Category Archives: Professional Development

Making Connections 2022 — It’s a Wrap!

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Making Connections 2022

To all who participated in Making Connections this year: Thank you! As Superintendent Haas highlighted in his November 11 Weekly Check-in, we had a successful day of learning together at both Albemarle and Monticello high schools. Special thanks to all of our wonderful and talented staff who volunteered their time and efforts to present and share throughout the day. Without you, Making Connections 2022 would not have been possible! Please continue reading to watch a video of our day together, access materials from Making Connections presentations, and provide your feedback about the event. Continue reading →

Empowering Our Multilingual Learners in All Classrooms

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The ESOL Office is pleased to offer an ongoing series of professional development sessions to teachers who are looking to improve equitable opportunities for emergent multilinguals in their classrooms. These sessions, offered via Zoom with an in-person option, are now available for registration in the PLMS: Empowering Our Multilingual Learners in All Classrooms. Participants are encouraged to sign up and attend as many or as few of the sessions as they are able!

Sessions will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. on the following Thursdays: Continue reading →

Interested in Improving Your Spanish? Join Our Spanish for Educators Group!

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Would you like to better communicate with your Spanish speaking students or families? Have you taken Spanish in the past but struggle to remember it now? If so, join us at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays beginning November 8 for Español para Educadores: Conversación y Camina! We’ll get our steps in and practice our speaking and listening in Spanish. We will plan to meet in Pen Park at Picnic Shelter 1, and you can attend as frequently or infrequently as you’d like. Continue reading →

Next Info Session for JMU’s Educational Leadership Programs Will Be Held Nov. 2

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Wednesday, November 2, 2022 | 5 p.m. | Zoom

James Madison University (JMU) is pleased to host an informational meeting for its Educational Leadership programs, including master’s and certificate options, on Wednesday, November 2, at 5 p.m. via Zoom. JMU is planning to start a new cohort in January 2023 for Albemarle County Public Schools and surrounding school divisions. Classes will be held locally, one night per week. Continue reading →

Mental Health First Aid Training Opportunity on Nov. 2

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Interested in supporting students who are experiencing mental health challenges? Consider signing up for Albemarle County Public Schools’ Mental Health First Aid training, open to all staff. Right now, there are 17 seats still available in our next course coming up on Wednesday, November 2. You can register online through the Professional Learning Management System (PLMS). To learn more about this training, please see our September 27 Compass post.

Making Connections Website Is Live & Registration Is Open!

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Making Connections 2022

On Monday, November 7, we will host our annual Making Connections professional learning conference. Sessions for teachers, school counselors, safety coaches, mental health coaches, and administrators will be held at Monticello High School. Coffee will be available in the cafeteria beginning at 8 a.m. and lunch will be provided. The first session will start at 8:30 a.m., and the final session will end at 3:30 p.m. Sessions for teaching assistants, office associates, and other support staff will be held at Albemarle High School. (This is a change!) Breakfast will be provided in the cafeteria at 8 a.m., and sessions will run from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. (Note: Full-time staff should check with their supervisor regarding plans for the remainder of the day.) Continue reading →

Interested in Becoming a Teacher for ACPS or Earning a New Endorsement? Complete Our Interest Form by Oct. 30 & Join Our Cohort!

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The Department of Human Resources is seeking teachers who are interested in new endorsements and staff who are interested in becoming teachers. We are preparing to launch two pilot programs, one focused on endorsement in Special Education or English as a Second Language, and another focused on teacher prep. Our programs will include access to high-quality instruction, paid coursework, and highly sought-after employment opportunities. We will also provide short- and long-term support to ensure successful transition into available positions. We invite all interested staff to complete our Teacher Preparation Cohort Interest Form by Sunday, October 30. Continue reading →

Upcoming Opportunities to Learn More About CRT & the Division’s Anti-Racism Work

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Are you interested in learning more about culturally responsive teaching (CRT) or our anti-racism policy, or would you like friends or family to know more about our collective efforts to end the predictive value of race on student success? This October and November, Community Engagement’s team of equity specialists is offering FREE 90-minute virtual courses through Open Doors to educate the community on CRT and the division’s anti-racism work. Upcoming course offerings include:

diversity tree

What Is Culturally Responsive Teaching?
Thursday, October 20, 2022
6 to 7:30 p.m.
Virtual Class (Zoom)

ACPS Anti-Racism Policy Orientation

Anti-Racism Orientation: Unpacking What it Means to be Anti-Racist
Wednesday, November 16, 2022
6 to 7:30 p.m.
Virtual Class (Zoom)

ACPS Anti-Racism Policy Orientation

Taking a Look in the Mirror: Examining Your Racial Identity
Wednesday, November 30, 2022
6 to 7:30 p.m.
Virtual Class (Zoom)

To register, visit opendoors.digitalsignup.com or call 434-975-9450.

Opportunity to Learn from Radford University’s IMPACT Lab

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As our new Career Learning Communities come online next year, we want to ensure that we have staff equipped with the professional knowledge to teach courses that support growing industries.

Starting this fall, ACPS is partnering with the IMPACT Lab at Radford University to provide teachers with support as they engage in IMPACT’s online, self-paced, competency-based education modules and courses in cybersecurity, geospatial intelligence, and data science. These courses are FREE for educators and open to ALL educators, not just those with background knowledge in the fields of cybersecurity, geospatial intelligence, and data science. Continue reading →