Early Career Day
Early Career Day is on October 18, 2024. FCPS defines Early Career Educators as any educator with less than three years of prior teaching experience as an active, certified teacher in any school system or a conditionally-certified educator. FCPS Educators earn flexible professional time (FPT) at the completion of their third year serving as a certificated educator. Once earned, FPT allows educators to complete seven hours of curriculum-related professional learning at a date, time and location of their choice.
New hires in your building with less than three complete years of experience as a certificated educator should plan to attend Early Career Day on October 18, 2024.
Registration is open. See the Early Career Day webpage for more information.
FASSE Day
Support Staff FASSE Day
FASSE Day will be held on October 28, 2024 at Linganore High School.
This event is to provide FCPS Support Staff with a day of professional learning and training. Staff are able to connect with their peers and network together.
Staff voices are surveyed to ensure all needed and desired topics are being offered through various breakout sessions.
On average, more than 600 FCPS support staff attend FASSE Day.
Rosenshine Book Study
Are you interested in leading a Rosenshine’s Principles in Action book study with your staff?
A five session, one MSDE credit Book Study is ready to go for FCPS instructional staff. For each session there are reading guides, related video links, discussion questions, and reflection guides already prepared for you to use as you guide a group of staff members through a learning journey on the 10 research informed instructional practices known as “Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction.” If interested, please complete this form.
Please reach out to Anne Marie Whang at annemarie.whang@fcps.org with any questions.
Career Development: Leveling Up Learning Series
Leveling up is back for the 2024-2025 school year. In partnership with colleagues in HR, we are pleased to present September’s topic: Establishing Work Life Balance. Check out the current topic and archives at: https://www.fcps.org/hr/career-development
Each month, we tackle a topic that allows FCPS employees to gain insight, hone skills, and explore ways to grow in their careers. Each topic includes a “Quick Bite” slidedeck, and “Hire Education” podcast episode hosted by FCPS Chief of Staff, Dr. Sarah Sirgo.
The Science of Learning Corner
Madison Antus - OGES
Sandra Brower - MYES
Lisa Campbell - TPS
Leslie Carbaugh - LEWES
Tracy Entwistle - TRES
Christy Farster - OES
Evan Hull - WKMS
Rebecca Kidd - SUES
Morgan Miske - UHS
Robin Murphy - WHES
Amanda Portner - TMS
Cynthia Roy - FCCS
Donna Walford - CMES
Teaching WalkThrus
Strategic Use of Teaching WalkThrus strategies
Throughout the 2023-24 school year, the Professional Learning team has had the opportunity to share the Teaching WalkThrus resource with various audiences. We are excited to see how these strategies are being discussed and utilized across the system. As you consider using this resource, please keep the following in mind:
The Teaching WalkThrus resource is a tool to support individual or school goals, not something that needs to be "done."
WalkThru strategies should be applied strategically to address problems, needs, or concerns identified through data.
WalkThrus are one of many tools available to foster instructional equity.
Teachers should focus on mastering one or two strategies at a time before new ones are introduced.
Leverage trained staff members, such as mentors, master teachers, building-level specialists, and some administrators, to support implementation.
For further support, please reach out to a member of the Induction and Professional Learning team.
National Board Certification
Another NBCT season is underway! Over 100 initial candidates have applied for the MSDE/FCPS fee support program, along with 68 additional candidates continuing their journey or seeking their Maintenance of Certification (MOC) renewal process! ALL candidates are invited to check out our Asynchronous Support Module for some great information, tips, and reminders directly from our FCPS NBCT colleagues.
We are also excited to welcome educators into our FCPS Launch support program, with targeted support for the 1st year of candidacy.
While fees support applications are closed for the 2024-2025 season, educators interested in pursuing this year may still start the process without the financial benefit. Check out nbpts.org for more.
Induction Programming
Our team is excited to kick off another school year with so many learning opportunities for our new hires:
RISE and Thrive: Year 1 supports our year one educators in finding and achieving success in FCPS.
RISE and Apply: Year 2 assists our year two educators in developing and applying instructional strategies and understanding pedagogical approaches.
- RISE and Reflect/Networking Experience: Year 3 guides our year three educators in becoming more reflective practitioners and building skills that may assist as they advance through the career ladder and/or begin working towards National Board Certification.
New Hire Symposium
RISE and Thrive - Year 1
We currently have 130 new hires—both newcomers to teaching and those experienced but new to FCPS—enrolled in our RISE and Thrive Year One Induction Experience. We are excited to have nearly 40 Master Teachers supporting the RISE and Thrive sessions.
Participants have completed their first two classes. In August, the focus was on behavior management, utilizing the three WalkThrus strategies outlined below. Our team employed explicit modeling of these evidence-informed strategies throughout the sessions. During small group discussions, new hires had the opportunity to examine their current behavior management strengths and identify areas for growth while analyzing these strategies: Positive Relationships, Rehearse Routines, and Signal, Pause, Insist.
During September, educators could choose from the following sessions to attend for their second hour:
- Special Education: Supporting Students with IEPs, Presented by Michelle Baughman - In this session participants gained an understanding as general education teachers of the tools needed to interpret and implement Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) effectively.
Making your Google Suite Work for You, Presented by Heather Rose - Participants explored Google Suite’s different tools, and features to boost productivity, increase engagement and simplify the user experience for students and teachers alike.
Advanced Academics: Supporting Gifted and Advanced Learners; who they are and what they need, Presented by Kelli Smith - Participants learned about recognizing diverse gifted and talented (GT) or advanced students, as well as service delivery through appropriate, evidence-informed practices.
RISE and Apply - Year 2
A record number of second year hires have registered for our RISE and Apply fall book study course. We are excited to kick off our book study course on Thursday, September 26th at the LLC in Walkersville from 4:45-6:00 pm.
This course involves a book study of Teach Like A Champion 3.0 by Doug Lemov, which explains 63 simple, but powerful teaching techniques to improve teaching practice and help students become college and career ready. Additionally, for the first time, there will be an optional text geared towards non-teachers in the school setting. Why Don't Students Like School? by Daniel Willingham provides tangible strategies that all staff can utilize to understand how students' minds work and improve learning outcomes.
We would like to welcome our facilitators: Becky Bliven, Academic Support Specialist at Oakdale Elementary School, Sarah Brown, World Language Teacher at Windsor Knolls Middle School, and Erika Hufford, Special Education Teacher at North Frederick Elementary School.
RISE and Reflect - Year 3
More than 100 3rd year educators are enrolled in one or both of our RISE and Reflect support programs for 3rd year FCPS educators! Participants in our 2-credit course are starting to dig deep into the Framework for Teaching, reflect on recent instructional feedback, and set goals for growth. They will implement strategies, iterate, and reflect in two distinct cycles throughout the school year. We appreciate the partnership of our colleague, Cindy Bollino who conducted a deep dive into the framework with our participants in the September session.
Our Networking Experience participants met with Master Teachers and colleagues in August to collaborate, problem-solve and share ideas and resources. The time and connection to build a network of colleagues is so important and valued by all involved!
Master Teachers
A huge thank you to all of our Master Teachers for their dedication, planning and continued support during the New Hire Symposium and RISE and Thrive Year 1 sessions. Our new hires are incredibly lucky to have your guidance and expertise as they navigate their first year in FCPS.
New this year, Master Teachers were introduced to a planning structure to guide their planning for New Hire Symposium and RISE and Thrive. This structure includes the following priorities:
Sense of belonging
Consider cognitive load
Guided curriculum exploration
Explicit modeling and unpacking
Sample lesson plans
Thank you to our 3rd year Master Teachers for facilitating a successful first Rise and Reflect Networking Experience session! Feedback shows our 3rd year educators appreciate the connection, support, affirmation and collaboration created within each cohort!
Mentor Spotlight
Lauren Graziano and Rebekah McCord, school-based mentors at Brunswick High School, share what it means to be a mentor at their school.
What is your why? Why did you agree to serve as a school-based mentor?
Lauren: "My why is always ultimately the students. I think a prepared and confident teacher can only reflect those skill sets for others. So, when I think about why I serve as a school-based mentor, I just want to help in any way I can. I think I bring an efficient mentality to my mentees and my unique expertise is helpful to most since I've taught in multiple schools of all sizes and backgrounds."
Rebekah: When I was a new teacher, I had several mentors that guided me and encouraged me to stick with it. They planned with me, listened to me, and sometimes cried with me. I am grateful for the time they invested in me, and I hope to do the same for others.
Why is serving as a school-based mentor important to you?
Lauren: "Serving as a school-based mentor is important to me because teachers need support. Teachers need help and guidance, even the veterans, and if I can use my talent of prioritization, efficient planning, and organization to help take something off the plate of others—in this feast we call education—I will. Plus, I get to do it with another English teacher, like myself, so we often share similar views of pedagogy and mentorship."
Rebekah: I love our community at BHS! Our students deserve the best and I hope to give new teachers the support and encouragement they need to be the best for our students and find personal fulfillment in serving our community.
Brunswick High School Principal, Eric Schwarzenegger, said, “Lauren and Rebekah have been doing a great job and are excellent resources to our new teachers!” Thank you for all you do to support our new hires, Lauren and Rebekah!
Mentor Corner
Our mentors kicked off the year with the "Meet Your Mentor" session on August 8th, welcoming new hires to their buildings. This event was an excellent opportunity to forge relationships, establish positive rapport, and ease the stress that often accompanies a new hire's first week in FCPS. We are fortunate to have over 115 mentors supporting our new hires (both first and second-year) for the 2024-2025 school year!
Induction Advisors have begun scheduling their fall check-ins with each school-based mentor.
In September, more than 100 school-based and special education mentors participated in our fall mentor forums. During these forums, mentors identified common challenges faced by new hires and explored the WalkThrus Problem-Solution Tool to diagnose and prescribe specific strategies to support them. Mentors also engaged with the ADAPT structure, focusing on how it can help scaffold their coaching conversations with new hires.
