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Interim director Janelle Edwards outlines TLP priorities: mentoring, PD and early-childhood programming
Summary
Janelle Edwards, interim director of Teaching, Learning and Professional Development, presented a 30-day assessment and a plan focused on early-childhood programming, districtwide professional development, instructional coaching and a districtwide mentorship program.
Janelle Edwards, interim director of Teaching, Learning and Professional Development for Romulus Community Schools, presented a departmental update and a strategic vision the board described as focused on educator support and student outcomes.
"My why is always going to be student success," Edwards told the board, outlining her immediate priorities after a 30-day review: an assessment of existing programs and systems, a Young 5 early-childhood program (details to be presented to the board soon), a kindergarten festival, an expanded summer-school plan and stronger instructional coaching and mentorship across the district.
Edwards said her team recently shrank from six to five staff members; that team reviewed district programs and identified areas that need systems and data-driven attention. She said the district piloted districtwide professional development that allowed elementary teachers to choose sessions presented by colleagues and that the plan is to expand that model to secondary staff. She emphasized building consistent expectations through a mentorship program and strengthening Professional Learning Communities to share instructional practice and review data.
During discussion, trustees asked about district participation in competitive science and robotics programming and whether the district is connected to regional university initiatives; Edwards and other board members said conversations have started about robotics and competitive opportunities and that the district will look into connections with local higher-education partners. Trustees praised Edwards for local experience and for beginning a data review; one trustee asked the administration to provide a calendar of school events to aid board members' school visits.
What's next: Edwards said the administration will return with more detailed proposals for the Young 5 program, kindergarten festival and summer-school offerings and that the policy and operational committees will continue work on curriculum-aligned opportunities and on items such as retention and AI policy once the baseline policy manual is adopted.
