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Upper Darby highlights summer professional development, international learning tour for administrators
Summary
District leaders reviewed principals’ summer training, new-teacher orientation and a superintendent-led international professional learning tour that emphasized Finnish practices for recruitment, retention and school culture.
Upper Darby School District leaders told the Education and People Services Committee on Aug. 26 that summer professional development included clustered principal training, a three-day new-teacher orientation and opening-year staff professional development to prepare for the 2025–26 school year.
Dr. Kelly (presentation lead) and Mr. Marshallak described a weeklong clustered training for principals designed to give leaders time to digest data, plan local professional learning and focus on student success goals. Dr. Kelly said the district’s directors acted as “camp directors,” opening sessions with social-emotional activities; administrators received awards and shared takeaways.
Dr. Council (district administrator) described a nine-day professional learning tour organized by PASA (Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators) and EF Educational Tours that included school visits and conversations in Sweden, Finland and Estonia. He said the trip emphasized “immersion learning” and noted features of Finland’s system, including a flexible national curriculum, high societal trust in teachers, required master’s-level preparation for teachers, and daily free healthy meals for students.
New-teacher onboarding: Two weeks before the meeting administrators said the district welcomed new UDEA chapter members for a three-day orientation aligned with Chapter 49 induction requirements. Dr. Kelly said every new teacher receives a mentor; year‑1 induction runs January–June and year‑2 induction (now required under Pennsylvania rules) runs September–December with continued mentorship and asynchronous coursework in Schoology.
Opening-year professional development: Administrators said staff returned for three full days of professional development and one teacher work day before student arrival; a kickoff assembly was led by Dr. McGarry. Presenters shared photos and participant feedback and said the summer programming aimed to support recruitment, retention and school culture.
The committee did not take board action on the informational item; administrators asked that policy items on the agenda be considered for a September voting meeting.
