Director’s Message

Welcome Back! I trust everyone enjoyed their summer with time to relax and enjoy sunny and very warm South Florida, or a favorite vacation spot. Our work continued throughout the summer. The Instructional Coach Professional Development events in June and July included 185 participants. I enjoyed visiting all of the sites and was very impressed with the level of engagement in each of the sessions. Our New Teacher Academy welcomed about 600 new teachers to a week-long event. In addition, Induction Systems and a new School Liaison session were offered and attended by many. The New Teacher Orientation hosted over 900 new teachers to our district.

Many of you had the opportunity to conduct your school-site orientation. All surveys indicate that each of our professional development events was a success! Many thanks to all who planned, facilitated and attended the events! Here’s to a new year of teaching and learning. “We must view young people not as empty bottles to be filled, but as candles to be lit.” R.H. Shaffer

Linda S. Whitehead
Director, Teacher Development/HRD