Greetings!

New study shows professional development for educators needs improvement

All employees need ongoing training to stay at the top of their profession. Teachers are no exception. Teachers need more time to collaborate with their peers to solve classroom challenges. More in-depth professional development opportunities to improve their teaching methods. Equal access to ongoing professional support.

Those are a few findings of Chalkboard’s latest research project: a review of how well Oregon is providing ongoing, quality professional support to K-12 teachers. The bottom line: there’s a lot of room for improvement.

Read the news release announcing results of the professional development study

Read the study’s top ten recommendations

New advisory council begins working with Chalkboard

One of Chalkboard’s hallmarks is public outreach. In addition to regularly communicating with individual educators and organizations that represent them, Chalkboard has formed an advisory council made up of Oregon superintendents, school board members, teachers, higher education leaders and business leaders. This new group held its first meeting in early January to hear more, and provide feedback on, a host of Chalkboard activities, as well as to offer their perspectives on key education policy issues affecting Oregon schools.

Learn who’s on the Chalkboard advisory council

Workshop planned to improve parent-school communication

Chalkboard will sponsor a training session to help parents better connect with schools on Saturday, February 23, from 9 a.m. to noon at Clarendon-Portsmouth School, 5103 N. Willis Blvd. in Portland. The training is free and will be conducted in Spanish and English. Breakfast and childcare will be provided.

The event will focus on helping parents use Chalkboard’s popular “Running Start” materials, which include all kinds of practical information and tips to help parents support their children’s success in school and communicate effectively with teachers and other school staff.

For more information or to sign up, please e-mail Kristin Bryant

WANTED: Coach for Chalkboard’s CLASS Project

Chalkboard is recruiting for a coach to provide professional support to three school districts that are engaged in a pilot project to build new career options, support structures and pay options for teachers. The project is known as the Creative Leadership and Student Success, or CLASS, project. In addition to helping each CLASS district implement its project, the coach will serve as a liaison between each district and the Chalkboard staff.

Learn more about the job

Chalkboard co-sponsors workshop on school resource allocation to increase student achievement

About 250 Oregon superintendents and school administrators will gather in Salishan January 31-February 2 for an annual leadership conference, and Chalkboard is co-sponsoring a one-day session at the conference devoted to reallocating school resources to boost student achievement, with an emphasis on high school reform. Keynote speaker is Dr. Karen Hawley Miles, a nationally known school reform expert affiliated with Harvard University.

For more information, visit the Confederation of Oregon School Administrators Web site.

Visit our In The News section to read news articles about
Chalkboard initiatives from around the state.