Staff development days are rare opportunities for all staff members to invest common time toward pursuing collective goals of the school district. Generally, people don't seem to comprehend why schools have these Superintendent Conference Days or staff training sessions. The activities appear to be misunderstood by much of the public as unnecessary events that cause childcare problems for learners displaced from the school to accommodate the need for staff members to receive information and instruction attendant to promoting professional growth.
Who would think it wise to seek medical help from a physician who hasn't maintained his/her knowledge or skill based on the latest research and techniques? Why would we accept anything less from the school staff members who are responsible for our children? I'm not aware of any company that expects their workers to receive specific and necessary job related training outside of their normal work hours without compensation. Yet, public schools routinely have to defend their practice of providing growth opportunities to employees during normal work hours.
There was a great deal accomplished at today's staff development. Most notably, there were presentations on the Common Core Learning Standards newly adopted by the state of New York, as well as the Measures of Academic Progress assessments introduced at school by the Northwest Evaluation Association. The combination of these two factors will positively impact the learning program at Heatly.
Perhaps the best summary of the experience of sustaining our pursuit of progress and improvement while simultaneously integrating new programs and practices is represented in the brief video provided in the link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3hge6Bx-4w
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