Coordinating Transformative Professional Development

April 20-21, 2018

Essential Learning Question: How can school leaders engage staff in meaningful professional learning that will have lasting impact on school culture and student learning and well being?

Our Goal: For participants to leave with practical tools to strengthen their existing professional learning programs, including components of a comprehensive policy, ingredients for a mature program, and an action plan to take them to the next step.

Target Audience: This workshop is intended for those who implement and/or support a professional development program: Professional Development Coordinators, School Leaders and Administrators, Curriculum Coordinators.

Overview:
Everyone working with our children plays a role in their education and development. With such a wide range of individuals working tirelessly to educate and nurture our students, how can leaders in turn nurture and support them?

A mature professional learning and development program can do just that and more. It can support and nurture the young teacher, it can challenge and stretch the experienced, professional educator. Such a program plays a crucial role in the efforts to engage staff in a cultural shift or as a response to a known need. A mature program takes into account all members of a school staff.

In short, if it takes a village to raise a child, we need to make sure our village is prepared for the task.

Workshop Outcomes:

1. Participants will engage with philosophy, policy, and procedural practices
2. Participants will explore links between strategic vision, professional learning, evaluation, and professional learning communities
3. Participants will understand key elements of a mature program
4. Participants will draft an action plan for their school

Participant Preparation:
Participants should bring existing policies, procedures, and relevant school documents related to staff evaluation and staff professional development. As schools review SY2017-2018 and plan for SY2018-2019, bring their school’s strategic plans or goals for the coming year. None of the above need to be in their final versions; bring drafts of these documents or action plans to consider throughout the course of the training.