Germantown committee reviews in-service plan, NextPath rollout and trauma-sensitive training

Germantown School District’s Teaching and Learning Committee on Sept. 2 reviewed the district’s six-day in-service schedule for the 2025–26 school year, which the presenters said combines lighter classroom-preparation time at the start of the in-service with heavier professional-development blocks later in the sequence and includes a phased rollout of the NextPath student information system and a two-part trauma-sensitive schools training.

The presentation, led by staff members Jay Mysiak and Katie Cole, described the schedule design: the first two in-service days were intentionally lighter so teachers could set up classrooms and prepare for open house, while the latter days focused on targeted professional development aligned with the district’s strategic goals for academic achievement and growth. Mysiak and Cole said the schedule was planned to avoid overlapping pupil-services trainings with teaching-and-learning sessions so staff working across both areas would not have to choose between sessions.

According to the presenters, principals helped develop the building-level professional development framework so that teacher teams could focus on clarifying learning goals, common expectations and measures of student learning. The report emphasized use of a professional learning community (PLC) model in which grade-level and cross-grade teams identify learning targets and the evidence that indicates students have met those targets.

Districtwide NextPath onboarding formed a substantial part of the plan. The committee heard that NextPath trainings were provided to teachers at all six district buildings, with specialized sessions for special-education staff and for schools that use the system differently (the packet lists Sykes and MacArthur as having bespoke sessions). The presentation noted that NextPath training was phased to prioritize immediately useful features first and expand functionality over time.

Committee members were told the district benefits from a newly hired MacArthur principal, Dr. Behrend, who brings prior NextPath experience. The presenters and board members characterized that background as helpful for MacArthur staff as they adopt the system.

Katie Cole described a two-part trauma-sensitive schools training provided during the in-service kickoff: the first part was a two-hour background session on the prevalence and impact of trauma delivered to all staff; the second, strategy-focused part was scheduled for the district’s September in-service date. The district nurse, Stephanie Calmer, delivered a separate medical-training overview to all staff during the kickoff, and counselors trained to be in-house trainers delivered the trauma background session at each building so staff across elementary, middle and high levels received the same materials and messaging.

District leaders said they debriefed the counselor trainers after the sessions, that feedback from staff was positive, and that counselors and the people-services coordinator would reconvene before the second training to ensure consistent delivery and to address questions raised across buildings.

Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) training and de-escalation instruction were also on the schedule. The committee heard that administrators and identified crisis-team members received CPI training over the summer and that de-escalation training for a wider group of staff would be provided in building-level sessions; hands-on restraint or seclusion procedures were limited only to those who needed the full CPI certification.

Special-education staff and related services (speech-language, occupational therapy, physical therapy and adaptive physical education) received kickoff content focused on setting rigorous, disability-related IEP goals and using data to track progress. Presenters said NextPath tools were introduced to special-education teams for progress monitoring and for informing IEP goals. The plan calls for monthly special-education team meetings in each building, with the people-services coordinator and central staff providing targeted follow-up professional development based on a staff survey taken after the kickoff.

Board members praised the overall structure as comprehensive. Committee members noted the schedule provided time for teachers to prepare classrooms, aligned training with district strategic priorities and aimed to give every building consistent messaging and supports as almost 4,000 students returned to school that week.

Votes at a glance - Motion to approve the Sept. 2 agenda: moved by Tracy Pollock, seconded by Jeff Boyer; passed by voice vote. - Motion to approve the Aug. 5, 2025 committee meeting minutes: moved by Jeff Boyer, seconded by Tracy Pollock; passed by voice vote. - Motion to adjourn the meeting: moved by Tracy Pollock, seconded by Jeff Boyer; passed by voice vote.

This item was informational; no new policies or contract awards were presented for committee action at the Sept. 2 meeting.