SUPPORT INITIATIVES

Instructional Leadership

There is a commonly held belief that 90% of the work is done by 10% of the people. At NMSD we seek to break out of that rut by seeking teachers and staff to be instructional leaders. Our Instructional Leaders are integral parts of our leadership system. They help shape our teaching and learning framework, and contribute their expertise to our strategic initiatives. At the same time, they work with their teams at the building level to both implement the systems they helped create, and facilitate deep and meaningful team discussions.

Educator Effectiveness

Every child deserves an effective teacher. And every teacher, when evaluated for effectiveness, deserves an objective process that integrates evaluations into ongoing professional growth. These premises are fundamental to North Marion’s Educator Effectiveness Framework, which was created by teachers, classified personnel, a counselor, school board member, and administrators to integrate evaluations into a continuum advancing teacher practice and student learning.

PLCs

Professional Learning Communities

Professional Learning Communities were founded upon the belief that all students can learn, and that as a district it is our responsibility to assure their learning and growth. However, at its core PLCs are built on the concept that we, as a group, have the collective knowledge and skills to meet all student needs. PLCs seek to harness that power, but allowing teachers to become the experts! By using the data team process, PLCs are able to not only understand where there are gaps in a students understanding, but also use the team to find the best solution for addressing those gaps. We know that we are stronger together. NMSD PLCs seek to harness that strength!

Instructional Coaching

From The Pennsylvania Institute for Instructional Coaching

Many professions ensure that their practitioners benefit from the wise counsel and hands-on assistance of experienced colleagues — in other words, coaches. Some professions require coaching as an essential part of mastering the requisite skills...The education profession is now adopting coaching as a promising strategy for building teacher expertise, raising student achievement, and advancing school reform.