Because DESE recognizes the impact teacher leadership plays on school reform, the Lead Professional Educator designation was created to provide exceptional teachers with a way to lead from the classroom.

What are the requirements?

Lead Professional Educators need training and support to lead students and colleagues effectively. DESE has approved several competency-based programs that provide job-embedded professional learning as pathways to the Lead Professional Educator designation. A teacher interested in receiving the Lead Professional Educator designation must have the following: 

• Documentation of three (3) years of licensed teaching experience. This experience may include time spent teaching with a provisional license, but the teacher must have a standard Arkansas teaching license to be eligible to add the designation. 
• Evidence of an effective or highly effective rating on TESS on the applicant’s most recent summative teacher evaluation conducted within the previous 4 years. (Educator Effectiveness no longer has access to ratings in EdReflect. The only rating that can be pulled is from the Educator Effectiveness System.)

Why Should I Add the Designation?

Districts are encouraged to use teachers with the Lead Professional Educator designation to fulfill a variety of leadership roles based on the school’s culture and climate. In addition, the Lead Professional Educator designation is a licensure requirement for teachers aspiring to be an experienced mentor teacher to three specific groups of novice teachers:

• Teachers on Aspiring Teacher Permits
• Arkansas Registered Apprentices
• Yearlong supervised residents completing state-approved Educator Preparation Programs (effective Spring 2027)

Where Do I Get More Information?

Learn more about the currently approved pathways for the Lead Professional Educator designation here. Please check frequently for newly approved pathways to the Lead Professional Educator designation.

How do I add the designation?

Instructions for adding a career continuum designation can be found on this page.

For more information, please contact: