Professional Development

Staff members build teaching skills and concepts by participating in ongoing professional development. Banked-minute days provide valuable time for teacher collaboration, planning, and instructional refinement. The District offers staff development days annually where teachers participate in a variety of professional growth opportunities in curriculum, teaching strategies, and methodologies.  This year, our district focus for staff development is writing.

The District has received numerous grants for professional development including Reading First. The majority of District elementary and language arts teachers have participated in AB 466 professional development, a 40-hour summer program focused on the effective implementation of standards in reading and language arts. At Lou Henry Hoover Elementary School, teachers receive individual support from the site Reading Coach, as well as ongoing staff development in language arts. All new teachers attend a training/coaching program in which they learn about the District curriculum.

Paraprofessionals receive professional development as well. In addition to safety training, they learn new instructional techniques and how to work with students with special needs.

As a learning community, ongoing professional development is important to us and crucial to improving student achievement.