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Professional Learning

The Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough professional learning is designed to develop educators’ knowledge and understanding, sustain growth and lead to refinements in practice. This is a collaborative and iterative process that expands educators’ capacity to improve student learning.  The District’s professional learning culture is built on a foundation of trust, interdependence, an active role by all educators, and a shared belief that improved student learning is the goal of all professional learning.

The following are tenets of the District’s approach to professional learning:

  • Experiences are ongoing and situated within the educator’s practice, rather than “one-shot” or “one and done” sessions that may or may not connect to practice.

  • Continuous cycles of doing, reflecting/discussing, and refinement.

  • Feedback loops from colleagues, coaches, and/or supervisors to assist the educator in reflecting on practice and determining any changes that may be necessary.

  • Data practices to support the ongoing improvement of teaching and learning.

  • Access to expertise to support the development of educators' instructional practice and content knowledge.

  • Learning about content balanced with learning about pedagogy.

The individual educator, each school, and District share responsibility for sustaining professional learning by planning and implementing a coherent system that attends to the accomplishment of individual, school, and District goals. One element of the system is professional development days.

Professional Development Days Overview - 2022-2023

One element of the professional learning system is professional development days.

In the 2022-2023 academic year, educators will be engaged in five professional development days.

  • Day 1: August 29, 2022 - Professional Development Day (District Welcome, Mandatory Training, and Faculty Meetings)

  • Day 2: August 30, 2022 - Professional Development Day (Teacher Return Day) 

  • Day 3: November 8, 2022 - District Professional Development Day

  • Day 4: May 9, 2023 - Building-Based Professional Development Day

  • Day 5: Flexible PD: Converted to six hours of PD to be completed between July 1, 2022, and June 1, 2023.

The Professional Development Committee will continue to collaborate in planning these learning opportunities and to ensure that they are aligned with Vision 2026: Educate, Inspire, Challenge. The District is committed to supporting educators' professional development in ways that foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous growth. 

Professional Development Overview

Professional Development Overview