Course Requirements for Teachers New to Newton
“During the first five years of employment, all new teachers and Unit B administrators may
be required to attend a set of professional development workshops and courses. The
workshops will be for up to 45 PDPs or 3 in-service credits over the five years at no cost to
the teacher.
Further, the School Committee and the Administration will endeavor to provide courses for
teachers in their first five years of employment, which give them the opportunity to obtain
graduate credits.” Agreement between School Committee of the City of Newton and Newton
Teachers Association, Unit A Article 35, Section 3 as amended in 2010.
Required Courses:
1. Special Education Overview
2. Either:
 Studying Skillful Teaching or
 Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners
3. One course from EMI (now IDEAS)
Choosing Courses
Review the requirements with your principal or supervisor. Develop a five-plan that covers the
requirements as part of your professional learning goals.
Your principal or supervisor must approve your plan to register for each course.
Registering for Courses
Seats in these courses are limited. To register, you must have approval from your principal,
department head, or curriculum coordinator. To indicate your interest, send an email to Anne
Banks. Seats will be assigned equitably from the schools that respond. All those who indicated
interest will be notified of their registration status by email.
Courses offered in 2014-2015 through NPS
Special Education Overview
11 hours (2 days)
This includes the following topics: special education regulations, disabilities, universal
design for learning, assistive technologies, collaboration, classroom behavior management.
NOTE: If you have already taken a course similar to this, you may seek approval from your
principal to substitute either Studying Skillful Teaching or Meeting the Needs of Diverse
Learners.
Dates and Time: November 20th, and 21st (8:30-3pm)
Location: Newton Education Center
Credit: 11 PDPs
Newton Public Schools
Office of Teaching & Learning
9/12/2014
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Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners
24 hours (4 days)
During this workshop series participants examine how standards-based education and
differentiation are used together to promote high levels of achievement for all students;
explore similarities and differences in learners; and identify options for meeting the needs of
the wide range of students in our classrooms, including gifted students, struggling learners,
students with special needs, second language learners, resistant and reluctant learners.
Registration closes October 19. Approval required from your principal.
Dates and Times: 8am-3pm: October 16th, November 19th, December 3th, January 8th and
February 5th (Snow date).
Location: Newton Education Center
Credit: 24 PDPs Two graduate credits offered through Fitchburg State College $235.
Studying Skillful Teaching
36 hours (6 days)
(A course for second year & veteran teachers)
Although this course is more than 24 hours, it is included among the options since it is a
powerful course, enthusiastically endorsed by teachers. The foundation of this course is the
belief in and respect for the complexity of teaching. The course seeks to answer five key
questions: What accounts for student learning? How do we focus students on what is
important? How do we monitor learning and adjust instruction? What does effective effort
mean for teachers and students? Why is developing professional communities in schools
essential for our survival? Participants study the knowledge base on teaching, expand their
own professional repertoires, try and share strategies and principles for classroom practice,
analyze video clips of real teachers in action, and experience effective collegial dialogues,
problem solving and observations. Approval required from your principal.
Dates and time: 8am-3pm: January 22th, 29th, February 12th, March 5th, April 9th, 29th and
May 15th, 2015 (snow date).
Location: Newton Education Center
Credit: 36 PDPs Three graduate credits offered through Fitchburg State College $325
EMI
The following courses are offered by EDCO, the education consortium to which Newton Public
Schools belongs. Courses are commonly referred to as “EMI Courses,” though they have
recently changed the acronym to IDEAS (Initiatives for Developing Equity and Achievement for
Students).
Anti-Racist School Practices to Support the Success of All Students
25 hours (6 days)
(Formerly known as EMI 1)
This course is designed to introduce educators to the complex issues raised by race and
racism and their impact on student engagement and achievement. It will provide educators
with an understanding of racial identity and the importance of building authentic student
teacher relationships. This course will also help educators increase their skills of cultural
proficiency. (Course # F14ARSPN)
Newton Public Schools
Office of Teaching & Learning
9/12/2014
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Dates and time: Wednesdays: October 8th and December 3rd from 8:30-3:30pm
Wednesdays: October 22nd, November 5th, November 19th and December 17th from 3:406:40pm).
Location: Newton Education Center
Credit: 25 PDPs Two graduate credits offered through Framingham State College $150
Teaching about Racism and Different Cultural Experiences Your Classroom: Developing
Cultural Proficiency Skills
25 hours (6 days)
This course will use the combined works of Jim Knight (instructional coaching), Carol
Dweck (growth mindset), Randall B. Lindsey, Nuri-Robins, and Raymond D. Terrell
(cultural proficiency) to help educators understand the inner workings of cultural
proficiency, growth mindset, racial micro aggressions and their effects on teaching and
learning.
By the end of the course, educators will know how to deliver instruction using a culturally
proficient framework; understand the three conversations of cultural proficiency: cognitive
planning, problem solving, and reflection; and will develop skills and practice 7 skills of
collaborative conversations as they relate to cultural proficiency. (Course # F14DCPS)
This course assumes that participants have some prior training in diversity issues
Dates and time: Fridays: October 17th and December 19th from 8:30-3:30pm Thursday:
October 30th, November 13th, November 20th, December 11th from 3:30 – 6:30pm
In addition each participant will receive 2 (30 min) individual coaching sessions
Location: Wellesley
Credit: 25 PDPs Two graduate credits offered through Framingham State College $150
Difficult Conversations: Talking About Race and Racism with Students, Colleagues, and
Parents/Guardians
12.5 hours (2days)
This course is designed to help educators develop a better understanding of ways to address
and respond to issues of race and racism on a personal and professional level. Participants
will consider the experiences of students and families from ethnically or racially diverse
backgrounds in predominantly white schools, and will examine both the barriers
to/challenges of talking about race/racism/ethnicity and strategies for engaging in productive
discussions. (Course # F14DC)
Dates and time: Saturdays: November 8th and November 22nd from 8:30 – 3:30pm
Location: Needham
Credit: 12.5 PDPs One graduate credit offered through Framingham State College $75
Understanding Self-Efficacy: Helping Students Do Their Best Work
12.5 hours (2 days)
This course provides participants with an opportunity to explore concepts of self-efficacy
and attribution theory. Participants will examine how students’ perceptions of themselves as
learners influence their academic engagement and performance. Participants will learn how
to use a strengths approach, create a growth mindset environment, and give praise and
constructive feedback that promote student success in the school setting. (Course # F14USE)
Dates and time: Saturdays: November 15th and December 6th from 8:30 – 3:30pm
Newton Public Schools
Office of Teaching & Learning
9/12/2014
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Location: Concord
Credit: 12.5 PDPs One graduate credit offered through Framingham State College $75
Building Bridges for Understanding Race and Culture: Developing Anti-racist/Anti-bias
Curriculums
12.5 hours (3 days)
This course is especially helpful for educators involved in Advisory programs, Open Circle
discussions, and other student-centered activities where issues of identity and equity are
discussed. This course will help educators enhance their curriculum by including issues of
cultural differences, stereotypes, prejudice, and forms of systemic oppression within their
course teaching. Activities and discussions can be integrated into history, literature, science,
technology, art, music – just about any subject – or developed into a curriculum specific
"Culture/Identity" course. (Course # F14 BB)
Dates and time: Tuesdays September 30th, October 7th, October 14th and Wednesday October
29th from 3:30 – 6:40pm
Location: Lincoln
Credit: 12.5 PDPs One graduate credit offered through Framingham State College $75
Newton Public Schools
Office of Teaching & Learning
9/12/2014
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