Thew Coach Danielle Helem Named NIET Fellow

“Everybody deserves a coach.”

That belief guides the work of Thew Elementary’s Teaching and Learning Coach Danielle Helem with teachers and students. Now, it’s what earned her a spot in the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching’s (NIET) prestigious 2025–2026 Fellows Program.

As one of only 11 educators chosen nationwide for this unique opportunity, Helem and her cohort will participate in professional development activities throughout the year-long program designed to enhance their leadership capabilities. NIET is nationally recognized for advancing teacher leadership and instructional excellence, making the Fellows Program a highly competitive honor.

One of the greatest benefits of the program is the chance for Helem to collaborate with educators from across the country, something that started at the Fellowship’s Bootcamp this July. 

“The most valuable part was making those connections and networking with other leaders around the country,” she said. “We all have that similar goal of trying to improve education for students through the lens of teacher leadership.”

At the event, Helem explored strategies for coaching teachers and building strong leadership pipelines, lessons she immediately brought back to her work at Thew. For the past four years, she has partnered with administrators to train and guide grade-level leaders who support their teams in collaborative discussions that drive student growth. Through NIET, she has gained new tools to take this work even further and extend her bandwidth to support more educators. 

“By building the capacity of teacher leaders to facilitate their teams, I can focus on coaching teachers in the classroom and supporting their individual goals for students,” she said. Her efforts mean that students at Thew are taught by educators who are continually learning, growing, and refining their practice.

This Fellowship opportunity has solidified Helem’s commitment to increasing leadership opportunities for Thew staff. “We need to be building up the leaders that are closest to the students — the teachers in the classroom,” she said. “Teachers are the ones in the trenches every day, and if they don’t have the tools to take ownership of their practice, it’s just going to stay in segments.” She added, “We need everybody to be invested. It doesn’t mean taking teachers out of the classroom —  it means strengthening their practice so they can be stronger in the classroom, and so they can support the teachers around them.”

For Helem, the Fellowship is not just about professional growth, but also multiplying impact. “Having opportunities like this is the only way I’m going to continue to know how to build the capacity of others,” she said. “I don’t want to be stagnant. I want to improve, learn, and grow so that I have a bigger impact on education, not a smaller one.” This experience is one more way she lives out her belief: everybody deserves a coach.

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Opportunities like the one described in this story reflect Tempe Elementary’s commitment to providing ongoing education, mentorship, and professional development for all staff, as outlined in Goal 1.4 of the Strategic Plan.

About Thew Elementary School
Thew Elementary in Tempe, AZ, serves K–5 students in a safe and supportive environment. We nurture creativity, leadership, and achievement through inclusive teaching and a focus on equity and excellence, helping every Bulldog grow the skills to succeed in the 21st century. Learn more about the Thew Bulldogs.