“There is no system in the world or any school in the country that is better than its teachers. Teachers are the lifeblood of the success of schools.” -Sir Ken Robinson
Sir Ken Robinson is an international thought leader for enriching creativity in education. His ideas on education are student-centered and have influenced thousands of educators around the world. He was a featured speaker for TED Talks Education, which aired on PBS in May 2013. At this conference, Robinson criticized the U.S. public school system and reflected on three prevalent characteristics in any high-performing education system. The best schools:
- individualize teaching and learning,
- attribute very high status to the teaching profession, and
- place responsibility at the school level.
Sir Robinson emphasized that improving education relies on hiring great teachers and then providing constant support and professional development. He pointed out that all high-performing education systems view professional development as an investment. Although Robinson’s focus was on public education, these characteristics are also applicable to private-independent schools.
Take a moment to reflect on your policies. How does your school currently advocate and support teachers’ professional development?
ISM’s professional growth theory promotes an ongoing conversation between teachers and their Division Head (or School Head) on mission-appropriate goal setting and coaching. This requires a predictable environment while supporting teachers with all necessary resources, encouragement, and guidance to refine their skills. Being predictable means setting and continually communicating expectations with supportive delivery (as discussed in the new ISM publication Comprehensive Faculty Development: A Guide to Attract, Retain, Develop, Reward, and Inspire). Most important, teachers are your educators, and to support them, you need to create a vibrant and effective faculty culture.
We have created a list of ways to support your teachers’ professional development.
- As Division Head, be a visual around the school and in the classrooms
- Advocate for a teachers’ professional growth budget (ideally 2-3% of total expense budget)
- Allocate time for teacher planning/growth development
- Use a strong, structured evaluation system
- Take your own professional development into consideration and be open to feedback
Professional Development is a key element in ISM’s recently released book, Comprehensive Faculty Development: A Guide to Attract, Retain, Develop, Reward, and Inspire. This book encompasses all aspects from hiring, evaluation, and recognition to selective retention.
ISM e-Learning Webinar
Student-Centered Teaching and Leading: What Does It Look Like?
ISM Workshop
18th Annual Heads Retreat Nov 6-9 - Strengthen Your Talented Management Team
Additional ISM resources of interest
ISM Monthly Update for School Heads Vol.9 No. 7 Does Your Teacher Evaluation System Include Professional Development?
ISM Video: Teacher Evaluation: The Four Stages of the Evaluation and Growth Cycle
ISM Video: Teacher Evaluation: How to Write Effective Comments
Additional ISM articles of interest for Gold Consortium members
I&P Vol. 38 No. 9 Faculty Compensation, 2012-13: Day School Salaries
I&P Vol. 36 No. 10 Budgeting for Professional Development
