ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors offer the story of the early steps in the development, encouragement and support of teacher leadership at Markham Middle School (MMS). They believe Theresa's story provides a new dimension to the continuing development of MMS as a community of learners and leaders. The authors explore some reasons why principals would want to lead in new way. As the Leadership Team developed, Jay Denton worked with the faculty and staff to develop a shared vision to guide the team members' decisions. The Leadership Team functioned as a formal structure to move the school toward the shared vision. Ultimately, teachers come forward to take on leadership roles and responsibilities to become powerful change agents who make a difference. The early efforts in MMS give us a glimpse of the variety of roles teachers can take in leading a school as it makes change.
