Alone in the classroom: Why teachers are too isolated
The Atlantic
On the first day of their first year teaching, new teachers walk into their schools and meet their colleagues. They might talk about the latest state assessments, textbooks that have just arrived or the newest project the district is spearheading. Some veteran teachers may tell the newcomers "how things are done" at the schools. And then, as teachers have done since the founding of public education in the U.S., they take leave of one another, walk to their classrooms to meet their students, and close the door.More

Commentary: Where does teacher time go?
Education News Colorado
Teachers need and want more time for professional learning and collaborative planning with colleagues. They need to supervise less and plan, teach and analyze data more. They need to work within schedules and structures that prioritize teacher effectiveness and learning over crowd control.More

Perseverance in Learning School Alliance pays off
Learning Forward via Education Week Teacher
Birmingham Elementary School in Wylie, Texas, joined Learning Forward's Learning School Alliance program in 2009 in hopes the newly launched Learning Forward program would be a catalyst for coalescing their disparate PLCs. Principal Sherry Betts admitted that at first she and the staff didn't quite get what LSA was all about. But during the second year in the program, the light switch flipped.More

Alberta principal proposes early dismissal for teacher collaboration
The Hinton Voice
Alberta's Evergreen Catholic Separate Regional Division trustees heard from a local principal proposing early dismissal on Fridays. The professional learning community (PLC) proposal reads that schools would embed PLC time within their existing schedule to accommodate bi-weekly meetings for staff members. Recent research indicates regular collaboration between teachers within the same school enhances the teachers' effectiveness through reduction of isolation, increased commitment to the mission and goals, of the school, and shared responsibility for student success.More

Mississippi's Petal School District recognized for learning communities
Hattiesburg American
The Petal, Miss., School District has received special recognition for a strategy its teachers use to improve student achievement. The district is the first in Mississippi to be recognized by Solution Tree for its quality and success in creating professional learning communities.More

How the US can find and train more great teachers
The Week
To foster great teaching, first we need to know what makes a great teacher. The good news is, we're making headway in better understanding teacher effectiveness. Evaluations alone are of little use without providing the support for a teacher to improve. Thus, many new evaluation systems are being connected with ongoing professional learning to help teachers continuously improve.More

Staff in Canadian school division shares resources through PLCs
Prairie Post
The staff at Westwind School Division, in Southern Alberta, Canada, has been earnestly putting the theory of professional learning communities to work over the past two years. The concept of PLCs as an organizational model in education is leading to truly transformational advancements in progressive schools and school districts across North America.More

How Indiana schools are fighting a decrease in teacher collaboration time
StateImpact Indiana
It's no secret that job dissatisfaction among teachers has reached an all-time high. But among the predictable factors behind this trend — shrinking budgets, increasing class sizes, frustrations over policy — there's another reason that’s not talked about as much: not enough teamwork.More

STEM school program to include ongoing PD for teachers
Kingsport Times-News
Imagine a school where all students receive an iPad 2 and school e-mail address but need no book bags. Science, technology, engineering, and math are integrated throughout the curriculum. Teachers, on 11-month contracts instead of 10-month ones, have more time during the summer for professional development and also get during-school professional development for two periods during most regular school days.More

Ongoing PD should be important to parents, too
Fenton-HighRidge Patch
During the Week of the Young Child, April 22-28, Missouri's Lindbergh Early Childhood Education Director Charlene Ziegler is offering tips for parents who are exploring preschool education options for their young children, ages 2-5. Among the questions parents should ask: does the staff receive ongoing professional development based on early childhood education research?More