Teacher institute starts Tuesday
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on August 6, 2007 1:45 PM
Educators in Wayne County Public Schools will be able to sharpen their skills this week during the second annual Curriculum and Instruction Summer Institute at Wayne Community College.
The three-day workshop begins Tuesday, with this year's theme being "Future Ready Students."
Dr. Sandra McCullen, associate superintendent for curriculum and instruction, said the focus both locally and statewide is to ready every public school student for graduation -- globally prepared for work and further education, better-equipped for life in the 21st century.
"It is our hope that the C&I Summer Institute will help staff learn and share practices for strategies to help every student become future-ready," she said.
An estimated 350 new and veteran teachers have already signed up for the more than 64 staff development workshops. The range of topics includes subject areas like science, math and reading, as well as legal issues, English as a Second Language, family engagement, classroom management and technology.
Parents are also encouraged to attend, with sessions geared for them to learn and implement strategies to help their children succeed academically. At the outset, Dr. McCullen said 60 parents have already pre-registered to attend.
State Board of Education member Kathy Taft will be keynote speaker Tuesday at 9 a.m. Beth Howard, Southeast Region Teacher of the Year, will speak during the last general session, Thursday at 12:30 p.m.
Community agencies and vendors will also have displays around the atrium of Wayne Learning Center most of the day Thursday.
The staff development opportunity will be beneficial to educators as well as their students, said Dr. Steven Taylor, superintendent of schools. The school year resumes on Monday, Aug. 27.
Interested parents and current teachers who have not pre-registered can still do so online at the system Web site, www.waynecountyschools.org, or on site at the event.