FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, Aug. 9, 2019

Media Contact: Kelsey Bode
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Milford Educators Undergo Professional Learning Communities Training

MILFORD — Superintendent Jessica Huizenga is pleased to share that educators from throughout the Milford School District took part in a Professional Learning Communities (PLC) workshop last week.

The workshop was led by Jason Andrews, superintendent of Windsor, New York, Central School District and Solution Tree Associate. Solution Tree is an organization that offers professional development opportunities for educators with the goal of helping schools improve curriculum, instruction and student learning outcomes based off of data and continued self-evaluation.

By fostering a professional learning community at Milford, administrators aim to empower staff to assess the needs of students and areas of improvement within their classroom and schools. They also want to work together to continuously improve and develop new curriculum materials, analyze student data and growth, and seek out professional development opportunities.

The PLC model encourages collaboration among staff, group discussion on best practices, continuous improvement and a focus on results and data — all with an eye toward strengthening student learning.

Districts that adopt the PLC model encourage educators to work together in teams to discuss the areas of improvement they’d like to achieve within their schools, examine student data and develop plans to meet their goals. Beginning this year, Milford schools will incorporate a half day each month to provide teachers with additional time to meet within their PLCs and pursue professional growth opportunities.

“Our strategic plan has laid out a comprehensive framework of goals and initiatives for our staff over the next five years, and giving our teachers the resources to develop professional learning communities will only help us as we strive to grow and meet the various needs of all our students,” Superintendent Huizenga said. “Our teachers have been clear that they have a big appetite for this kind of collaborative approach, and it will give teachers the time and tools they need to sharpen their skills and learn from one another.”

Thirty-seven educators representing all schools within Milford School District attended the training, which took place on Tuesday, July 30 at Heron Pond Elementary School. During the training, educators were placed in small groups to collaborate and share their thoughts and questions as they explored the PLC model.

“We’re really excited about establishing our building and grade level teams and empowering our teachers to make decisions that ultimately benefit our students,” Heron Pond Elementary School Principal Chantal Alcox said. “By working within the PLC framework, our teachers will be able to decide their own goals and make professional progress, all while improving our students’ experiences.” 

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