PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Please describe the goals of this project.
Enhance teacher leadership through professional development opportunities for Transylvania County Schools’ preK-12 teachers and administrators.

• Collaborate with other teaching professionals across the state and nation to learn about and share educational best practices to support and directly benefit Transylvania County Schools’ goals and initiatives.
• Gather and share new ideas to enhance the educational experiences of Transylvania County Schools’ students as they become impactful, purposeful human beings
  Improve student performance and teacher retention.
• Stimulate new ideas and strategies that impact classroom practice, with subsequent improvement in state and national test scores.
• Validate individual teacher worth to counteract the current climate of “educator blaming.”
• Motivate all teachers and staff to seek out professional development opportunities to improve their own effectiveness in the classroom.

Make a direct connection from what you currently do to what you want to accomplish. Incorporate statistical facts if possible.

TCSEF is dedicated to the enrichment of educational opportunities for our students and we exist to support the goals and strategic plans of the Transylvania County School System (TCS). By investing in leadership and professional development for our teachers and staff we are directly impacting students across the school system today and well into the future.

In order for teachers to provide exceptional and enriching learning opportunities for the students of TCS they must be afforded opportunities to learn from leaders in their field… to see and hear about best practices, to network with their peers, and cultivate fresh ways to connect with their students. Not only will these opportunities bring exciting and new skills to our teachers and staff it will and has improved morale. We all hear in the news and see in the stats how poorly North Carolina has chosen to invest in teachers, we want to show that teachers are important and worth investing in here in Transylvania County.
In March 2015, Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child released a study saying, “Every child who winds up doing well has had at least one stable and committed relationship with a supportive adult.” Often that one person is a teacher! By investing in teachers, we are empowering them to show up in big ways for their students. We are not only saying we believe in you we are showing them that we believe and support them by putting our money where our mouth is and are equipping teachers to be the change our children and future need.

Describe the issues this project seeks to address.

Currently North Carolina does not provide school systems with designated professional development funds; any professional development funds tend to be grant-based in spite of the recent research that “Professional development for improving teacher effectiveness has residual benefits that last for decades.” (THE Journal: October 29, 2019). In a recent Education Week opinion piece (November 4, 2019), Eric Hanushek of Stanford University states that to improve America’s schools, “the only feasible solution is to increase the overall effectiveness of our teachers . . .” The opportunity to collaborate and share classroom and school system best practices provides educators with new ideas and strategies to address content and solve problems, thus possibly impacting student achievement and improving teacher morale. Teaching can be an isolating profession especially in a small, rural school system like Transylvania County. Having the time and funding to gather with others who teach the same subject and/or grade level help foster the “village” that nurtures our students and their teachers.

While research validates the practice of providing professional opportunities for teachers, perhaps the most effective voices come from educators themselves. When the Transylvania County Education Foundation funded four principals’ and an instructional coach’s attendance to the national ASCD conference last year, one principal spoke for everyone: “As a school principal, I often find that my days at school often fill up with matters that are important, but often times do not offer me the opportunity to think ‘big picture’.  The ASCD conference allowed me to discover new ways that I can positively influence students and families who are living in poverty, how to assist staff in teaching students who have or are dealing with trauma, or how technology can be a strong tool in the hands of a strong teacher to advance and enhance student learning.”

Timetable for accomplishing stated goals and objectives.

Our expected timetable is to award the $15,000 we have requested in $5,000 increments over 3 years, to begin in spring of 2020. Our goal is to give up to $5,000 per year to teachers, staff, and leadership of Transylvania County Schools to attend professional and leadership development opportunities. Based on our research, a rolling/open application period will be how we begin because conference and learning opportunities occur at various times throughout the year. We will award funds annually based on identified need and availability of qualified staff to attend. Proposed application process will begin in Spring 2020 to award funds for qualifying professional and leadership development events between June 1, 2020-May 31, 2021.

Describe how this project will be staffed. 

This will be led by our executive director, Shannon Allison and managed by a select committee consisting of board members, volunteers, and Transylvania County Schools Assistant Superintendent Brian Weaver. No new or additional staffing will be required for this program.

Describe any collaboration with other organizations with regards to this project.

This program focuses upon the value of collaborative relationships–among local teachers and administrators, across schools and the district, and with educators and other professionals across the state and nation. If successful, it will spur collaborative relationships between TCSEF and other nonprofits and funding organizations who realize and support the value of a constantly growing, changing, and improving teacher/administrator community within Transylvania County.

Describe the sustainability plan for this project.

We have identified several key factors to the success and sustainability of this program. The first will be alignment with the school system and the individual school improvement plans to identify professional learning needs. This will also allow us to properly identify qualified and high potential individuals to support with grant funding. One opportunity that has already been clearly identified as we have been preparing for this request is the need for professional development opportunities specifically for potential principals and assistant principals. By continuing to work closely with assistant Superintendent Brain Weaver and other Transylvania County School leadership we will be able to further identify opportunities to support professional and leadership development across the school system.
Experiential learning opportunities that allow staff to meet and collaborate with peers from other school systems across the state and county will bring new and exciting ideas, practices, and methodologies back to our school system that will positively impact school improvement plans and ultimately improve educational experiences for our students. New and innovative practices gained through professional development opportunities positively impact the entire school system!
We have a clearly identified need to support professional development in Transylvania County Schools combined with several success stories from a professional learning opportunity our foundation funded in the fall of 2018 (mentioned in previous sections and supported in attached letters of recommendation) that will be complimented by growth and development stories from events this grant will fund, I have no doubt that we will be able to secure ongoing financial support for this to be a permanent program of our foundation.

Explain how you will measure the effectiveness of your activities.

Most of the data to measure the success of this program will be and is, qualitative. Data will be based on interviews, surveys, and success stories from individuals following their attendance at professional development events. We will also rely on feedback from TCS leadership and their observations and evaluations of how the knowledge acquired from the professional development event attendees have been put into practice. More specifically we will inquire on how many peers the staff member has shared new knowledge with following the professional development event? What format was it shared- presentation at a staff meeting, small group conversation, written newsletter, etc., Did the conference or event you attended have a positive impact on relationships with your students, peers, leadership, parents, or community? How did it impact how you perform your role? Did it improve your commitment or your morale?
Additionally, we can use some quantitative data from the NC teaching conditions survey that is conducted bi-annually. 2018 data reports that 248 TCS staff members replied to the survey. When asked in an average week, how much time do you devote to the professional development during the school day (i.e., time for which you are under contract to be at the school)? 65% of those surveyed replied that the spend less than or equal to 1 hour per week while 13% replied none. We can measure this statistic and track the impact our program is having on professional development in TCS.

Describe your criteria for success in this project.

We would consider this program a success when a team of leaders from TCS attend professional development events that meet a clearly identified need in TCS and upon return those leaders are able to effectively share and implement new knowledge, methodologies, and innovative practices to produce results that positively impact school improvement plans. Based on event location and travel expenses, our goal is to support 4 to 10 TCS teachers, staff, or administrators in attending professional development events annually. Additionally- success could be measured when individuals across the school system are motivated by their peers that have attended professional development events by taking the initiative to invest in their own personal and professional development. This program has the potential to expand well beyond what we have requested in this grant. The need is there, but first we must invest in those that show interest, willingness, and potential to expand their professional skills and knowledge with the hope that their successes will motivate others to invest in their profession, in their students, and in our school system. Furthermore, a key indicator of success would be that we have a variety of qualitative and quantitative measurables of success to effectively secure funding to continue this program beyond the funding period of this grant and make it a permanent program of Transylvania County Schools Educational Foundation.

Describe the results you expect to have achieved by the end of the funding period.

As outlined in the previous section, we expect to support a team of individuals consisting of 4-10 teachers, staff, and administrators in TCS to attend professional development events annually that align with needs identified in school improvement plans. We have requested funds to support 3 years and up to 30 individuals. We have quantified that there is a qualified applicant pool of leaders in TCS from which we can select and build a team to represent TCS at a selected professional development event. We expect to utilize the maximum amount of the requested $15,000 within 3 years, to have directly served 12-30 individuals and potentially impact a number of other individuals that are employed or served by TCS. The ripple effect of this program has the potential to impact over 3700 individuals in Transylvania County. Additionally, we expect to have addressed and improved a variety of identified needs in individual school improvement plans, having further developed an established group of leaders, as well as cultivated a group of up and coming leadership for TCS. Lastly, I would expect to see cutting edge and innovative practices actively impacting and preparing students for success well beyond the classroom.

Any additional information not mentioned 

Currently funds are very limited to support professional development in Transylvania County Schools. The financial burden falls on the individual teacher and most do not have the available income to support professional development. It is critical to the success of our students to have teachers that are up to date on the latest teaching methods and to have motivated teachers in the classrooms that are supported in every way possible to do their job to the best of their ability. Our request is a small way that we can invest in our teachers and show them that we care. Investing in our teachers will change the lives of many especially the lives and futures of our children. I sincerely appreciate your consideration of our grant request and look forward to the opportunity to use it to make a significant impact in our community. Sincerely- Shannon Meadows Allison, Executive Director- Transylvania County Schools Educational Foundation.