Dear Lansing School District Community,
I hope this newsletter finds you well. As always, it is a pleasure to be writing to you all. Today, I would like to discuss professional development (PD) in general, and District Provided Professional Development (DPPD) specifically.
Last Friday, February 3rd, we had one of our DPPD days. Students didn't have to come to school, but our entire staff had to come to work. At its best, PD can move schools toward success in ways almost nothing else can. And DPPD days, where entire schools or departments can work together for hours, uninterrupted by a 4th-grade student running through the hallways or a 1st grader who had an accident with paint, can be a wonderful thing. However, if we are honest, PD days can also be a waste of time, losing an entire day of instruction, with over 1,000 employees just sitting around with no real direction or goal.
Thankfully, what I saw on Friday was great. I visited the cafeteria at Everett High School to see over 50 of our Special Populations staff discuss instructional methods. By having so many people in the same room and learning the same things, we can start to have real fidelity across the district. One of the weaknesses of relatively large school districts is that what is taught in one school is not necessarily the same level or academic expectation as another. Sometimes even what is taught in one classroom is not the same instructional worth as another. And from those large variances, there becomes the perception of "good" schools and "bad" schools. And sometimes the "good" classrooms and the "bad" classrooms.
We as a district owe it to our families and our staff to do our best to have all our schools and classrooms be great. And the best way to do that is through professional development. When schools and teachers only work in isolation, we can't learn best practices, we can't support those in need, nor can we learn the needs of our students. I think our educators are great. They are working hard, trying their best to teach our students. But if we as a district don't give them the tools or guidance, or support, then their job becomes even harder. That is why PD is so important. But that PD needs to be clear, cogent, and concise. It has to be focused on grade-aligned, standards-based instruction. In short, it needs to move learning forward.
The other important part of professional development, and DPPD specifically, is when there are new curriculums or pedagogies that schools are trying. On Friday, I had the privilege of visiting the staff at Cavanaugh. And what did I see? I saw teachers reviewing their common curriculum so that they can be on the same page, support each other, and, most importantly, provide grade-aligned, standards-based instruction. I saw teachers going over a new program called UFLI, which is an "explicit and systemic" program built to teach "foundational skills" for reading. It is a great program that came out of the University of Florida's Literacy Institute, and we will be looking closely to see how our students perform using it. UFLI was unanimously recommended to me by the Instructional Council. Instructional Council is a recommending body for curriculum and courses, made up of teachers, educators, and administrators. It is one of the wonderful ways our district works closely and collaboratively with our educators to think about new programs for our schools.
When educators work together and hold each other accountable, great things happen in the classroom. Sadly, teaching is sometimes a very isolating endeavor. The students come in, you close the door, and then it's you and the kids for a day. It is hard to grow as an educator if you don't work collaboratively with your colleagues. DPPD days are times to do just that. And it is certainly our hope as a district to find more time, without losing instructional minutes, for all educators to work together.
Finding time to sit with your colleague, going over lesson plans or student work, creating new activities, or doing deep analysis on student achievement in your school, can greatly impact a school's performance. Imagine if all first-grade teachers at a school got to plan for a few hours, share about what is working and what is not, look at actual student assignments, and uncover the skills and needs of each student they teach. This kind of work is really powerful. We will get there as a district, but it will take time.
Thank you so much for all of your incredible support of our district. Together, we will do great things for the children of Lansing.
Benjamin Shuldiner, Superintendent
Lansing School District
