Information for New Educators
Welcome to Forsyth County Schools! We trust that your experience with us is positive and successful. Also,
we expect to learn great things from you as well as provide nurturing experiences for you to grow
professionally. We welcome you to visit us at 1120 Dahlonega Hwy in Cumming and to take a look at our web
page and find instructions for using PDExpress.
Professional Learning Information Lynn Seay, Director of Professional Learning
Your staff information will be entered into PDExpress, our online resource for professional learning, as soon as
your employee information is updated through our Department of Human Resources. You will then be able to
register for professional learning (staff development) courses offered through Forsyth County Schools. Please
see the next page for summer sessions.
The Instructional Technology Specialist at your school will assist you as a new educator in our system with the
PDExpress registration process.
If your administrator has asked or recommended that you participate in a summer professional learning course
before your staff record is entered into PDExpress, please email Christine Snead at csnead@forsyth.k12.ga.us.
She will process your registration and email you and your principal with the details of the course. Please
include the following in your email:




Your legal name AND the name you prefer to be called
School email address; a home email if school is not available
Your school AND principal’s name
The course(s) title
Instructional Technology Jill Earman and Susan Grigsby
FCS is a BYOT (Bring Your Own Technology) system and we encourage you to utilize this initiative in your
classroom. We believe that our students learn best when they are challenged through questioning that promotes
deeper level thinking and when given ownership of their learning. Technology should be relevant while giving
our students real-life learning experiences that include responsible, transformational, and engaging uses of
technology. Forsyth County Schools has implemented the learning management system itslearning as one
vehicle for this process. This will be one component of your professional learning with support from
Instructional Technology and Teaching and Learning at the district level, as well as your school-based
Instructional Technology Specialist.
Summer Professional Learning for New Teachers
itslearning:
itslearning training for teachers new to the district for the 2016-2017 school year will be offered this summer.
The target audience is classroom teachers. The workshop will provide new teachers with an introduction to
itslearning and allow them to begin preparing for their classes next year. New teachers should use the
following link to sign up: http://bit.ly/21CMNPP
Workshop dates, times, and location are below (choose ONE).
 Tuesday, June 14, 8:30 AM until 12:00 PM at Hill Center Computer Lab
 Tuesday, June 14, 1:00 PM until 4:00 PM at Hill Center Computer Lab
 Thursday, June 16, 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM at Hill Center Computer Lab
 Thursday, June 16, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM at Hill Center Computer Lab
 Wednesday, June 22, 8:30 AM until 12:00 PM at Hill Center Computer Lab
 Wednesday, June 22, 1:00 PM until 4:00 PM at Hill Center Computer Lab
 Tuesday, July 12, 8:30 AM until 12:00 PM at Hill Center Computer Lab
 Tuesday, July 12, 1:00 PM until 4:00 PM at Hill Center Computer Lab
 Thursday, July 14, 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM at Hill Center Computer Lab
 Thursday, July 14, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM at Hill Center Computer Lab
 Thursday, July 20, 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM at Hill Center Computer Lab
 Thursday, July 21, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM at Hill Center Computer Lab
DCD 101:
In Forsyth County Schools, a professional responsibility is to engage in ongoing professional learning that will
deepen knowledge and enhance skills to effectively deliver instruction in an academically challenging
environment. We promote collegial relationships through job-embedded professional learning known as
District Collaboration Days or DCD. New teachers for the 2016-2017 school year are encouraged to attend
DCD 101, which is a crash course on critical content covered in previous years. An online module in
itslearning will be available and required in the fall for new teachers who did not attend a summer DCD 101
session. Please use the following link to sign up: http://bit.ly/1W9nWP7
Contact Christine Snead at csnead@forsyth.k12.ga.us if you have questions.
DCD 101 dates, times, are listed below (choose ONE); both sessions will be held in room 380 at the Board of Education.
 Tuesday, July 12, 8:30 AM – 11:30 AM
 Thursday, July 14, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
New Educator Orientation:
NEO District Welcome and Overview: Tuesday, July 26, 7:30-12:00 PM at Lambert High School, 805 Nichols
Road, Suwanee, GA 30024 (See website for directions)
NEO in schools: Tuesday, July 26 PM and Wednesday, July 27 all day at home school
Special F&P/SLO Training for New K-3 Teachers: Monday, July 25, 8:30-3:30 in Room 380 at District Office
Participants who attend Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of NEO will receive a $225 stipend. Participants
attending Tuesday and Wednesday will receive a $150 stipend. Stipends for full participation and completion
of NEO are expected to be paid by the end of September, 2016, at the latest.