Professional development provides teachers with the tools to assess and diagnose students’ academic, social, and emotional needs in order to create rich, rigorous, and rewarding learning experiences for every child. High quality professional development helps teachers guide each child’s path through the educational system, spanning grade levels, content areas, and special programs in order to align and integrate exemplary practice throughout the preK-12 experience. It builds cultural competence and helps identify and move aside institutional barriers that act as obstacles to equity for all students.
The impact of professional development is demonstrated in the learning experiences provided for students and in student achievement levels. Student needs are used to inform and guide all aspects of teacher professional development.
Professional development is designed to provide teachers with the knowledge and skills in curriculum, instruction, pedagogy and assessment, as well as the tools, to assure that education is personalized for each and every student.

Professional Development activities should address:
- How content is organized (curriculum);
- What teachers teach (instruction); and,
- How student learning is monitored, evaluated, and reported (assessment).

The district provides five days of professional development each year to certified staff members as part of the contract calendar. In addition, new teachers receive the equivalent of five additional professional development days. District Title I and Title II funds provide for
- staff to attend conferences and workshops out of district,
- contracting with groups and individuals to bring training to the district, andsubstitute teachers so teachers and principals can collaborate together to develop and align curriculum.

What do I do if I want to attend a particular workshop or training?
Discuss attendance with your site principal. If principal agrees that you should attend:
1. Complete “Permission to Attend Workshop/Travel” form describing the training and what you will learn.
  - Estimate expenses for mileage (reimbursed at the rate of thirty-five per mile), meals ($35 per diem if over night trip; no reimbursement if one day trip), registration, hotels, substitute;
  - Create purchase request, if needed, for registration and hotel;
  - Have your principal sign the form; and,
  - Send it in the school mail to Jill Day, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources,  at the Education Services  Center.
  - Further instructions will be provided to your principal upon approval.
2. Attend the workshop and training, saving all receipts for meals, lodging, registration, and parking. Meal receipts must be itemized.
3. Complete the “Claim for Reimbursement” form.
  - Sign and attach all receipts;
  - Have principal sign receipts and reimbursement form; and,
  - Send form and receipts to Jill Day at the Education Services Center.
4. Share workshop or training information with other staff members in your building.
5. Work with your principal to share information with staff members in other buildings.

“Teachers’ ability, experience and education are clearly associated with increases in student achievement. Spending additional resources on teacher professional development is the most productive investment to raise student achievement.”    - National Center for Education Statistics 2000


“The most important educational investment a state can make is in highly qualified teachers.”  - Katie Haycock, The Education Trust