the case for professional Learning | Audrey Lee
The Case for Professional Learning
Feb 8 2023 | Scholar System Solution
When I began my administrative career in curriculum and instruction, Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) were just taking flight. And right on the heels of PLCs came common formative assessments, student data walls, and then instructional rounds. A few years later we ushered in the Common Core State Standards simultaneously with blended learning and 1:1 mobile computing. Shortly thereafter, I felt like I’d had lost a few years off my life as a result of running records, Multi-tiered Systems of Support, and the textbook adoption for middle school science.
This is all to say, I get it. I have experienced more than my share of eyes rolling, complaining about the “flavor of the month,” and pleading not to add one more thing. (Admittedly, sometimes those pleas were coming from me.) Even so, designing and delivering professional learning through two decades of initiatives in public education has solidified my belief in its power.
The most critical insight I gained was that nothing will change in our schools until practice changes. In addition, the most significant way to change practice is through high-quality, engaging professional learning that infuses theory into direct, practical application.
Educators Want (Effective) Professional Learning
My colleagues Dr. Rebeca Mireles-Rios and Dr. Victor Rios have been conducting research and training teachers on equity, emotional support, and school culture transformation for over twenty years. One critical lesson they have learned by engaging with thousands of teachers, staff, and administrators is that educators want to improve their craft, they want to level the playing field for all students, and they want to change lives. If we provide educators the right environment and the right tools, they will do the right thing.
At Scholar System, we believe high-quality professional learning is the most critical component to improving academic and social-emotional outcomes for all learners. Scholar System believes in the power of passionate educators and strives to provide tools and strategies for all schools to become Systems of Prosperity.
