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Kathy Carrollton, Program Manager for Professional Learning and School Improvement for Georgia’s Department of Education, recently spoke to University of Georgia education students about the current state of professional development for school personnel.

Carrollton listens to a UGA educational administration student discuss her goals during a three-hour visit on campus April 25. Photo by Michael Childs.

Carrollton was a guest lecturer in a course titled, Learning Communities and Professional Development, part of the master’s and specialist program in education administration and policy, taught by Sally Zepeda, a professor in the department of lifelong education, administration, and policy.

Carrollton, a former classroom teacher, was a powerful, motivating, and engaging speaker, constantly working with the students in a way that facilitated continuous interaction and participation throughout her three-hour visit.

Carrollton reviewed House Bill 1307 (Act 413), a law that provided for the temporary suspension of professional learning units (PLUs) for education certification renewal. She said that PLUs were not being required for five years (from 2010-2015) to renew teacher certifications, however, professional learning in general had not been suspended.  Adult learners in any school system were still expected to seek out job-embedded, professional learning that will improve teacher leadership practices, and, as a result, student performance.

At this point in time, the Georgia House of Representatives Study Committee on Professional Learning has just completed and distributed recommendations for professional learning with the goal of improving schools and teaching, leading to improved student learning, said Carrollton. Eleven recommendations were made to state policymakers in the areas of (1) the roles of state agencies, local school systems, RESAs, higher education institutions, and other organizations providing high quality professional learning focused on improving schools, teaching and student learning; (2) effectiveness of current professional learning renewal requirements on school improvement and student learning; and, (3) the adequacy of the current delivery system of professional learning in Georgia.

Carrollton engaged the UGA students about their understandings of various terminology often used in the world of professional learning, yet tend to be used without regard for meaning. Such terms included: job-embedded learning, collaboration, colleagues, curriculum, assessment, instruction and technology. Questions posed to the group included: How much time constitutes a significant part of teachers’ work week? What is job-embedded learning? How does it differ from traditional staff development? When will teachers engage in job-embedded learning? With whom? On what will teacher teams focus during collaborative meetings?

After engaging the students through various forms of inquiry, Carrollton asked that they contribute  additional suggestions to the eLC class website. The compiled information will be sent to Carrollton for further policymaking work with members of the Georgia Legislature.