Gravette teachers go back to school

Members of the Glenn Duffy Elementary School leadership team in Gravette attended four-day training in Morrilton

Pictured are the team members at work. From left to right, clockwise, Andrea Nall, first grade; Dr. Pat Hastings, District School Programs Coordinator; Stephanie Farmer, second grade; Faith Hendricks, library media specialist; Jennifer Davis, kindergarten; Zane Vanderpool, principal; and Sheri Shirley, team facilitator from Russellville School District.

Pictured are the team members at work. From left to right, clockwise, Andrea Nall, first grade; Dr. Pat Hastings, District School Programs Coordinator; Stephanie Farmer, second grade; Faith Hendricks, library media specialist; Jennifer Davis, kindergarten; Zane Vanderpool, principal; and Sheri Shirley, team facilitator from Russellville School District.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

— Members of the Glenn Duffy Elementary School leadership team in Gravette recently attended leadership training sessions at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute on Petit Jean Mountain near Morrilton.

During the four days of training, Jan. 17-20, the team learned different strategies to help build leadership capacity among staff, said Glenn Duffy principal Zane Vanderpool.

The team also learned tools and techniques that can be shared with other staff in order to create student-centered goals,develop teacher knowledge and increase student achievement, Vanderpool added. “Those attending agreed it is like the best professional development they have ever had.”

The professional development opportunities focused on five performance areas: Leading and Managing Change; Developing Deep Knowledge About Teaching and Learning; Building and Maintaining Collaborative Relationships; Building and Sustaining Accountability Systems; and Living the Vision and Mission.

The Arkansas Leadership Academy works in conjunction with the Arkansas Department of Education. Key trainersincluded facilitator Sharon Williams, school support leader Belinda Akin and capacity builders Jerry Vaughn, Blaine Alexander and Delena Gammill.

“The Team Institute seemed very beneficial to our school,” Vanderpool stated. “The new learning focused on our school mission, collaboration and high-quality teaching and learning.”

Plans are underway for the team to meet with other school leaders and staff members throughout the remainder of the school year so that new tools and strategies will be used more effectively to increase student achievement opportunities at Glenn Duffy Elementary.

Community News, Pages 10 on 02/08/2012