Every year there are those random days that the district has off. Students don’t go to school but teachers and staff do. Professional Development days are what they are called.
“There are days set aside for us teachers to continue learning, collaborate with each other, and get ready for our students,” says teacher Maren Schludecker. These days are very important for teachers at all levels throughout the district. They allow teachers to get more knowledge and analyze academic data from students.
PD days give teachers the opportunity to see how their teaching was effective and how students have been learning. Schludecker says, “Professional Development days give us new information for us. Teachers are looking at data, and test results and talking about how we can change it for the future.”
These days are not just random days throughout the year that students have off. There is a reason why they are scheduled the way they are throughout the year.
“The dates are decided at the district level based on when holidays fall. We make them every year with what our calendar will be with the PD days already set. We spread them out so they are at a good time related to testing or voting days,” says Schludecker.
Specifically, these days are selected by a committee consisting of many different teachers and district personnel. They make sure every level of learning gets covered and seen by teachers. “Everyone needs something different when learning,” says Schludecker, “so we have those people to represent that.”
