Educational leader Thomas Maridada believes that the most effective schools cultivate professional learning communities where teachers learn from one another through structured peer review. Drawing from his experience as the founder of the Center for Strategic Leadership and Organizational Coherence (CSL) and CEO of the Institute for Organizational Coherence (IOC), he argues that educational progress becomes more sustainable when teachers are recognized as subject‑matter experts within a culture of shared accountability and ongoing professional growth.
This perspective emerges at a time when many school systems are navigating questions about leadership continuity, workforce development, and instructional support. According to a report, more than 411,000 teaching positions nationwide were either vacant or filled by individuals who were not fully certified for their assignments in 2025. The same report notes that teacher attrition remains a significant contributor to workforce demand, highlighting the importance of creating environments where educators receive meaningful support throughout their careers. “Within that context, I believe the conversation about school improvement can begin with the idea that the people closest to students usually possess valuable insights into how learning can flourish,” Maridada remarks.
He notes that for decades, many school systems have relied heavily on vertical leadership structures in which guidance primarily flows from administrators to teachers. While school leaders play an important role, Maridada suggests that this model can place considerable pressure on a relatively small group of individuals while leaving a substantial reservoir of classroom expertise underutilized. “The most powerful solutions often emerge from the educators who engage with students every day,” he says. “Their experience provides a perspective that can enrich the entire organization when it is shared intentionally.”
That belief has informed CSL’s work with districts seeking to strengthen professional learning and leadership development. Through that lens, school improvement becomes about creating systems that allow knowledge to circulate throughout an entire faculty. Teachers, in Maridada’s view, are often uniquely positioned to identify instructional challenges, test solutions, and refine practices because they encounter those realities firsthand.
“The problem is that many schools continue to experience a disconnect between available expertise and the structures designed to support professional growth,” Maridada states. “A principal responsible for dozens of teachers may have limited opportunities to provide individualized coaching to every educator. At the same time, accomplished teachers frequently possess practical knowledge that could benefit colleagues across grade levels and disciplines.” Maridada believes schools can strengthen professional capacity by creating intentional pathways for that expertise to be shared.
Peer review can serve as a central component of that vision. For Maridada, peer review is fundamentally different from evaluation. Its purpose is to foster professional ownership, collaborative inquiry, and collective problem-solving. “Professional growth flourishes when educators view improvement as a shared responsibility,” he explains. “Peer review creates opportunities for colleagues to learn with one another, examine challenges together, and contribute their expertise to a common purpose.”
A practical example can be found in the release-time model that CSL has helped implement in various educational settings. According to Maridada, through structured release time, experienced teachers receive opportunities during the school day to observe classrooms, model instructional practices, facilitate professional conversations, and support colleagues as they refine their craft. He identifies several potential benefits associated with this structure. First, it may create access to real-time mentorship. Second, it can provide opportunities to observe effective instruction in authentic settings. Maridada adds that it can encourage reflective professional dialogue and help distribute expertise across an entire school community.
These opportunities may also help address a broader challenge within the profession. Teaching often requires educators to navigate complex instructional decisions while managing diverse student needs. Maridada notes that many professions incorporate extensive mentorship and apprenticeship experiences as part of professional development. Education, by comparison, tends to place significant responsibility on teachers from the outset of their careers. Structured peer learning may help create a stronger continuum of support that extends well beyond initial preparation programs.
Research on educational leadership points in a similar direction. Districts increasingly invest in professional learning communities, mentoring, and coaching as part of leadership development efforts. Maridada views those findings as evidence that sustainable improvement depends upon building expertise across multiple levels of an organization instead of relying on a single leader to drive progress.
Maridada acknowledges that as collaboration becomes embedded within daily practice, broader cultural shifts often follow. Conversations about instruction can become more open. Teachers may gain opportunities to exchange ideas, seek feedback, and learn from demonstrated success. Student learning can become a collective endeavor shared across classrooms and departments. “Teaching was never intended to be an isolated profession,” Maridada says. “Once educators see themselves as contributors to a larger learning community, the possibilities for growth expand for everyone involved.”
