Arkansas MCL™ Pathway for Lead Professional Educator Designation
Professional learning for MCL™ educators to receive state designation
In partnership with the Arkansas Department of Education, Public Impact now offers a Lead Professional Educator Designation pathway for Arkansas teachers who have or are about to begin the Multi-Classroom Leader® role.
Educators in the MCL™ role get “the best of the both worlds”—leading adults, for more pay, without having to leave the classroom, and extending their reach to many more students. Based on more than a dozen years of Opportunity Culture® research and data showing nation-leading results from MCL™ teams, the professional learning in this pathway allows these team leaders to also get state recognition and meet the requirement for mentoring apprentices and aspiring teachers.
Register today! Pathway options begin in July 2026 and run through May 2027.
Pathway 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
Pathway 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.
*Eligible School 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 (AR)
Lincoln Consolidated School District
North Little Rock School District
Osceola School District
Texarkana Arkansas School District
Sessions
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.
Dates: In-Person Raleigh, NC July 8–9, 2026 | In-Person Oklahoma (dates and location TBD) | Virtual July 28–30, 2026
School-Year Professional Learning (SYPL): This yearlong, virtual learning series includes ongoing support through four core sessions, 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.
Registration Information
Session Prices:
In-Person SPL Raleigh, NC* + Virtual SYPL: $3,265
In-Person SPL Oklahoma* + Virtual SYPL: $3,265
Virtual SPL + Virtual SYPL: $2,845
*Travel and lodging are not included in the registration cost for in-person SPL.
Payment Options: Payment may be made via credit card on our Shopify site. If registering multiple participants, invoices may be requested for orders over $5,000 by contacting orders@publicimpact.com.