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Helen, I think the reform has begun. Fullan worked with the Ministry in a consultation role during the Liberals first term in office. Within the last 5 years the TDSB has slowly tried to build this into the culture of the Board. The Program department has tried to de-centralized PD with the use of Literacy and Numeracy coaches. As you are aware change is a slow process and PLC’s are asking teachers to leave their comfort zone. However, I know of many secondary schools that have built collaborative time into their timetables (my school being one). I think it was Marzano who said that collectively teachers have all the answers to educational problems, we just do a lousy job at sharing our knowledge. I have actually met and worked with the Dufours on several occasions and consider them one of my major influences.

One of their concerns right from the get go however was that the term PLC would lose its true meaning. While there are numerous great things happening in our Board I’m also aware of schools that use the term PLC in place of what is really committee work. As school leaders we need to put structures in place, empower teachers, and then support-support-support the true concept of Professional Learning Communities. The Dufours use the term “learning by doing”.

Helen, great discussion topic! It is interesting to consider if the research indicates that by working in collaboration schools will see greater gains, then why aren’t all school boards supporting this initiative? I agree with Anthony, that change is occurring. The Durham District School Board has embraced this concept. This past school year, The Durham District School Board has provided release time for all teachers from kindergarten to grade 6 to engage in PLC’s for a half day a month. In keeping with the authenticity of what a PLC should be, each month there is a theme, however each individual school can plan their PLC to fit what is best for their school. Essentially, they are meant to be school driven with an overall theme generated by the board. Administration, Literacy and Numeracy Coach and Literacy and Numeracy Facilitator plan the monthly agenda and lead the monthly PLC’s.

The PLC’s have been used to provide professional development to our teachers, to share academic concerns of specific students, to generate strategies from colleagues to move these students forward as well as providing an opportunity for teacher moderation

Some drawbacks must also be considered. Grade 7 and 8 teachers are not funding for this model, and therefore excluding from the process. As Anthony mentioned, it is also important that those leading the PLC’s are aware of the true meaning of PLC’s and honour that structure and purpose. . It is certainly a work in progress as we navigate through the process but I know my school has seen major gains in student success over the course of the year.

I agree with Denise, everything that we do should be guided by our Moral Purpose. This issue brings up another question for me. I believe that the OPC/CPCO are looking at the issue of experience when it comes to entering the Administrative field. How long should one be a teacher before entering Administration? The “real life” scenarios are best learned when they have actually been experienced. Not all, thankfully, happen in ones tenure in the classroom, but being faced with difficult decisions and, more importantly, acting on them is extremely important. The more one has to question and evaluate decisions that have been made, both good and bad, the more one establishes confidence in the ability to follow and base decisions on ones Moral Purpose. This is especially true when we make decisions that “go against the grain” so to speak. Questioning oneself…..did I do the right thing, how could I have handled it better, what worked/what didn’t…..is invaluable when attempting to improve ones practice. No amount of experience can necessarily prepare us for everything, but it must be an integral part of what we bring to the table. Personally, I would not have felt “prepared” enough to think about Administration without many years of classroom experience. I’m not sure, however, that enough people are thinking of Administration to make it possible to require more than the 5 years experience now required.

...oops, ignore the above, posted in wrong discussion….

I think Karen has identified the most important piece when speaking about the PLC’s. PLC’s are effective if the leaders understand the true meaning and are able to structure the time accordingly. Teachers are desperate for time to discuss their students and together seek resolutions for issues in the classroom. Most teachers I know are more than willing to improve their teaching practices and colllaborate with their colleagues. I am also with the Durham District School Board and have had the oppotunity to participate in the half day a month PLC’s. I have come away with wonderful strategies to use with my struggling students as well as new knowledge on teaching practices. The most valuable part of the PLC is the collaboration with my colleagues and also a greater appreciation of their teaching practices. If teachers are given additional work to prepare for the PLC, I think it takes away from the experience and doesn’t reflect the purpose of this practice.

Helen-You raise a very interesting question. A question that if resolved through a KNOWLEDGE BASED PROCESS will support sustainability. It is a process that I could have developed and never did—it was one of biggest mistakes I ever made during my leadership experience.

Niagara

Helen, this is a great discussion topic! According to (Bolem et. al., 2005) The ultimate goal of a professional learning community (PLC) can be summed up in three words: improved student achievement. Although the term has grown to encompass a wide variety of concepts and practices, a professional learning community is always a group of people who are motivated by a vision of learning and who support one another toward that end. A PLC: • represents a collective effort to enhance student learning • promotes and sustains the learning of all professionals in the school • builds knowledge through inquiry • analyses and uses data for reflection and improvement According to the Ontario Ministry of Education PLC’s are comprised of the following six components: 1. Ensuring Learning for All Students, 2. Focus on Results, 3. Relationships, 4. Collaborative Inquiry, 5. Leadership, 6. Alignment. Of these six components, I believe that relationships are extremely important as the members of a professional learning community are involved in sharing with others, having their beliefs and practices open to questioning and inquiry, fostering cultures of challenge and focus, and encouraging feedback. These actions can only occur successfully in a community that is based on strong relationships. Coral Mitchell (2007) outlines several principles of engagement that schools need to build sustainable professional learning communities. One of the principles is deep respect. It is based on “the assumption that all people, regardless of who they are or what they do, have feelings, thoughts, beliefs, desires, ideas, and abilities” (Mitchell, 2007, p. 14). When we share our practices and understandings, we become vulnerable to the judgments of others which can place a strain on relationships. At times, this may involve conflict between differing viewpoints. With deep respect infused in a PLC, conflict can be dealt with through professional, open, and non-judgmental dialogue. This allows staff to view the process of building strong collective knowledge as a positive, necessary, and productive part of the school’s culture. Relationships can be strengthened as trust levels are nurtured in a community. Researchers have identified three types of trust: competence trust, contractual trust, and communication trust (see Fullan, 2003, p. 66 and Katz & Earl, 2007). “In successful schools, teachers form professional learning communities that focus on student work through assessment.” (Michael Fullan)

Helen, this si a fantastic question that I feel many people do not wish to answer. There are many people making lots of money speaking at conferences where they have people attend under the umbrella of PD. This includes people who advocate teh PD should be job embedded and school based. Our board collected some data a few years ago with respect to how much of what people learned in PD sessions was actually making it back to the classroom. The results were not pleasing. Presently our elementary schools are making progress in the area of PLC’s or networks amongst families of schools. There is some great learning happening and it is classroom embedded. Hopefully we at secondary will catch up soon! great question!

All this talk of PLC’s, coaching and teacher collaboration is making me envious. One of the biggest complaints our staff has before, during and after PD is that it was a big waste of time and they did not learn anything. This upcoming PD we have a guest speaker coming in to talk about assessment and I think it should be well received (I helped organize the whole PD). But, listening to some of your comments, maybe we needed to go in another direction. Our biggest hurdle will be the Board because I know our direction comes from there. I will definitely speak with my Principal just to clarify PDSB’s position on PLC’s.

Though the concept of Professional Learning Communites has been around for over 10 years, the concept has been brought back to life throughout our local schools and the province. The ministry has funded active professional learning communities through the OFIP (Ontario Focused Intervention Program) schools. These schools are given extra funding and provided with support through Ministry staff that help lead the teachers through a process called The Teaching Learning Critical Pathway. This has proven to be very effective in that it puts students achievement at the centre of the learning and it is a focused action research type project that the teachers take on. They are given the time to collaborate and share best practices around instruction of expectations directly from the Ontario Curriculum. “Creating a collaborative environment has been described as the most important factor for school improvement initiatives and the first order of business for those seeking to enhance the effectiveness of their school (Eastwood and Louis, 1992, p.215) Reading Dufour and Eaker’s book “Professional Learning Communities at Work” will give leaders the tools and motivation they require to get the ball rolling. We also need to urge our superintendents and Districts to follow and begin to support PLCs in all schools with financing and district wide foci. One particular quote from Dufour and Eaker’s book sums up the importance of PLCs: “It is clear that the effort to transform a school into a professional learning community is more likely to be sustained when teachers participate in reflective dialogue; observe and react to one another’s teaching; jointly develop curriculum and assessment practices; work together to implement new programs and strategies; share lesson plans and materials; and collectively engage in problem solving, action research, and continuous improvement practices.” Though we have come a long way and have begun the process, the tradition of teacher isolation is still common practice within schools. It is within our moral imperative in schools, as instructional leaders, to change that culture and foster meaningful collaboration. Thanks to everyone for sharing your point of view and differing practices across boards:)