PERSONNEL 4132

Professional Development Policy

The Manchester school district encourages teachers and administrators to broaden and deepen their knowledge, their understanding of the teaching-learning process, their understanding of students, and their perception of themselves and their colleagues as worthy and effective professionals. To this end, the Manchester Board of Education is committed to the support of a planned, ongoing, and systematic professional development program designed to maintain, enrich, and/or improve the skills, knowledge, and abilities needed by educational personnel to meet professional responsibilities. The ultimate goal of the professional development program is to improve student learning.

In order to assist district educators to maintain, enrich, and/or improve their effectiveness with students, the Board of Education will, to the extent possible, support a planned professional development program for all certified staff by providing funds and making time available for planning and implementing the program. In addition, the Superintendent will appoint a district coordinator for professional development and will establish a steering committee composed of representatives from the administration, teachers, and other appropriate staff. The Superintendent will report annually to the Board of Education on the professional development program and its effect with recommendations for changes.

This commitment to professional development on the part of the school district is an affirmation of learning as a lifelong process which contributes to the well-being of the individual, the local school district, and society.

Adopted: February 24, 1986