LPS Connector
Dear Parents, Guardians, and Community Members,
I hope you were able to enjoy some additional family time during the vacation week last week.
Today I’m continuing a series of messages outlining the LPS "Culture of Continuous Improvement," an important component of how we are strengthening learning in our schools. In addition to crucial dispositions, which I’ve described in previous editions of this newsletter, there are certain practices we commit to.
The one I’ll describe today, we call ‘Collaborative Structures’.
You may have heard your child mention "PLCs," "department meetings," or "common planning time." These are all examples of what we call Collaborative Structures — regular opportunities for our teachers and school leaders to work together to plan, reflect, and improve.
Collaborative Structures are one of our key practices because, simply put, when educators work closely and purposefully together, students benefit.
Here’s what strong collaboration looks like in our schools:
A Clear Purpose: Every meeting is focused on answering three essential questions:
What do we want students to learn?
How will we know if they’ve learned it?
What will we do if they haven't learned it yet?
Using Data to Guide Decisions: Teachers examine student work, assessments, and other evidence to understand what’s working and where extra support is needed.
Shared Responsibility for Student Success: We believe that every child’s success is a shared effort. Teachers support not only the students in their own classrooms, but all students across their team.
A Culture of Trust and Accountability: Teams set clear expectations, support one another, and have honest, solution-focused conversations about how to best meet students' needs.
Action Steps that Drive Improvement: Each collaboration leads to specific actions — whether it's new lesson plans, shared teaching strategies, or intervention plans for students who need more support.
This work is guided by the ideas of educational experts who remind us that collaboration is not just nice-to-have — it’s essential to helping students succeed. When teachers have time and structures in place to learn from each other, the whole school community grows stronger.
Thank you for being partners with us in your child's learning. We are excited about the ways collaboration is helping us create schools where every student can thrive.
Sincerely,
Liam
