The teacher leader team at IS 145 in Jackson Heights, Queens, has stepped up to help keep pace with the changing needs of the students and the teachers at the school, which is located in one of the city’s most ethnically diverse neighborhoods.

When the UFT and the Department of Education launched Teacher Career Pathways seven years ago, it was an effort to give teachers a career path that allowed them to remain teachers and share their hard-earned knowledge for the benefit of their...