Superintendent’s Conference Day was a day off for students across the Poughkeepsie City School District.
For staff, though, it was a day filled with nearly 50 different workshops targeted as various areas of importance, facilitated by both virtual and in-person instructors from several departments within the district and outside agencies like Southern Westchester BOCES.
The day was not only an opportunity for professional development but also unity. First year Assistant Superintendent of Schools Jessica Turner decided all sessions would be held in areas of Poughkeepsie Middle School, bringing all staff members under the same roof for a Superintendent’s Conference Day for the first time in recent memory.
“As a team of educators, we get only a few moments when we are able to gather together as a professional community,” Turner said. “When developing this year’s Superintendent’s Conference Day, we wanted to create an opportunity in which educators could learn alongside each other, share best practices, and support our vertical and horizontal system alignment.”
Director of Teaching and Learning Patrice Woods noted literacy and vocabulary were two of the major points of emphasis for the Division of Instruction Tuesday, with BOCES facilitators Dr. Hope Weinberg and Adam Weinstock leading sessions. District Instructional Coach Kate McGuinness also led sessions refreshing skills teaching the Fundations phonics program (visit the Instruction in Action video series page to learn more about the program).
Other departments across the district, including Community Schools, the Office of School Engagement, the Office for Students with Exceptionalities, and College and Career Readiness, also led sessions.
Topics covered included strategies for teaching such topics as the science of reading, tips for designing curriculum, and updates on how to use organizational tools in programs like Infinite Campus. There were separate sessions for different roles across the district, including addressing the needs of English Language Learners, trauma-informed care in community schools, and development of individual Educational Plans.
Several teachers reacted positively to the training provided, with nearly 300 pieces of feedback offered through an online form. Poughkeepsie Middle School teacher Jennifer Burke wrote afterward, “the vocabulary acquisition strategies were relevant and usable for the classroom and we would be interested in perhaps some future workshops.” After attending a session on how to monitor progress, Warring Elementary AIS math teacher said she was “grateful for the opportunity to collaborate and hear what’s happening across the district,” saying she is “looking forward to the next steps with building leaders and the impact it will have on AIS processes and student outcomes.”