Why do parents need to know about professional development for teachers?
Teachers and parents are the adults who have the most direct impact on children and how well they learn. As a parent, you need to know about the changes in your child s classroom: the new learning expectations; the plans that the school has for helping teachers continually improve their practice; and the effects of these plans on your child’s education. New state regulations provide guidelines to New Jersey teachers about the type and amount of professional development they must acquire to best help your child learn. The regulations went into effect on September 1, 2000 and require teachers and educational services personnel to earn 100 hours of professional development credit within five years. What do the new guidelines do? The guidelines, called Standards for Professional Development for NJ Teachers, serve two main purposes: 1. The Professional Development Standards explain what teachers need to know and be able to do in order to help students reach the new learning standards in New
