Kevin McGowan 2/22/17

Statement and Artifact Staffing/Hiring

I believe one of the pillars of establishing a strong school building and district is hiring

motivated and capable staff. Being able to recruit, hire, and retain quality faculty members begins

with establish an attractive culture for educators. Often times in schools it seems that stakeholders

forget what type of workplace environment attracts top level talent. The hiring process itself should

be a thoughtful team effort that seeks to address specific areas of need. School and district leaders

should seek to identify areas of need annually, while continuing to provide relevant professional

development. If a positive school culture is firmly established new leadership opportunities should

be given to capable faculty members.

The agenda is a great example of leadership linked to Standard 6: Professional Capacity of

School Personnel. On the agenda is a promotion for a teacher run technology workshop by one of

the Social Studies teachers, a presentation on UDL (Universally Designed Learning), MCAS result

updated, and instructions for providing feedback on the last Professional Development Day. The

agenda can be linked to the following components of Standard 6:

- C) Develop teachers and staff members professional knowledge, skills, and practice

through differentiated opportunities for learning and growth, guided by understanding

of professional and adult learning and development

- D) Foster continuous improvement of individual and collective instructional capacity

to achieve outcomes envisioned for each student

- G) Develop the capacity, opportunities, and support for teacher leadership and

leadership from other members of the school community.

In an October 2016 issue of Student Affairs Today an article was published titled Provide Effective

Professional Development Programming On a Tight Budget. The author, Claudine McCarthy

highlights seven key strategies. When considering The Faculty Meeting agenda and how Cohasset

High School has created Professional Development opportunities in the past year, there were

several connections to her strategies, most notably:

- Remain flexible and focused

- Use free resources when possible

- Leverage your institutions own expertise

I agree with Ms. McCarthy. If a positive school culture is established, and quality faculty is hired,

schools often have the resources they need for practical and effective professional development

within their own walls.

 High School
Faculty Meeting Agenda
Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Sunshine Fund (Eileen)

NHS Survey (Eileen)
PSAT (Kevin/Cate)
MCAS
Teachers & Technology (Mike)
PD Follow-up: share, email, leave a note
UDL
Spirit Week/Homecoming
 References

National Policy Board for Educational Administration (2015). Professional Standards for

Educational Leaders 2015. Reston, VA: Author.

McCarthy, C. (2016), Provide effective professional development programming on a tight

budget. Student Affairs Today, 19: 15. doi:10.1002/say.30263