We’re starting a new three part series this month called “Education Leadership Stories.” This series will offer in depth profiles on people who started in the classroom but who have gone on to impact public education policy either while remaining as teachers or after they left the classroom. We’re specifically looking at how their experience in the classroom has shaped who they are and the decisions that they have made and continue to make.

Our hope is that this may serve as an inspiration to educators who have similar aspirations of positively impacting education policy by offering them insights into how to accomplish that change.

Our third profile is of Brittany Clark, an English teacher currently undergoing a fellowship to become a school leader here in Memphis. Enjoy!

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Brittany Clark didn’t intend to become a teacher. “I originally wanted to go to law school, so I majored in English and that was the plan.”

But in the end she became an English teacher and has made an incredible impact through her work in the classroom and her work as a teacher advocate.

As part of our series on education leaders and advocates, we’re exploring how different policy makers in our community have gotten to where they are today, what motivates them and what advice they have for teachers looking to accomplish something similar.

In this piece, we’re taking a closer look at a teacher who has become a phenomenal advocate while serving in the classroom, and who has had a tremendous impact on the policies that guide our instruction as educators.

Becoming a Teacher and an Advocate

As already shared, Brittany Clark originally wanted to go to law school. But after traveling abroad she returned home and started working as a substitute teacher. Her parents told her then that Memphis City Schools was hiring English teachers, so she figured she could do that while waiting to go back to school.

From there she was hired to teach in a private catholic school and from there was hired to teach English at Middle College High School. During her time at Middle College, she earned the ranking of “irreplaceable” by scoring at the highest possible level on the city’s teacher evaluation rubric.

Teaching for Brittany was supposed to be a something she would just do for a few years until she went back to school, but it has turned into so much more. Brittany got involved with teacher advocacy first through Teach Plus in Memphis, an organization that focuses on connecting teachers to policy makers.

From there everything snowballed. Locally, she has also served as the co-chair of the Memphis City Schools Compensation Working Group, represented teachers on the SCS Professional Development Council and served on the Performance improvement team, all for her local school district.

Brittany has also taken her teacher leadership to the national level. She started writing for national news outlets like the Huffington Post and began speaking across the country on topics such as teacher engagement. In 2013 she served as a National Hope Street Fellow, one of only twelve in the country, and currently serves as an America Achieves Fellow. Through these opportunities she has been able to advise policy makers like Bill and Melinda Gates and Arne Duncan on teacher leadership.

Getting Involved

It’s no doubt that Brittany has accomplished a great deal as a teacher advocate in a relatively short time. But I wanted to know how she got to this point. Ms. Clark says it started with a simple connection through one of her supervisors.

“The first role I had was as a Teach Plus Policy Fellow” Ms. Clark says. “I was nominated for this role by the Education Director at the Memphis Teacher Residency.” Because of her great work, her director though she would be an excellent fit for the organization.

This first role helped Brittany develop a strong belief in the power of teacher advocacy. When asked why she got involved, Ms. Clark speaks to the experience that teachers have to offer. She believes that “teachers should have the largest voice in education policy. They are the ones that know the student’s best and the impact policy has on teachers and students.”

She firmly believes that teachers deserve a seat at the table. ”Teachers have so much experience and knowledge to offer, but policy makers tend to leave them out.”

Ms. Clark also relates the importance of this first role to developing her advocacy in other roles. “This role created a network of like-minded people and led to connections throughout the organization. I would not be able to write about policy or speak to national leaders about policy if I did not have the background I do with Teach Plus.”

Advice for Teachers

Brittany has several pieces of advice for teachers looking to take on a similar role as a teacher leader. It all starts with informing yourself.

Ms. Clark says, “If you are looking to get involved in policy start read Ed week, start going to board meetings, sign up to be on a committee even if it is just at school.”

From there, she says it’s important to dive into the discourse. “Get involved and plugged in and network. If you are already involved seek a broader audience, volunteer for every opportunity placed in front of you and don’t say no when you are asked to participate.”

Most important is her believe in the necessity of speaking up when you are asked to do so. “We need more teacher voices but if you wait for your voice to be heard you will remain silent.”

But it’s not enough to just get involved, she says. All this work would lead anyone to burn out, and as such it’s also important to have a strong support system in place. Brittany’s family serves as this support system for her, and she even tries to find ways to involve them in her work. “When I have to travel with my fellowships I bring my family so that they can enjoy a short vacation and I can see them at night.”

Moving On

Most recently, Ms. Clark decided that it was time to take her leadership to the next level by moving into school leadership through the New Leader Aspiring Principal program. She is currently serving as a fellow at Melrose High School for the year, and will take on leadership in a school full time next year.

Though we are sad to see such a strong advocate for teachers leave the classroom, we certainly wish her the best as she takes on the role of a school leader. We also thank her for setting an example of what teacher advocates can accomplish if they set their minds to it.