Districts plan countywide professional development
Employees from all seven public school districts in Garland County will gather Monday morning for a joint professional development event ahead of the upcoming school year.
More than 1,600 faculty and staff members are expected for the joint session in Horner Hall at the Hot Springs Convention Center. District leaders in the county have been developing plans for countywide professional development for more than a year.
Superintendents from all seven districts have met together monthly for the past several years. The education council includes National Park College President John Hogan and incorporates other local leaders.
“The Garland County schools have a history of working together,” said Darin Beckwith, director of the Dawson Education Service Cooperative in Arkadelphia and former superintendent of the Fountain Lake School District. “They have one of the only education councils in the state consisting of superintendents, legislators, business leaders and administrators from higher education.
“They have teamed with us to have the only
countywide pre-K in the state. Coming together for professional development just seems natural to support the other initiatives they are already working on together on.”
Hot Springs Superintendent Stephanie Nehus, former associate superintendent of learning service, said other administrators in the county followed suit. The group sought to offer a common professional development opportunity with the focus of benefiting all students in Garland County.
“We decided it would be a fabulous idea to do some common professional development across the county, use our resources, tap into our superstars in each of our districts, share with each other and have an opportunity to network with each other,” Nehus said.
The discussions led to plans for an intracounty conference to be held on Oct. 16. The districts coordinated together to schedule professional development on the same day.
“That was kind of an expectation,” Nehus said. “We were going to work together, grow together, and network together. That is how Aug. 7 happened, as a byproduct of planning the mini-conference on Oct. 16.”
“All of the superintendents in the county already work very closely as partners on many different educational projects and activities,” said Lake Hamilton Superintendent Steve Anderson.
“I believe this countywide professional development training will build and expand on that collaboration, by bringing all county teachers together to work as a unified team in placing the children of Garland County as the central focus in all of the schools and of all educators in the county.”
Dawson stepped in as a leading partner for both events. The cooperative began coordinating with the convention center six months to organize Monday’s event and incorporate First Security Bank of Hot Springs as the sponsor.
“Dawson Education Cooperative has been in the business of providing professional development for 34 years, but collaboration with schools at the county level is a unique and exciting opportunity for us,” said Beth Neel, teacher center coordinator for Dawson.
Nehus said an intentional goal of the event is to convey the collaboration between the districts, including all superintendents and administrative teams. Certified staff from all seven districts is expected to attend, while each district determined on their own whether or not to include classified staff.
“What is exciting is the Arkansas Department of Education and the state are looking at us,” Nehus said. “We are leading this way of collaboration and the idea of having seven school districts in one county, but we are all working together for the kids.”
Author and professional speaker Dave Davlin was invited by Dawson for the event. Organizers felt Davlin could present a positive message pertinent to each district’s employees.
The October professional development will focus on best instructional practices across all content areas. The mini-conference will highlight the strengths and expertise of area teachers and provide opportunities for choice and sessions specific to teachers’ interests and needs.
Faculty and staff were asked to submit presentation proposals. Administrators from each district met as a group to select the presenters.
“We know we have some of the best school districts in the state in Garland County,” Nehus said. “The idea of working together and being a role model for our state is exciting for all of us. The relationships we are building, the friendships and the partnerships between the different school districts in the county are best for our kids.”
Sessions for secondary faculty and staff will be hosted by the Hot Springs School District. The Lakeside School District will host sessions for elementary levels.
“It is our hope that our Garland County professional development events are such a success that we can bring in even more, if not all, of the schools in our co-op next year,” Beckwith said. “There are some great things going on in our area schools and we need to be sharing best practices and what’s working. When we do, our students are the ultimate benefactors.”