Taking Charge of Professional Development: A Practical Model for Your School, Dec/2009

Overcome budget cuts, lack of leadership, top-down mandates, and other obstacles to professional development by using this book’s take-charge approach. Joseph H. Semadeni guides you through a systemic method to professional development that

1. Motivates teachers to continuously learn and apply best practices.
2. Makes adult learning activities as convenient as possible.
3. Eliminates the costs of expensive outside consultants and off-site meetings.
4. Rewards teachers financially for the mastery of best practices.
5. Ensures someone with expertise within the school is always available to provide additional training and support.

Learn how to combine three key elements—time, a motivational system, and teacher leadership—to generate a high-energy schoolwide improvement effort focused on

1. Using professional learning communities to foster positive interpersonal relationships among staff members.
2. Increasing academic rigor through the use of formative assessment, goal setting, and consistent student interventions.
3. Making learning more relevant to students by improving classroom curriculum and instruction.