The Farmington Public School District on Jan. 6 detailed an expanded professional learning program for teachers aimed at strengthening instruction and improving staff retention.

Rhonda Henry, assistant superintendent of innovation and strategic initiatives, told trustees the district connects professional learning to instructional priorities and improvement efforts. She described Illustrative Math training, grade- and course-specific professional days (teachers have four collaborative days throughout the school year), 12 asynchronous hours of required Canvas-based PD and targeted release time. Henry reported the district accumulated 21,420 hours of professional development between August and December, plus 5,100 additional release hours; she said 45% of teaching staff — roughly 320 teachers — participated in PD during that time.

“An investment in teacher learning is an investment in student learning,” Henry said during the presentation, and trustees thanked staff for designing sessions that model instructional practices they want to see in classrooms.

Trustees asked follow-up questions about SEL and teacher self-care, integration of PD into the school day, and how professional learning time is protected. Trustees and the presenter said PD is coordinated across HR, special education and instructional services, and that session feedback is gathered after each offering. Examples of PD included math-focused Illustrative Math sessions and an AI asynchronous training cited on slides.

What’s next: the district will host lunch-and-learn sessions, parent ambassador meetings and continued building-level PD aligned with district improvement goals. Trustees expressed support for continuing and expanding time for teacher collaboration during the school day.