Staff Development Center: A valued educational hub 'for teachers, by teachers'

The Staff Development Center at the White Plains City School District has a simple but powerful mission “for teachers, by teachers” -- to provide their peers with the knowledge and skills they need to deliver impactful instruction and create an enriching learning environment for every student.

Through a wide array of workshops, courses and training sessions, the SDC provides teachers and staff opportunities to deepen their expertise, explore innovative teaching techniques and collaborate with one another.

In turn, students are the ultimate beneficiaries of the SDC, which is staffed entirely by district teachers and other educators, as they experience more engaging, thoughtful and effective instruction that broadens their horizons.

“Our purpose is to meet the needs of our teachers and staff members so we can meet the needs of our students in the most effective way that we can,” said Lauren Crowley, a co-director of the SDC who teaches social studies at White Plains High School.

On Thursday afternoon, the SDC held its first policy board meeting of the school year. The participants began discussing and selecting courses that provide teachers with opportunities to advance in their profession and meet the diverse needs of their students.

The policy board comprises 21 members, most of whom are teachers, and includes four administrators, as well as Civil Service, business/industry, parent and university representatives to cover multiple facets of education.

“We've really been diversifying our options and trying to get creative because there's so much that teachers can use in their classroom,” Ms. Crowley said. ”We've had workshops on civic participation, hip hop, and the new ceramics class.”

To help select their course offerings, the SDC sends out a needs assessment each year to find out what teachers would benefit from the most. Courses can help teachers with everything from instruction and social-emotional support to incorporating new strategies in the classroom.

“We solicit faculty members to create programming that meets those needs because there's always somebody that knows how to do something really well,” said Annie Hovis-Williams, a fifth-grade teacher at Mamaroneck Avenue School and co-director of the SDC. “So we just try to lean into those pockets of expertise.”

One notable example of the SDC’s recent efforts was a four-day program in which eight educators spent part of their summer at White Plains High School, where theater teacher Seren Cepler taught them acting techniques they could later apply in class.

The SDC also helped address the needs of non-verbal students by offering a course in American Sign Language after teachers requested it for their development.

Faculty members with expertise in certain areas also benefit in teaching their peers by gaining leadership experience as well as earning stipends in some cases and in-service credits, which helps them ascend the salary scale. One credit is granted for 15 hours of attendance.

The teachers also accumulate Continuing Teacher and Leader Education credits, which are required to maintain teaching licenses in New York State. This allows them to progress in their profession at a reduced cost compared to graduate school or external workshops.

Ms. Crowley summarized the SDC’s role succinctly.

“We're for teachers, by teachers, which is something I think we're really proud of,” she said.