PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Group Memory
March 10, 2014
Attendees: Co-Chairs Debra Pace and Cyndi Van Meter, Dawna Bobersky, Jane Cline,
Jennifer Cockrell, Lynn Conroy (recorder), Mark Elliott, Matt Frey, Elia Lea, Christine Moore,
Robin Novelli, Jane Respess, Barbara Rodrigues, Janice Scholz, Lynn Spadaccini, Janet
Stephenson, Beth Thedy, Mollie Vega, and Teresa Wright (facilitator)
Common Core/Professional Practices:
February 14, 2014 Debrief
-Elementary Programs reported an overall positive experience. Teachers attended training
in the morning at their home schools with teams of teachers working/planning together in
the afternoon.
-Manatee, Quest, and Suntree Elementary Schools worked together in the morning to
provide Common Core and Differentiated Instruction training sessions for their teachers
-Secondary Programs shared an overview of training/conferences held for math, guidance,
science, gifted, IB, reading, and CTE teachers
-A combination of social studies, foreign language and ELA teachers came together at
Viera High School with a presenter on High Impact Instruction.
-Attendance varied at different secondary workshops/conferences
-A suggestion was made that at the April PDEC Meeting, a discussion be held about the
design of Professional Development Days to determine if they are meeting the district’s
needs.
Future Professional Development Days Topics/Questions:
-How can training be seen as meaningful so that teachers attend and find it valuable?
-Should teachers be required to receive 20 inservice credits per year to encourage them to
attend training?
Should the district pay teachers to stay after school for training with teachers teaching
teachers instead of holding Professional Development Days?
-Elementary teachers need job-embedded professional development because it is difficult
to meet the various needs of all elementary teachers from a district level.
-How do we best serve the needs of our middle and high school teachers?
-How do we find a balance between organizational driven goals and personal choice in
professional development?
-Should the August PDD remain a curriculum day to address textbook adoptions and
curriculum information that must be disseminated to teachers?
-Could the February 2015 PDD for secondary schools included a two- hour training in the
morning at school sites with groups of teachers meeting for the remainder of the day to
plan and collaborate?
-What format for PDD would give time for teachers to process content during their
training?
-How could badges, performance pay, or career ladders assist in building capacity at our
secondary schools?
Teacher Effectiveness:
-A teacher convening will be held early next school year. The six VIPs groups will be
providing training sessions along with other teacher leaders. The target audience will be
Peer Coaches for this one-day session. Feedback from the 2014 Teacher Convening
indicated that participants wanted longer training sessions.
-Performance Matters, Truenorthlogic, and Blackboard overlap of services-discussion
deferred until April PDEC Meeting.
Instructional Leadership
-Charge Session, June 18-19, 2014 discussion deferred until April PDEC Meeting.
August Professional Development Day
-Elementary Programs has built training capacity at the elementary schools through their
Launch Teams. K-2 Launch Teams have had 18 hours of training with Grades 3-6 Launch
Teams receiving 24 hours of training in the Common Core/Florida Standards. Under the
direction of Elementary Programs, all elementary schools will hold site based training on
August 14, 2014. The Office of Professional Learning and Development will set up training
in ProGOE² for all elementary schools.
-Middle and High School Programs will hold a curriculum professional development day
to ensure that all curriculum updates are disseminated. English, Reading and Math teachers
will be attending textbook adoption training.
-ESE must hold a mandatory training on that day for EBD teachers to include six
elementary and four middle school teachers.
-High school Guidance Counselors will be attending training in September, they will
remain at school sites for the August 14 PDD to assist with registration.
-There will be elementary and secondary program break-outs at the March 19 Leadership
Team Meeting. Directors will share the August PDD information with principals.
Upcoming PDEC Meeting
April 10, 2014, Rooms 3-4
8:00 am – 9:30 am
Facilitator: Matt Frey