The Department of Teacher Leadership and Professional Development is committed to supporting and providing all professional teaching staff with high-quality learning opportunities in a variety of contexts and formats. Emphasis is on a rigorous teacher development program that provides knowledge and skills to improve instructional delivery, professional development practices, and student achievement. This mission is best accomplished by developing the capacity of teachers through customized learning experiences designed to maximize teacher development and effectiveness.
The Department of Teacher Leadership and Professional Development is primarily responsible for developing, coordinating, delivering, and monitoring teacher professional learning opportunities. The department has two major goals: 1) increase the number of highly qualified teachers; and 2) develop teacher leadership capacity through specialized training and certificate programs. Therefore, the department provides professional development to encompass a broad range of opportunities including:
• Learning focused on strengthening content knowledge and pedagogical skills
• Research and reflection
• Coaching and mentoring
• State and national certification options (i.e., National Board Certification preparation and assistance)
• Cultural competency development
• Job-embedded learning
The department provides courses, seminars, institutes, advisement services, certification-options for licensure, coaching and mentoring, internship experiences, and financial and material resources for teacher development.
Moreover, the department is proactive by responding to emerging federal, state, and local mandates that impact the delivery of instruction. Department members collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to plan, coordinate, and implement programs designed to increase teacher capacity, support professional learning, and impact student achievement. Department staff, inclusive of coaches, mentors, and teacher coordinators, collaborate with central, zone, and school-based personnel in order to provide professional learning related to key initiatives and interventions. To that end, most department members (i.e., coaches, mentors, and National Board Teacher Coordinators) are school-based and provide direct assistance to classroom teachers.