Learning Communities & Courses

Professional Learning Communities

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) create a connected community for our 2CMs and alumni, offering the time and space to gather with like-minded people to move our individual and collective work forward.

Commit to a professional learning community by contacting the PLC leads listed below.

National Board Certification

3rd and 4th year teachers who are alumni of the TFA corps experience, and committed to teacher leadership as their long-term career path, may participate in a small pilot to build their preparation to apply for National Board Certification. Interested? Please connect with Debby Ng for more information.

If you are already pursuing or NB certified and would like to support, please let us know.

If you are qualified to apply this year, consider connecting with the HSTA National Board Certified Teachers National Board Candidate Support cohort (statewide). Each cohort includes virtual options. There is no charge for candidates who belong to HSTA or Kamehameha Schools. See the HSTA webpage for more information: https://www.hsta.org/national-board-certification/

Mid-Level School Leaders PLC

Contacts: Kaitlin Miyashiro-Carvalho, Stephanie Shipton

Announcing a new PLC from TFAHI focused on connection, collaboration, and learning for mid level leaders. If your role involves coaching and leading other adults in a school or complex area, then this is for you!

We’ll come together 5 times throughout the year to celebrate the good stuff, dig into the tough stuff, and hear from inspiring and provocative guest speakers. Come as you are and when you can. Attendance at every session is not mandatory. We’ll meet from 4:00 - 5:30pm on December 6, January 24, March 7, and April 18.

Examples of mid level leaders roles include, but are not limited to: TFAHI part time staff, coaches, curriculum coordinators, complex area staff, state office staff, department heads, grade level chairs, or roles running afterschool programs.

Interested or want to be kept in the loop? Sign up here>>

School Leadership

Contacts: Josh Heimowitz, Meilan Akaka Manfre

In SY 2020-2021, we launched an alumni school leader community of practice with the aim of creating a safe space to build connections, community, and a network of support. 1:1 mentorship also provided individualized support. We commit to continuing these offerings in SY 2021-2022.

*Note - this is a closed community of practice for TFA alumni who are currently serving as school leaders in Hawaiʻi: Principal, Vice Principal, TA-VP or comparable roles.

See more here and reach out if you’re interested in learning more.

Organizing for Education

Contacts: Josh Heimowitz, Isaiah Peacott-Ricardos, Paoa Shook

We are inviting TFA alumni and partners with proximity or interest in education policy to be a part of a continuous group experience that will allow us to dive deep with intention together. Our aim for this series is to provide an opportunity to engage in direct and impactful action around education policy. Our intent is to rally around and champion a bill to propose to the legislature that will directly impact education equity in Hawaiʻi.

Interested in joining? Email Paoa to get added to the email list for upcoming events.

PDE3 Courses Facilitated by TFA

Teach for America Hawai'i continues to strengthen its partnership with the HIDOE to offer PDE3 courses for educators to deepen their knowledge and skills that increase their impact on education equity. See below for current course offerings:

Authentic Leadership to Strengthen Student Outcomes: register now for the section launching in January! www.bit.ly/ALwinter22

Authentic Leadership to Improve Student Outcomes: Interest surveyUse this form to indicate interest in the PDE3 course. You will be contacted with registration and payment info. In order for our students to be authentic leaders of our local and global communities, our teacher leaders must also be authentic leaders. As current and emerging leaders, we will orient to our work and development and operate in ways that: Focus on the long-term: We create conditions of empowerment; we proactively seek and request development both for immediate skill and knowledge acquisition and that will challenge and activate our leadership over time. Highlight our belief that change is possible: We commit to deepening our understanding of the problem and the promise, as well as our own personal and professional convictions; We demonstrate our belief in all through our orientation to learning and holding high expectations. Strengthen collective impact: We develop and give of our talents and drive to each other and this work; we ground in instructional excellence and continually develop in essential competencies; we believe and invest in powerful partnership as an essential approach to change. This course builds an orientation to values-based leadership supporting teacher leaders to: investigate their core values, build their authentic leadership, and examine the alignment of their actions with what they aim to stand for, ultimately improving outcomes for students. We expect leaders to be grounded in a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusiveness in the way they operate. Course fee $125 Synchronous Session Dates: 1/18, 2/1, 2/15, 3/1, 3/22, 4/19, 4:30-6:30pm. Portfolios due 4/26.

Previous Offerings:

PD185462 Leadership Grounded in Aloha: Creating Learning Contexts for Deepened Connections
PD183839 Implementing AntiBias Education Critical Practices Through Technology (Online)
PD183783 Kia‘i ‘Aina Kualoloa - Hawai‘i Island; co-facilitated with Kamehameha Schools ‘Aina Engagement, Hawai‘i Island
Learning Laboratory- Innovations in Competency-Based Learning in Alignment with the Aloha+Challenge
Leadership for Change

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