U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan says far too many effective teachers are leaving the field early, in part because they lack opportunities to make their voices heard. He proposes creating new roles for teachers that let them continue to work in the classroom while being given opportunities to shape education policy and give feedback on improvement efforts.

Duncan made his remarks in an online video for the Leading Educators conference taking place in New Orleans this week. More than 350 teachers  attended the conference as part of a two-year fellowship for aspiring teacher leaders.

Bryan Hassel and Emily Ayscue Hassel wrote about the experiences of one Leading Educator for the Education Next blog.

Richard Colvin has written for Education Next about Leading Educators and other organizations that try to increase the voice of teachers in policymaking.

—Education Next