas and learn from each other.”

Reflecting on her own experiences, Duffy added, “The relationships I built through this program were incredible. Everyone brought different perspectives, but we were all trying to do the same thing—make education better. The program reminded me that there are so many amazing teachers out there who care deeply about their students and their colleagues.”

The reflective practices and relationship building in the program have shifted how they approach their teaching and leadership. Firme now prioritizes reflection and empathy when she engages with her colleagues and students. Duffy is able to engage in more intentional, data-informed conversations with administrators. Both educators have been able to clarify their purpose and amplify their impact in their schools and communities with the tools and skills provided by the program.

Designed by educators for educators, no matter the context in which they are teaching, the Teacher Leadership program’s foundational vision is that leadership thrives when teachers are empowered to lead from where they are–a vision that Firme and Duffy have adopted and made all their own. 

“I don’t have to step away from teaching to make a difference,” Duffy shared. “This program showed me that I can influence meaningful change from where I am.”

“The program gave me the confidence to say, ‘Yes, I can do this—and I am doing it,’” concluded Firme.