ERIC Number: EJ1066341
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Jun
Pages: 4
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0276-928X
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
When Status Quo Is a No-Go: Maryland High School Redefines Its Professional Learning
Wastler, Jared C.; Zepp, Shannon
Journal of Staff Development, v36 n3 p46-48, 53 Jun 2015
This article tells the story of transformation at Liberty High School in Eldersburg, Maryland. Feedback from teachers, both informal and formal, was largely negative. Teachers said there was little application to their daily interactions with students and felt that their engagement was limited to simply showing up. They expressed a desire to collaborate, yet there was little time allocated to do so. Most significantly, staff members expressed a belief that there was a failure to respect the varied needs and capacities of each staff member. The data didn't lie: The school needed a change. The school began to build a professional learning system that reflected a dynamic community of learners focused on continual improvement. They recognized that the smartest person in school was the school itself--teachers, support staff, students, and parents. The task was evident: Design and develop a system of professional learning that engages, respects, and recognizes the capacities of the school community. The transition has been carefully developed based on learning research, staff feedback, and reflection.
Descriptors: High Schools, Educational Change, Teacher Attitudes, Secondary School Teachers, High School Students, Interaction, Teacher Student Relationship, Teaching Conditions, Teacher Collaboration, Communities of Practice, Change Strategies, Models, Faculty Development, Teacher Surveys
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Maryland
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A