Eatontown and Monmouth Regional teachers become students for the day

Friday’s professional development day between teachers from the Eatontown and Monmouth Regional school districts incorporates all the hot education buzzwords: shared services, articulation, professional development. But once you get past the zeitgeist of the day, the underlying intent is old-fashioned common sense: making sure sending and receiving districts are on the same page.

“This in not Monmouth Regional dictating,” explained the high school’s superintendent, Charles Ford, “this is putting our heads together to find ways to be more cohesive.”

Eatontown’s new superintendent, Scott McCue, said, “It only makes sense—we’re sending and receiving.”

While the kids are enjoying the day off on Friday, teachers from both districts will participate in a day of professional development workshops at Monmouth Regional and presented by both paid speakers and volunteers.

Ford said the idea sprang from monthly meetings he shares with superintendents from the high school’s two sending districts—Eatontown and Tinton Falls. He explained that although Tinton Falls teachers were not on the same page as the other two districts’ teachers, they agreed to kick it off this year and hopefully have all districts on board next year.

All teachers will meet Friday morning and attend two workshops that they had signed up for prior to the day. After a lunch provided by both districts’ education associations, high school and middle school educators will remain to discuss articulation issues, while elementary teachers will return to Eatontown to focus on building-based issues.

McCue said the time spent between the middle and high school subject teachers allows them to align their practices.

It’s important that as students enter their freshmen year, they encounter familiar practices like using Power Point and Genesis.

“When kids transition, it’s smoother,” said Ford. “They’re not coming into Monmouth Regional and feeling like it’s culture shock.”

McCue said that teachers were able to register for workshops in advance through a Web site developed by the high school. Ford said it was one of his students that figured out the computer program to set up the early registration.

Outside consultants and in-house presenters will be used for the day, said McCue, with many topics up for discussion. Teachers will have the opportunity to brush up on topics as wide ranging as Understanding by Design (curriculum development), Power Point (advanced and basic), Zumu (teacher Web Site development), Autism in the Classroom, Improving Student Writing and Classroom Management.

“As kids feed in,” said Ford, “we want everyone on the same page.”