School District Gears Up for Training on Nov. 5

At Monday night’s School Committee meeting, Superintendent Howard addressed upcoming trainings for staff and faculty members. Members of the Threat Assessment Training Tier 1 Team will meet on Nov. 5, Election Day, to participate in the Virginia Model of Threat Assessment Training. The eight-hour training will be conducted by the Riverside Trauma Center and will serve as an approach to violence prevention, emphasizing early attention to problems such as bullying, teasing, and other forms of student conflict, before it escalates.

The threat assessment team is made up of members of the WPS staff and administration, members of the Police Department, Fire Department and members of the Community Health Department, all of who will be called on to play a critical role in the safety of students in the event of an emergency situation. “This speaks to the level of commitment in the town,” said Howard. “It’s important that we always include student safety in our practice and we make this an ongoing effort.”

Also on Nov. 5, faculty members will participate in the Five District Partnership Shared Professional Development Day. Winthrop, Chelsea, Revere, Everett, and Malden Public Schools joined forces to enhance the professional development opportunities for faculty members and created a day full of high-quality training focused on Equity for All: Expectations, Rigor and Excellence. The theme-oriented trainings will be conducted in Chelsea, Revere, and Malden, and teachers will have a long list of topics to choose from.

The day will focus on the critical areas trending in these schools while addressing the social and emotional needs/mental health as a first priority; providing equity and access for all students; focusing on the future needs of students to succeed in the changing workplace and society over standards and state tests; a boardroom to classroom approach to student improvement; and a simple, yet impactful framework that allows educators to innovate.

The goal of this type of joint training allows teachers from five different communities to work together, share ideas, build relationships and engage in pertinent conversations. Some of the many topics offered are Cultural Competence, Taking a Stand: Creating a Safe School for LGBTQ Students, and Unpacking Standards to Meet all Learners. Founded in 2012, the Five District Partnership (5DP) is a joint educational effort between Winthrop, Revere, Malden, Chelsea and Everett districts and focuses on improving instruction and academic achievement.