Educator professional growth

Purpose

The educator professional growth workgroup will review policy and program options for high quality professional growth throughout an educator’s career. Workgroup members will develop recommendations on the following:

• Engagement and retention of in-service educators allowing relevant pathways for career long growth
• Residency, professional, career standards-based benchmarks
• Structured options for career-long growth and educator leadership: additional endorsements, specialty endorsements, other certificate roles
• Technical changes in policy resulting from optional second tier licensure

Professional growth systems will be reviewed for equity and access. PESB’s newly adopted vision statement, “Washington’s educators are reflective individuals who intentionally respond to the unique needs of every student and empower them to be engaged community members,” will guide the workgroup.

Background

PESB has moved from state to national standards for residency level educator certificates. These residency level standards include the inTASC standards for teachers, and the NELP standards for principals. At the same time, second tier licensure became optional. These changes bring increased focus to the importance of opportunities for high quality professional growth across the career continuum.

High quality career long growth is an approach to refreshing educators’ knowledge and skills in focus areas they may not have had access to pre-service, such as culturally responsive pedagogy, and SEL. Career long growth and opportunities for leadership can also contribute towards educator retention.

Meeting information and materials

Outcome

Work group recommendations will be presented to the board in Summer 2021.