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The Bellingham School District will develop professional development procedures which provide staff with ongoing professional development opportunities in support of district, school, and individual improvement plans. Effective professional development enables individuals, groups, and the organization to improve instructional capabilities in ways that increase student performance and success. We believe professional development should:

•      focus on teachers as central to student learning, yet include all members of the school instructional community;

•      focus on individual, collegial, and organizational improvement;

•      respect and nurture the intellectual and leadership capacity of teachers, principals, and others in the school community;

•      reflect the best available research and practice in teaching, learning, and leadership;

•      enable teachers to develop further expertise in subject content, teaching strategies, instructional practices, use of technologies, and other essential elements for teaching to high standards;

•      promote continuous inquiry and improvement embedded in the daily life of schools;

•      be planned collaboratively by those who will participate in and facilitate that development;

•      provide necessary time and resources and encourage the “pooling” of Individual Staff Development (ISD) resources to support a common focus at individual sites;

•      be driven by a coherent long-term plan; and

•      be evaluated ultimately on the basis of its impact on student learning and performance. The District may participate in the state In-Service Training Act of 1977.

Each holder of a professional education certificate, except those exempted by State Board of Education regulation, shall complete 150 hours of continuing education study every five years in order to maintain his/her certificate.