Building Teacher Leaders Is Driving Student Success in Somerton School District

Teacher leadership is propelling significant gains in the Somerton School District in southwest Arizona. Located less than 15 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, the Somerton School District served nearly 3,000 students with 98% qualifying for a free or reduced-price meal and 40% identifying as English Language Learners. The district knows stronger teachers lead to stronger student outcomes - and investing in building teacher leaders is paying off.

“As instructional coaches, your teachers become your students. They need the same things we once provided in our classrooms: trust, encouragement, structure, feedback, and belief in their potential,” said Superintendent Omar Duron during a recent NIET speech. “Growth happens in conversations. It happens through thoughtful questioning, meaningful feedback, and modeling practices that make learning visible. It happens when you return—not just once, but repeatedly—to follow up, refine, and support.”

Since 2021, Somerton has raised student proficiency levels by 6 points in English language arts and 5 points in math, outpacing statewide gains of 2 points in each subject. The district has maintained a B rating for two consecutive years, while continuing to build momentum for higher performance. 

Since stepping into his role in 2024, Superintendent Duron is leveraging a clear vision for instructional excellence rooted in teacher leadership and continuous improvement. After partnering with NIET in 2024, the Somerton School District began implementing key instructional structures to strengthen collaboration and align teaching practices across schools. These systems are creating consistency in how educators both learn and teach, and that consistency is reinforced through classroom coaching.

A core focus of the work to strengthen instruction has been identifying and developing teacher leaders. With the introduction of instructional strategist roles, which are aligned to NIET’s Master Teacher roles, Somerton is expanding the capacity of teachers and leaders. In a district full of varied teaching experience levels and high-demand populations of students, targeted support is critical. In the words of Superintendent Duron himself, coaching has become not just an extension of teaching in Somerton School District, but a core part of it.

For Somerton, improving student achievement begins with developing teacher leaders. By making coaching a core component of teaching, the district is building the instructional capacity needed to sustain long-term student success.