Teachers putting collaboration to work

On June 19 during a Wahkiakum School District board meeting, the directors authorized staff to implement a proposal for an organized time for teachers to confer and collaborate.

The decision came on the heels of a meeting held June 11 when a group gathered at JA Wendt Elementary to further discuss the concept of organized teacher collaboration time. A committee led by Stephanie Leitz, current K-12 Title 1/Learning Assistance Program, English Language Learning, and Alternative Learning Experience programs instructor and incoming Wahkiakum High School principal, previously presented the idea of organized collaboration and communication to the school board on their May 24 meeting.

“The entire board was supportive and excited about the idea,” Leitz said.

Then, in effort to sort out ideas and further involve the community, educators opened up the discussion again inviting staff, families, and local residents to share their ideas and concerns.

Twenty-six Wahkiakum teachers were surveyed, and the majority preferred a weekly one hour late start schedule. One hundred percent of teachers and both building administrators were supportive of a collaboration schedule.

“We are considering meeting from 8-9 a.m. weekly," Leitz said. "The designated day has not yet been determined. Understandably, people want to know how teacher collaboration time will be spent.”

Teachers collaborating is referred to as a Professional Learning Community (PLC). Local educators plan to use this time to focus on learning, build a collaborative culture, center attention on results.

Other schools making use of collaboration time include:

Kalama ~ Weekly Late Start (1 hour)

Longview ~ Weekly Late Start (1)

Morton ~ Weekly Early Release (2.5)

Toutle ~ Bimonthly Early Release (2.5)

Mossyrock ~ Monthly Early Release (3)

Naselle ~ Monthly Early Release (2.5)

“Schools improve when teachers are given the time and support to work together to clarify essential student learning, develop common assessments for learning, analyze evidence of student learning, and use that evidence to learn from one another,” said Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker, public school educators and district consultants.

Wahkiakum School District will implement a one hour late arrival time one day a week to allow for staff collaboration.

“We understand that the late start will affect families,” said Leitz, the mother of four school-age children. “Our hope is that the benefits students receive in the quality of their education will outweigh any inconvenience.”