Nashville, TN – The Tennessee Department of Education and the University of Tennessee-Knoxville’s Center for Educational Leadership announced additional live sessions as part of the Tennessee Principal Professional Learning Series, a free professional development resource for Tennessee’s principals to address challenges presented by COVID-19 Coronavirus.
Upcoming live sessions of the Tennessee Principal Professional Learning Series will address topics relevant to school leaders at this critical time, including supporting teachers and supporting students.?
“During the spring and summer months, any principal or school leader was able to access these free sessions, thanks to our partnership with the University of Tennessee, to help prepare them for the unique challenges they are facing leading schools this year,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn.
“We are delighted to continue this partnership to continue equipping our educators, principals, and school staff with essential resources to help our kids succeed,” Schwinn stated.
As a continuation of this unique partnership, the department and the University of Tennessee’s Center for Educational Leadership, under the leadership of Dr. Jim McIntyre, will provide virtual professional learning opportunities to principals as they address the immediate challenges facing their schools during the ongoing COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic, with a focus on supporting educators and educating the whole child.
Like the spring and summer series, the upcoming fall sessions will be completely free, optional, and eligible for 2020-21 TASL-credit.?
“We were so excited and impressed with the engagement and enthusiasm around the spring and summer sessions of the Tennessee Principal Professional Learning Series,” said Dr. Jim McIntyre, Director of the Center for Educational Leadership.
“This partnership with the department has provided hundreds of school leaders and district staff with essential skills and resources to enhance student learning and success during this challenging school year. We look forward to continuing this important effort to support school principals this fall,” McIntyre stated.
Each 90-minute live session will include breakout groups where principals will be able to discuss session content, reflect on their experiences, and exchange best practices with their peers. All Tennessee principals are welcome to participate in live sessions. Exclusive sessions are also being offered to participants of the Rural Principals Network and Intensive Transformation Cohort (ITC). Further, there are two live sessions for Tennessee’s assistant principals to attend.?
Live sessions begin next week. To register and view additional information regarding session topics and schedules, principals and assistant principals should click below and complete the relevant registration forms:
- Mid-Cumberland, Upper Cumberland, and Southeast CORE
- Southwest-Memphis, Northwest, and South Central CORE?
- First TN and East TN CORE
- Assistant Principal Sessions
During the spring and summer, over 550 principals representing over 85 counties and all eight of Tennessee’s CORE Regions participated in this virtual professional development opportunity. Additionally, there were over 1,000 overall participants, including principals, assistant principals, and district staff.
Jesse Goins, Principal at Battle Academy, said, “Every year, I worry about the best way in which I can fulfill TASL requirements while learning and also juggling a schedule that is busier now more than ever. THESE sessions are the answer. They are timely and useful and fit into my schedule. I’m grateful for these and look forward to upcoming modules.”
Katie Osborne, Principal at Greenbrier High School, stated, “I have shared the COVID comeback models that were presented in Module 6 with our Assistant Principals so we could start further thinking about instruction this fall. This has been a wonderful and effective series. It’s not as overwhelming when we can learn and discuss this together.”
In the spring, sessions focused on immediate issues facing principals in light of COVID-19 Coronavirus, such as best practices in digital learning, whole child needs, and leading remotely. Summer sessions shifted focus to supporting school leaders as they prepare for the next school year and beyond through differentiation, personalization, and intervention, as well as re-establishing collaboration and school culture.
Previous and upcoming session recordings and materials from the?series will?continue to be made available on the Tennessee Department of Education’s website.?
This learning series is being funded by philanthropic support and Tennessee SCORE, and in-kind support will be provided by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, through faculty and staff in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences.
For additional information on the department’s COVID-19 Coronavirus and school reopening related resources, please visit https://www.tn.gov/education/health-and-safety/update-on-coronavirus/reopening-guidance.html. For Tennessee Department of Education media inquiries, contact Edu.MediaInquiries@tn.gov.
