This is a post that can help you to navigate the school year:
updated 4/2016
My professional path has benefitted from the consult of many.
Early in my professional career, mentor educators offered the following advice:
Advance to the top of the pay scale as quickly as possible.
Stow away considerable dollars each pay check in a 403B account--you'll never miss it, and it will benefit you later on.
Take the time to chart your professional path.
I followed that advice, and the one addition I would add is to earn credits and professional points through professional development that leads you forward with new certifications, degrees, and/or professional skill rather than taking a loose assortment of various courses. Since I started my career, I've gained more than 75 graduate credits through a wide assortment of professional courses. I wish, however, that I had earned those credits through a specific doctoral or professional degree program in hindsight as that would have given me greater professional choice.
Massachusetts' educators, in particular, have had a mighty professional path to navigate in the past few years as outlined in this post I wrote during the summer of 2013. Many Massachusetts educators are probably tying up the loose ends of this path during their summer vacations as they complete professional binders, goals, and assessments.
The key to all of this work is to plan ahead and be prepared for the requirements and professional standards. The more that educators are in the know related to this work, the better they'll be able to navigate the work and teach children well.
With that in mind, I offer a new chart for the year. You may use the chart below to navigate the months to come. Also this chart demonstrates that summer has become a time of reflection and study for many educators--to teach well means that our school days are mostly spent on activity related to students' needs, and the summer is the time when we study and prepare for the year ahead. There's no way educators could do all this work without time set aside for the preparation, research, and study required. In a sense, the summer offers a sabbatical--a time of thought that positively benefits the work we do.
I will return to this post in the months to come as I learn of new initiatives. In the meantime, you can best navigate your path by understanding the elements listed below and following a thoughtful plan as noted in the chart.
Elements for Success
Your system's identified DDMs and what that means for your work.
Massachusetts' Teacher Evaluation System Requirements (TeachFocus Reflection Site)
PARCC Timeline and Requirements - This will soon be replaced by MCAS 2.0
Role Expectations.
Curriculum Standards
System-wide Scope and Sequences related to your role.
System-wide vision, mission, and goals related to your role.
System-wide calendar, timelines
Chart Your Professional Path
*Starting July 1, 2016, in order to renew a professional license, all educators will need to accrue 15 PDPs in Sheltered English Instruction (SEI) and 15 PDPs in Special Education during each 5-year recertification cycle. The total number of PDPs required for recertification remains the same (150); however, 30 of those PDPs need to be in these specific areas.