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The
kick-off for the newly-formed Joint Learning Institute was
Wednesday evening, January 14. The Joint Learning Institute
is one of three initiatives resulting from the partnership
between the Bellingham School District and Western Washington
University’s Woodring College of Education and partially
funded through a $300,000 Gates Foundation grant. The partnership
focuses on career-long professional development for teachers.
Guest speakers Lisa Macfarlane, League of Education Voters,
and Charles Hasse, WEA President, joined district and university
officials at the kick-off to launch the unique partnership
between the K-12 and university levels.
The Joint Learning Institute brings WWU faculty, District
teachers and administrative leaders, including teaching coaches,
mentors, and other staff who supervise or support new teachers,
together to develop consistent understandings about practices
for assessments and instruction that affect all phases of
teacher preparation and growth.
Following the Wednesday event, the first of three 2-day academies
was held Thursday and Friday, January 15-16. Faculty from
the New Teacher Center at the University of California, Santa
Cruz will work with the WWU/BSD team to improve teacher preparation
and professional development. A second two day academy, focused
on defining powerful teaching is being held on April 22 and
23.
See
more information about professional development programs in
the Bellingham School District (including Professional Certification,
New Teacher Induction, Mentor Program) at the following page:
www.bham.wednet.edu/departments/currdept/profdev/profdev.htm
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