Four Subcommittees: A Case Study

Fifty percent of new teachers quit with in the first five years of teaching (NEA, 2015), with this number being so alarmingly high it begs the questions: Why do so many teachers leave after going through years of college for this profession? Were teachers not prepared for the job, through college training, what should colleges teach in order to better prepare teachers?

These students are typically going to school at institutions with less resources than middle-class areas. As a result these schools typically employee less qualified teachers and more disciplinary measures. “Children in the highest-poverty schools are assigned to novice teachers almost twice as often as children in low-poverty schools. Similarly, students in high-minority schools are assigned to novice teachers at twice the rate as students in schools without many minority students.”

The district beefed up the professional development for new teachers, especially those in the ARL program. Doing so has helped expand teachers capabilities which in turn increases their capacity in the school. In order for a school to be successful in reaching their mission,

This paper explores the Professional Development System of the Volusia County School Districts and how they are implemented. It addresses the unique contributions of Charlotte Danielson and how her Framework for Teachers influenced and aided the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices (FEAPs). This paper also addresses Assessment, Volusia Proficiency Model (VPM) and Problem solving techniques currently used in Volusia County Schools. It concludes with the author’s thoughts on how he would implement the knowledge and skills in each of these areas of Professional Development in the teaching and learning process.

Like leadership turnover in other professions, turnover rates at more challenging schools are on the higher end of that spectrum (Beteille, Kalogrides and Loeb 2011, Boyd, et al. 2008, Clark, Martorell and Rockoff 2009). For instance, large, urban districts have similar turnover rates: Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) is 22%, Milwaukee is 20%, San Francisco 26%, and New York City is 24% (Beteille, Kalogrides and Loeb 2011, Boyd, et al. 2008, Clark, Martorell and Rockoff 2009). However, within MDCPS, the turnover rate is higher for the district’s highest-poverty schools (28%), versus lowest-poverty schools (18%) (Beteille, Kalogrides and Loeb 2011). New York City school findings were similar (Clark, Martorell and Rockoff 2009). Low-performing, low-SES schools that lose an effective principal, often struggle due to having a replacement that is less-experienced and less-effective (Beteille, Kalogrides and Loeb 2011, Branch, Hanushek and Rivkin 2012).

To help with this concern, I would make room in the school’s budget for professional development. The goal would be for teachers to learn and grow so that they feel confident in leadership roles and have the skills needed to educate students. I would incorporate different forms of professional development such as peer observations, workshops, and a peer mentoring program. The hope would be that the new teachers would begin to collaborate and learn from other teachers.

One of the largest problems with education in the United States is teacher retention (McLaurin, Smith, & Smillie, 2009). Some remaining challenges in education is the loss of new teachers during their first years in the profession (Nelson, Duke, Hutchens, & Machell, 2014). Teacher preparation programs have been found to be significantly related to teacher quality (Katitia, 2015). Teacher quality is known as the primary force in student learning outcomes (Ring & West , 2015).

There is a consensus among the concerned stakeholders that the quality of teachers is the leading factor in determination of student performance. In the case of United States, the student performance can only be given an impetus by the efforts which the state can make, under all costs, to develop and retain high quality teachers. The measures undertaken determine the level of turnover of the school teachers. Lazear (2009) similarly argues the length of employment is a critical factor in averse risks of employment a trend contrary to teachers treatment. The turnover of public school teachers will refer to the rate at which the state, which is the teacher’s

Oftentimes, new teachers are provided with little to no professional guidance, and because of that, nearly fifty percent of teachers leave the classroom within the first five years. This turnover rate not only has an impact on kids, since they lose the person they were connected with, but it also costs the nation roughly 7.4 billion dollars a year. This video, which focuses on the Hillsborough County Public School System, in Tampa, Florida, brings to light the importance of mentor teachers for first and second year teachers. Through the gathering of evidence and classroom observations, these mentor teachers provide the passion for new teachers and help to unlock their potential. Since the implementation of the mentor program their retention of new teachers has gone from 72% to 94%.

To further help the veteran teachers and the new teachers coming in, professional development will require an ongoing commitment from all levels of the school organization. There will need to be resources available to help guide the teachers’ professional development. The adoption of professional learning communities (PLC’s) within the school and district supporting them is paramount. The continued development will help the teachers implement PBL (Rosenblatt, 2012)

The authors’ collaborative research began by exploring the future of education and the teaching profession. Through their research, they swiftly concluded a vast majority of people shared the notion that the most important factor that effects student learning is the quality of the teacher. Andy Hargreaves and Michael Fullan continued to take a closer look at how one can maximize the cumulative effect of many quality teachers over time, and the favorable lasting impact this would have on the education of students for many years to come. The ultimate goal of Professional Capital is to increase human capital or the individual teacher’s talents, skills, and capabilities. However, this human capital needs to be distributed and

Encouraging professional development for new and veteran teachers is very important for multiple reasons. Often times, new teachers still need time to become better acquainted with teaching in the classroom. On the opposite side, veteran teachers need to know what is current in education that can be implemented in their classroom. Professional development programs like mentorships, professional development plans, and continued development are important programs to have in place for teachers. For these programs to be successful and provide the support and development that a teacher needs, they have to be quality programs. Just as students and children have different ways that they learn, so do teachers and adults. Programs that will provide the development in teachers that is vital for their teaching will take this into consideration.

However, recruitment and retention of highly trained staff is especially difficult, primarily because of low compensation, which is the main reason teachers and staff leave at an average turnover rate of 31% (Wechsler et al., 2016 and National Association for the Education of Young Children, n.d.). It is important to note “nearly all programs with a track record of success require their lead teachers to have a bachelor’s degree with a specialization in early childhood education” (Wechsler et al., 2016, p. 2). Teachers need to be supported as professionals so they can be highly effective in helping children learn and

Most everyone in public education will tell you they are the business of ensuring better outcomes for all students. At its most ideal, public education is intended to be the great equalizer in a democratic society. Meanwhile, despite all of these good intentions outcomes for all students are not always "better" or even equitable. In nearly 20 years of work in public education, I have been a witness to, and part of, several issues that could have created better results for students, but didn't. Still, if handled differently, these efforts could have indeed meant improved outcomes for schools, teacher and, most importantly, students. After years of experience and research, along with many discussions among colleagues and regular personal reflection, I have concluded that one of the most effective ways to positively impact student achievement is through increased teacher morale and competency. One way to best ensure this state of teaching bliss and effectiveness would be to reduce the number of available resources and professional development opportunities.

In the first year of teaching, four out of ten teachers quit. An educators job is not a walk in the park. In Kansas, we are facing a shortage of teachers. The most areas that are facing these shortages are Special Education, Adaptive and Functional Special Education, Early Childhood Handicapped, and hearing and visual impaired. It has been reported that Fewer students have chosen to major in education. There are many reasons that are causing the shortages, lack of