Professional Learning Communities

1. Professional Learning Communities Creating, Launching, and Sustaining Collaborative Teams Sandy Campanaro, Pamela Walter, Facilities and Transportation Laura Schanes Romstedt, Information Technology

2. Who’s In the Room? • Hello and Welcome! Please briefly introduce yourself to your table partners Name Role Department

3. Which picture best describes your knowledge and experience of Professional Learning Communities?? A B C D

4. Which picture best describes your school or department’s implementation of Professional Learning Communities?? B A D C

5. PLC Background • FCPS has been promoting and developing PLCs in schools in varying degrees for 11 years. • In FY10 a shared vision for PLCs for central offices in FCPS was established and introduced at Leadership Conference. • Dialogue initiated about what PLCs mean for departments

6. A Shift in Focus: • NO structure • Everyone doing their own thing • No consistency in training at the monthly team meetings • General assembly meeting – being creative to promote learning Before PLC PLC • Creation of Meeting Norms • Collaborative supervisor problem solve meeting • Implementing structures into meeting times

7. FCPS PLC Fundamentals applied to Transportation with the Three Big Ideas • Improving processes as our Fundamental Purpose: Our fundamental purpose and mission is to provide safe, timely, efficient, and child & program appropriate student transportation. Our goal is to develop an organization of individuals who will accept personal responsibility for the safety and well-being of all children and co-workers.

8. FCPS PLC Fundamentals applied to Transportation with the Three Big Ideas • Building a Collaborative Culture Transportation is committed to working together to achieve its overarching goals and our collective purpose is to provide safe and appropriate transportation for all students. To implement processes to ensure efficiency and consistency throughout transportation offices.

9. FCPS PLC Fundamentals applied to Transportation with the Three Big Ideas Safety Timely & Efficient A Focus on Results Program appropriate

10. Three Big IdeasContinuous Improvement Philosophy • Learning as our Fundamental Purpose • Building a Collaborative Culture • A Focus on Results

11. Information Technology3 Big Ideas • (Supporting) Learning as our Fundamental Purpose • Building a Collaborative Culture • Focusing on Results

12. Getting Started….Baby steps…. PLC Core Focus Team • Creation of common language • Modeled a PLC • Created templates • Helped each other • Adaptive Schools training

13. Framework for Implementationwithin IT • Leadership Buy-In • Started with one IT offices (IT Support Services) • Shared with and got buy-in from IT Senior Management • Provided Training (PMs and leaders within ITSS) Modeled within project teams Standard vocabulary, agenda, etc)

14. Framework for Implementation Within IT Continues… • Feedback to Senior Management Team • Support from other IT offices • Completion of Framework (3 Big Ideas) PLC in IT • Adaptive Schools training • Creating our own PLC • Goal: provide recommendations for next steps within IT • PLC interdepartmental cohort groups

15. Challenges and Lessons Learned The process… • Starts off fuzzy… (no bullets) • Requires consensus (and we’re not there yet) • Takes time • Requires leadership buy-in and support • Requires training • Requires time to maintain/sustain

16. Lessons Learned, continued You are not alone… • Support • Leadership Team • PLA • Other departments • Other PLC cohort members

17. Which picture do youconnect with now?

18. Questions? Thank you! Sandy, Pamela and Laura