PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS
AND SCHOOL LEADERS

The Board of Education encourages all teaching staff members to pursue a program of continuing professional development by course work or matriculation in institutions of higher learning, participation in workshops and conferences, membership in professional organizations, and independent scholarship.  

Teaching staff members may be permitted to: visit other schools and classrooms; attend local, regional, or national conferences; and participate in committees, workshops, and panels, both within and outside this district.  Requests for participation in such professional development activities must be submitted in writing to the Superintendent or designee for approval.  In addition, the Board of Education must approve all travel expenditures with N.J.S.A. 18A:11-12 and the State of New Jersey Department of the treasury, Office of Management and Budget Circulars 08-19-OMB and 06-14-OMB (OMB Circulars) and any superseding circulars and any additional requirements set forth in N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-7 et. seq.

A teaching staff member who has been granted time off and/or approved to be reimbursed for a professional development activity shall submit to the Superintendent or designee, with a copy to the School business Administrator/Board Secretary, within ten working days a brief written report that includes the primary purpose of the travel, the key issues addressed at the event, and their relevance to improving instruction or the operations of the school district.

All active teachers, defined as staff whose positions require possession of the instructional or educational services certificates in accordance with NJAC 6A:9C-8 through 11 and 13 and all active school leaders serving on a permanent or interim basis whose positions require possession of the chief School Administrator, Principal, or supervisor endorsement in accordance with N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-12 shall comply with the professional development requirements as outlined in N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-4.1 et seq. 

To meet the professional development requirement, each teacher shall be guided by an individual Professional Development Plan (PDP), which shall include at least twenty hours per year of qualifying activities as outlined in 6A:9C-4.4.  The PDP shall be developed by each teacher’s supervisor in consultation with the teacher and shall align with the Professional Standards for Teachers in N.J.A.C. 6A:9-3.3 and the Standards for Professional Learning in N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-3.3.  The PDP shall be updated annually in accordance with N.J.A.C. 9C-4.4(c) and modified during the year as outlined in N.J.A.C. 9C-4.4(d).

District-level and school-level professional development planning and implementation shall be in accordance with the requirements of N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-4.2.  

Implementation of the professional development requirement for school leaders shall be in accordance with N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-4.3. 

The Board of Education shall comply with the monitoring and assistance requirements as outlined in N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-4.4.  

The Board shall monitor and enforce the professional development requirements for teachers and school leaders set forth in N.J.A.C. 6A:9C-4.1 et seq. and shall actively assist and support the provision of opportunities and resources, and the efforts by teachers and school leaders to meet the professional development requirements.

N.J.S.A. 18A:31-2, 18A:6-111
N.J.A.C. 6A9-3.3; 6A:13-2.1; 6A:9B-12;
	  6A:9C-3.3; 6A:9C-4.1 et seq.; 6A:9C-8 through 11 and 13

Date Adopted:	October 18, 2004
Date Revised:	February 22, 2010, August 19, 2014, February 21, 2017,
		October 17, 2017