Strengthening Principal

Professional Development
Saint Paul Public Schools
January 15, 2015

Principal PD committee
2014

Theresa Neal
Valerie Littles-Butler
Teresa Vibar
Winston Tucker
Michael Thompson
Tyrone Brookins
Jill Gebke
Heidi George
Melisa Rivera
Adrain Pendelton
Kirk Morris
Yeu Vang
Stacey Kadrmas
THANK YOU!

Principal Professional
Development Committee
Volunteering time
1x month
Providing more in
depth feedback on
PD for principals
Listened to principal
feedback strengthened

What do principals want from

their professional development
time?

-Simon Sinek 2009

Time to interact with each

other
Time to learn from each
other and replicate best
practices in each others
schools
Focus on improving our
instructional, racial equity,
and servant leadership
Clear expectations and
support on district initiatives
and state mandates
Some choice to engage in
PD that is most urgent and
relevant to us

Why a shift in our time?

-Simon Sinek 2009

It is urgent for us to
have an opportunity
to meet interactively
with each other in
our buildings authentic
instructional and
racial equity work on
site!

HOW this could work

a spring 2015 pilot

Getting principals into each

others schools: Diverse groups of
four principals each hosting a PLC
at his/her site one time this year
one a month
Choice Sessions: Professional
Development at 360 includes a short
Staff meeting with your assistant
superintendent and your choice of
break out sessions requested by
you and your peers

-Simon Sinek 2009

K-12 focus on instruction and

equity: Time at sites could include
equity walks and feedback to peers
on post-observation meetings
helping with inter-rater reliability in a
non-evaluative and authentic setting

WHAT might this look

like?

Who 16 diverse groups of 4 principals

(across grade levels) focus on leadership
What walks, observations, and discussion on
site, clarity and choices at 360 incorporating
the strongest aspects of all of our PD needs as
principals
When one meeting a month could look like
this:
8:00 10:30 Site visit principals in
schools
10:30 11:15 travel time and lunch
11:15 12:00 Assistant Superintendent/
Principal - Staff Meeting

-Simon Sinek 2009

12:00 2:00 Choice Break out PD sessions

(replaces some of the other times principals
are pulled out and sit and get meeting
times)
February, March, April, May (pilot the model
and give feedback for next year)

We must focus on the WHY

We believe that principals are one of
the two most important factors in
student success.
We believe we need to develop
collaboratively as leaders.
Our time is valuable we want to be
together in each others buildings
in our work
We want our time together to be as
meaningful as possible we should
grow as instructional, racial equity,
and servant leaders each time were
together.

We want to help create

conditions for success
What will we do in
principal PLCs at our sites?
We want to provide insight
into what breakout
sessions we need.
Pilot this spring and
improve as we go.
Take the time we need to
develop this by
extending our day a bit,
we get the PD we want
and need.

Your input on next steps

Talk with your table about possible break out
sessions
Write on the back of one agenda at your table
some topics you would like to see before the year
is out.
Write down some information about what
guidance you would like for using your PD time at
sites most effectively forms, guiding questions,
norms, etc.
An email will go out with your groups within the
next two weeks Someone will be asked to host
What should be LOOSE, what should be TIGHT?

Principal PD committee
2014

Theresa Neal
Valerie Littles-Butler
Teresa Vibar
Winston Tucker
Michael Thompson
Tyrone Brookins
Jill Gebke
Heidi George
Melisa Rivera
Adrain Pendelton
Kirk Morris
Yeu Vang
Stacey Kadrmas
THANK YOU!