Professional Development

MSD shall offer professional development sessions as needed throughout the school year to MSD staff. The leadership team will continue to consider the number of people attending, available space, and ability to distance for each professional development to determine if the session will be scheduled in-person or virtually.
 
At the beginning of the school year, classroom teachers received training on implementing state academic standards and new curricula to address learning gaps. Curriculum and instruction specialists provide ongoing support throughout the year on incorporating and implementing these standards and curriculum in their daily instruction.
 
All staff shall complete mandatory training in health and safety guidelines and protocols, identifying symptoms of COVID-19, hand-washing techniques, and ways to support students, and other topics that support the safe operations of the school.
 
MSD maintains an internal group in Schoology for teachers and related services staff, which contains a library of resources for supporting students and their families that are continually updated. MSD will also provide additional training on the effective use of educational technology and anti-racist and anti-bias education.
 
MSD’s COVID-19 webpage lists various instructional resources available for teachers, students, and families. Teachers and other service providers are encouraged to use these resources, as appropriate, to enrich or supplement lessons that are being taught (or as a stand-alone instructional opportunity) to engage students and their families in a deeper understanding of the evolving information around the global health pandemic and its local, national, and international impact on health and wellness, social and emotional well-being, educational systems, and economic circumstances.