WPS Offers Professional Development Over the Summer

Winthrop Public Schools have been collaborating with the Department of Education, analysts and consultants, and Superintendent John Macero to enhance professional development for staff and administration this summer and moving into the fall.

“We’ve got a lot of things we’re very excited about,” said Frank Woods, Curriculum Director. “We’ve been able to go out and collaborate. There are a lot of ways to have effective education and save money.”

Winthrop Public Schools rejoined Salem State Collaborative, which provides professional development for teachers at a reduced rate. This membership opportunity costs $25 per course, and Woods has seen teachers taking advantage of the classes.

“They’re running a series of courses that are beneficial to our teachers. Its money well-spent,” said Woods. “We’ve already had six-10 teachers take advantage of it because Salem State Collaborative let us start in May.”

The Five District Partnership (5DP), a joint educational effort among Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Revere, and Winthrop to improve instruction and academic achievement, is offering a variety of professional development workshops in subjects such as math, science, English Language Arts, and humanities.

Sheltered English Instruction (SEI) teacher endorsement courses are also being run again in the fall and spring.

“That’s been a major concern for a lot of teachers,” Woods said.

Winthrop Public Schools has arranged to have a joint Teach Point training session with Saugus Public Schools. By combining the two small districts, the total cost has been decreased.

“We’re trying to understand and utilize the system’s total functionality,” said Woods. “It’s been effective and we know there is a lot more to learn.”

Superintendent Macero is participating in an annual retreat to focus on aspects such as self-assessment and coordinated program reviews.

A faculty handbook will be created to recapitulate what teachers learned throughout their trainings, and will be in PDF form so all of the important information will be in one place. It will include teachers’ contracts and other personal documents.

“We’re consolidating and creating a Power Point that every employee of the district will have an opportunity to see online, and will include all the mandatory trainings, whether it is restraint training or bullying,” said Woods. “Anything that we need them to know, they will receive, view, and sign off on. We’re working on that so every building is getting the same information.”