The Riverside Local district on Thursday described a new, teacher-driven professional development approach that will hold its next full PD day on Feb. 9 and a districtwide showcase in March.

District leadership said the program, launched with learning teams in November, relies on about 25 volunteer teacher ‘team leads’ who received training to facilitate work in cross-grade, cross-subject groups. "We're trying to model with the teachers what we want them to be doing with students," an unidentified district administrator said, explaining the shift from lecture-style sessions to practice and planning time.

Students will not attend the Feb. 9 professional development day. Teachers are expected to use morning sessions for instruction and planning tied to their chosen focus areas (examples cited included authentic learning and differentiated pacing) and reconvene in the afternoon to share work. The district has built check-in points: written check-ins in December and face-to-face team meetings scheduled for late January to ensure teams are progressing on commitments.

Board members asked whether the PD would be curated around district priorities or strictly teacher-selected topics; district staff said mandatory training—such as for new curriculum adoption—will continue alongside the personalized learning model and that instructional coaches will support areas of growth.

The district said the March session will include a showcase for the whole district; exact format is still being developed. Administrators described the approach as a way to move beyond front-loaded presentations and give teachers time to plan, trial classroom practices and collaborate with peers.

Next steps include continuing team check-ins, finalizing the March showcase format and sharing the Riverside Way instructional expectations used in classroom observations and instructional rounds.