Fort Huachuca, Arizona -- The Fort Huachuca Accommodation School District (FHASD) hosted its first Professional Learning Communities workshop Aug. 1 which encourages teachers to take a team effort in ensuring the educational goals of students.
In the past, teachers have travelled to Phoenix to attend these workshops, but this year the school district hosted a local workshop focused on assessments.
Fort Huachuca Accommodation Schools have moved away from the traditional teaching methodology where each teacher was solely responsible to ensure students learned the curriculum content and now teachers work together in teams, both in their areas of expertise and across the school curriculum.
Paul Farmer of Solution Tree, the contract group which conducted the daylong session, described how to create a learning-centered environment. The former educator has had extensive classroom experience and has embraced the PLC concept for many years as he rose through the education ranks. He has also written books about the process.
Farmer briefly described how, while being dyslexic, distracted, of normal intelligence and not the best student while younger, he was able to help turn schools around once he reached the school administrative level. Farmer was not a high academic achiever and was an auto mechanic before turning to teaching. One of his former teachers suggested he enter the education administrative profession because Farmer, being a student who struggled with learning, understood students who were just like him and could reach more students as an administrator than as a teacher.
In order to be an effective administrator, Farmer spent a few years as a classroom teacher before becoming an administrator. He then helped multiple schools increase their district ranking by incorporating the PLC concept.
"There was nothing wrong with the students' brains. That's not where the hang-up was," Farmer said. "The students' brains were functioning. The hang-up was that we had not organized ourselves and our resources together to truly affect effective student learning at the school."
He credits a supportive staff team, a "school of professionals," for the upward changes. "If you are on the campus and earn a paycheck, [custodian through top administrator,] you are part of the PLC."
Farmer shared some ways schools could make more effective use of its human resources.
One was to give school board members permission to speak with "utmost clarity" as to what was going on in their schools. Another was for superintendents to tell employees their school was to function as a PLC and make them accountable for performance while superintendents committed to helping out where they could. Another was to capture and harness the staff's collective energy in areas for student and staff benefit.
"Everything we needed [for improvement] sat in chairs, just like the ones you are sitting in today," Farmer stated. "We had pockets of excellence in these schools. We created schools of excellence instead of pockets."
The PLC is not a one-time event. It's a collaborative culture and process requiring continuous engagement and learning. It brings educators and the community together and make a positive impact on the students the schools serve. During the process, adults continue to learn and pass the learning on to students. Educators collaborate, goals are clear, students learn effectively and at high levels, and educators take collective responsibility and accountability to ensure quality learning for each child.
Bonnie Austin, FHASD superintendent of four years, said, "Our school district is keenly focused on student learning for every student based on strong academic standards, best practices and data driven decision making. We use embedded technology and emphasize teaching the 'whole' child. Our goal is to help each child reach his or her full potential.
"Students are educated to become successful, productive citizens who are critical thinkers and exhibit strong moral character. We have a reputation for excellence in academics, the fine arts and extracurricular programs.
"Under the PLC process, students are aware of how they are achieving in different subjects. We do not talk at them, but talk with them. They are aware of how they are learning and will tell teachers what they need when teachers are open to listening," Austin said.
"Each FHASD school is at different places in [implementing] PLC, but all three principals are well versed in the process," she added. "Each member of the staff is committed to continuous learning. If we expect students to learn, we must learn. We must get out of our comfort zones. There are no excuses such as having a transient student population when a child is not learning."
All 74 teachers who are part of the FHASD embrace the PLC principles and mentor newcomers to the school district and process. This year FHASD has nine new educators.
John Webb, a new instruction assistant at General Myer Elementary School, had a question about discipline and PLC. Farmer explained how one school solved their discipline problem during class changes.
"Every employee who was not teaching was required to be in the hallway one minute before the bell rang and to remain there for one minute afterward," Farmer said. Because the students did not like having adult scrutiny between classes, they moved quickly from one class to another and the school's discipline problems were greatly reduced. Farmer explained that each school, depending on grade level, could come up with a solution workable for them.
Sandy Larson, new principal at Colonel Smith Middle School, has participated in several PLC workshops and conferences during her time as an educator. "PLC is wonderful," she said. "Everyone is accountable for the students' learning. It does not just fall upon one teacher.
"I've noticed that since we began the PLC process, more teachers are willing to come out of their individual classrooms and discuss students and their progress rather than remain in isolation. All of these teachers bring their sets of expertise and work together in areas in which they are strong."
Val Quarto has been with FHASD for 31 years, three of them as principal of General Myer Elementary School. She's participated in PLC for four years and embraces its concepts. She likes the idea of teachers collaborating together and sharing best data-based practices, developing concepts that positively impact student learning.
"The students have adapted well [to PLC]. Military children are very resilient," she explained.
Dr. Nancy Nicholson, FHASD director of special education and federal programs, stated that she is "solidly behind PLC. I did my dissertation about it."
The former military linguist and analyst believes that setting clearly defined roles and boundaries creates a comfort zone in which everyone can succeed with minimal worry about what's expected and concentrate on education and learning because everyone is on the same page.
"I believe that common expectations explained to everyone clearly and in simple language benefits everyone. It clarifies roles and promotes student achievement," Nicholson said.
Jennifer Truitt-Lewis has been with FHASD for eight years and this is her second year as principal at Colonel Johnston Elementary School.
"I totally believe in the PLC concept and Johnston School is fully focused on PLC," Truitt-Lewis said. "I think the hardest thing for educators to adapt to was a shift away from teaching in isolation to an 'all hands on deck' approach, a culture of collaboration and trust among teachers, a focus on what's the most successful and best for the students.
"I was excited for Solution Tree to come and present this workshop just before the start of school to set the stage for the upcoming school year," she said.
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