Districts

School districts are working on different ways to provide their teachers with time for professional development. For three years, Grass Lake Community Schools in Grass Lake, Michigan, have given teachers common planning time every Wednesday from 7:45 to 9:45 a.m. Ground rules guide the use of this time. Parents learned about the concept in the schools' newsletter.

Urbana District #116 in Urbana, Illinois, established an Instructional Support Team to review the district's professional development plan. The team consisted of administrators, librarians, and representatives from elementary and high schools, including faculty in Title I, English as a Second Language, drug-free schools, and fine arts. After study and discussion, the team proposed a new model of professional development. The rational for restructuring staff development time was developed by this team. The minutes of one of their meetings reflect the work that went into development of their proposal.