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Upper Darby highlights summer professional development and international learning tour
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Summary
District leaders told the Education and People Services Committee about clustered principal training, a three‑day new‑teacher orientation and a nine‑day international professional learning tour that officials say reinforced recruitment, retention and school‑culture priorities.
Dr. Counsel, a district presenter, described a nine‑day professional learning tour to Sweden, Finland and Estonia that he took this summer with more than 30 school leaders, saying the trip emphasized immersion learning, school visits and strategies the district can adapt.
"When we raise the status of teaching ... we know that we can attract great teachers," Dr. Counsel said, summarizing a central lesson from Finnish educators about teacher respect, professional training and flexible national curricula.
In committee testimony, Mr. Marshallak described a clustered week of principal and supervisor training held in early July so leaders could digest new material, customize professional learning for their staffs and plan for the year. He said directors organized interactive, camp‑style sessions that included morning social‑emotional check‑ins, collaborative data work and reflective activities designed to support leadership practice.
Dr. Kelly told the committee the district also ran a three‑day orientation for new UDEA members aligned with chapter 49 induction requirements. "All new teachers will receive a mentor," Dr. Kelly said, adding that mentors are approved by the board monthly, year‑1 induction runs January through June, and year‑2 induction begins in September with an asynchronous Schoology course supplemented by mentor support through June.
The presenters said the district opened the school year with three full days of professional development and a teacher workday to allow staff time to plan classrooms and prepare for students. Committee members thanked presenters and asked follow‑up questions about the content of principals' data work and the structure of onboarding supports.
The presentation was informational; no policy vote was taken on the professional development items during the meeting.
