Imagine a summer where teachers don’t just take a break but also gain the freedom to learn at their own pace, blending relaxation with professional growth. This vision came to life in the Baldwin-Whitehall School District (BWSD) with its innovative “Summer Flex-PD” program. Now in its second year, this initiative is revolutionizing how educators experience professional development (PD), offering them the flexibility to balance work and personal life while engaging in targeted learning.

edWeb is always excited to share innovations in designing and delivering high-quality professional learning. We see an increasing number of school districts creating flex-PD programs for use during the school year. These programs offer educators job-embedded learning opportunities, better work/life balance, and a greater sense of engagement and ownership in their professional growth. Baldwin-Whitehall decided to put a summer spin on flex-PD, and edWeb is happy to provide a private PLC and our high-quality professional learning edWebinars to support this innovative program.

BWSD’s journey began with a clear goal: to create a PD program that responds to the needs of its teachers and all staff. In alignment with the District’s Strategic Plan, they built a comprehensive Summer Flex-PD program around four core pillars: Learner-Centered, Equity-Driven, Future-Focused, and Data-Informed. These pillars ensure every PD activity supports the district’s mission of fostering an inclusive and progressive educational environment.

The Vision Behind Summer Flex-PD

To provide flexible and effective professional development opportunities, BWSD leverages a private PLC and edWebinars on edWeb.net in conjunction with in-person professional growth experiences.

This summer, teachers and all professional employees were given the opportunity to engage in Summer Flex-PD hours through the BWSD private PLC  on edWeb.net. edWeb provides an extensive range of high-quality professional learning edWebinars, and the ability to track staff activity, assessments, reflections, and ratings, all in one convenient platform.

The program aligns with the district’s strategic pillars and offers the practical benefit of giving teachers time back for work completed over the summer—with anytime, anywhere learning. “We know educators don’t need to sit and do PD all at once, they can choose when and what to learn,” says Kara Eckert, Deputy Superintendent for Instruction and Learning, who designed the summer flex program.

An added benefit of edWeb for BWSD, located in Pennsylvania, is that edWeb is approved by the Pennsylvania DOE for Act 48. edWeb uploads teachers’ hours for Act 48 to the state, a convenience for the district and teachers for maintaining their teacher licenses.

Flexibility and Autonomy in Learning

The program’s adaptability is its cornerstone, allowing teachers and staff to select edWebinars that best meet their individual professional needs while still adhering to the district’s strategic pillars. This year, the selection process was more open-ended than the previous year, providing greater autonomy in choosing relevant edWebinars.

This initiative shows the district values its teachers and staff, trusting them to make informed decisions about their professional development. Teachers choose one edWebinar from each of the four pillar playlists and complete the quiz and PD plan to earn their hour. Completing the Summer PD Flex Hours means that an educator is excused from two half-day PD days.

Celebrating Success and Impact

The Baldwin-Whitehall PLC is thriving, with more than 300 educators viewing nearly 500 unique professional learning edWebinars. 58% of the district staff have joined the PLC to date, and 92% of the members have viewed 1,990 programs. These passionate teachers and staff members are immersing themselves in high-priority topics like trauma-informed practices, the transformative potential of ChatGPT in education, powerful instructional strategies, and the innovative integration of artificial intelligence in classrooms.

What’s more, these educators come from a wide variety of roles in the district. For example, viewers include administrators, elementary teachers, ESL/ELL teachers, media specialists, social workers, special education teachers, art teachers, science teachers, cyber teachers, and instructional coaches, to name a few.

Participants are sharing enthusiastic reflections, highlighting how these edWebinars are revolutionizing their teaching methods, deepening their grasp of culturally responsive practices, enabling effective trauma-informed approaches, and providing invaluable insights into the latest AI and digital tools. The journey of professional growth and transformation in Baldwin-Whitehall is inspiring.

Conclusion

The Flex-PD program in BWSD exemplifies a forward-thinking approach to professional development. By aligning with the district’s strategic pillars and leveraging technology, the program not only supports teachers and all staff in their professional growth but also contributes to the broader goal of enhancing educational outcomes for all students.

This successful implementation of a Summer Flex-PD Program serves as a model for other districts looking for creative, flexible, inclusive, and impactful ideas for their professional development programs for teachers and all staff.

Learn More About Creating a Flex-PD Program for Your District

edWeb.net can provide a private PLC, a wide range of high-quality edWebinars, and personal support to help your district launch a flex-PD program that meets your needs. edWeb is approved for state teacher license renewal in 42 states.

To learn more, reach out to us at [email protected].