Shenendehowa professional‑learning team expands coaching, reports PD hours and evaluation plans

Shenendehowa’s professional‑learning office presented an expanded coaching team and a set of professional development activities aimed at aligning teacher practice with district priorities, including instruction, curriculum and assessment.

Director Vicky Wild and members of the coaching team introduced themselves and summarized offerings that included more than 113 hours of professional learning in the past year, over 78 hours of new‑teacher induction, a summer PD Palooza with 19 sessions and participation by more than 60 staff, and a large portfolio of topic areas tied to the district’s learning framework.

The team said it currently evaluates sessions through post‑session satisfaction surveys but is developing systems to measure changes in teacher practice and, ultimately, links to student outcomes. Coaches described work with teachers through coaching cycles, co‑planning, curriculum mapping and PLC facilitation. The office also highlighted outreach to multilingual learners, special education, grading equity and data‑driven planning.

Presenters told the board that many sessions are offered by district faculty themselves and that coaches supply contact information after sessions for follow‑up support. The team also credited departmental staff and a secretary, Kathy Sim, who supports scheduling and communications for professional learning services.

This article summarizes the professional learning presentation and attributes quotes only to the named coaches and the director who spoke in the meeting.