Mission
The mission of Professional Development is to provide quality-learning opportunities for all employees to
enhance student learning.
Belief Statements
Quality instructional practices must be based on research and supported by all adults who impact the learning
process.
- High yield interventions should be applied in all school improvement initiatives.
- Strategies appropriate to learning goals must be used.
- Job-embedded professional learning is the preferred delivery methodology. All professional learning must support the district mission/vision and should focus on student achievement.
- Professional learning must be valued as an integral part of the district’s strategic plan.
- Instructional strategies should be applied to increase academic learning time.
- Staff must demonstrate the belief that all children can learn and must communicate high expectations to students. Human Resource Development should serve as the clearinghouse for all professional learning initiatives.
- Professional learning must foster the norm of continuous improvement.
- Strong leadership is essential and should act to promote professional growth.
- Professional learning must be well coordinated and focused on learning enhancement. All professional learning should be customer-oriented and mission-driven.
- Instructional strategies should be learner-centered.
- Real-life skills should be emphasized.
- Student success in achieving learning goals must be the primary focus for staff and their related professional learning. The mission/vision of Human Resource Development should be supported and enhanced by all shareholders.
- There must be continuing support of professional learning by staff, school board members, parents and community as the advocates of continuous improvement.
- Professional learning should be viewed as an innovation in itself.
- Shareholders should become a learning community to learn about the change process and its implications for professional learning. Financial resources must be provided to support professional learning.
- Budget allocations should be appropriate to support ongoing, job-embedded professional learning.
- Time should be provided for planning and learning by staff.
- Individual, school-based, and district-wide professional learning activities should be included in a professional learning plan to meet identified needs. Evaluation should be viewed as an ongoing process involving assessment and follow-up through coaching, support systems, feedback loops, etc. and that process should drive decision-making to impact future changes.
- Desired changes in on-the-job behavior must be supported via appropriate follow-up strategies.
- Staff should analyze and self-correct performance as they seek/provide mutual observation, feedback and coaching.
- Assessment should be applied to determine the impact of professional learning on student learning.
Contact Information:
Polk County School District
Jim Miles Professional Development Center
5204 US Highway 98 South
Lakeland, Florida 33813
Phone: 647-4271
Fax: 647-4269
Staff
All phone number area codes are 863
| Name: |
Title: |
Phone: |
| Cheryl Joe |
Director, Professional Development |
647-4270 |
| Sandy Bashlor |
Professional Development Specialist |
647-4273 |
| Patti Wilkins |
Professional Development Specialist |
647-4271 |
| Karla Collins |
Senior Coordinator, Professional Development Instruction |
647-4274 |
| Karen Kemp |
Senior Coordinator, Professional Development Support and Evaluation |
647-4275 |
| Jennifer Rouse |
Senior Coordinator, Professional Development |
647-4278 |
| Kerryn Bowden |
Senior Coordinator, Professional Development |
647-4099 |
| Vivian Castelli |
Alternative Certification Specialist |
647-4280 |
| Marilyn Hunt |
Professional Development Specialist |
647-4272 |
| Joanna Johnson |
Senior Coordinator, Intervention |
647-4277 |
| Carol Nettles |
Title II Clerk Specialist |
|
| Barbara Block |
Senior Coordinator, Intervention |
647-4774 |
| Britt Gross |
Senior Coordinator, Learning Interventions |
647-4775 |
Visit our Staff Directory to contact any staff member via e-mail.
Non-Employee Professional Development Information
Welcome to the Polk County Schools Professional Development System section for non-employees!
Persons who are not employees of the Polk County Schools are eligible to participate in professional development activities offered by the district and/or individual schools. They may also receive inservice credit toward renewal of their Florida professional educator certificate based on successful participation and completion of related follow-up processes.
Each non-employee must complete an on-line process to ensure placement in the district’s non-employee database, and thereby become eligible for participation and inservice credit. Please click the link in the PDS Links box entitled “Non-Employee Inservice Database” and provide all information requested by that process. Please follow all directions as described.
After you complete this on-line process you may want to click the link in the PDS Links box entitled “Professional Development Opportunities” to view a calendar with inservice activities that are currently available. Thanks for you interest in professional development in Polk County Schools!
Please visit the Professional Development page in the Staff section of this website for more Professional Development information.
