The Shipley School: Who We Are: Professional Development

Each year Shipley generously funds project proposals from all three divisions for colleagues who wish to continue their studies and enrich their learning. These applications are submitted in the spring following a two-round deadline timetable (the early bird special in March or the late bird April deadline). The Professional Development Committee reviews all proposals. The candidates are informed by written response of the committee's decision in a timely manner, usually a week after the Committee's review.

To apply, please formulate as succinctly as you can the specific nature of your project and rationale, including the timetable of the project's execution and the cost. Submit your completed application to your division representative or to Denis by the date listed below. Please fill out the specific application form for this purpose. (See January / February Professional Development Newsletter for more specific details.)

This award for faculty professional development is made in honor of Gary Gruber, former Head of School at Shipley. It is usually reserved for an individual or group of individuals whose summer proposal focuses on innovative curriculum work that honors integration or interdisciplinary pursuits. The awardee will be chosen among all the applications in rounds 1 and 2 that fall into this category and meet the criteria. A grant will be made in this award's name. A letter will inform you of this award.

The Bertha C. Arnold-Smith Award used to be known as the Trustees' Stipend for Faculty Professional Development. In 1998 the award's name was changed to commemorate Bertha C. Arnold-Smith, a former trustee and parent, who had recently died. At the time of the change of name, the trustees decided to honor this dedicated educator and fellow trustee by changing the award's name and increasing the award. As of January 2007, grant requests may now be in the $3000 to $5000 range. The Education Committee of the Shipley School Board of Trustees administers the award. A written reminder of award is sent to the faculty in December. The Education Committee recognizes a faculty member who will think expansively and creatively about programs and activities that will significantly contribute to the quality of teaching and learning at Shipley. The award is usually given to one faculty member per year. The recipient is notified by the chair of the Education Committee of the Board of Trustees and/or the Head of School.

Each year the Shipley School submits three to four faculty proposals to this outside foundation for its funding. The organization looks favorably on projects that are designed for travel, personal enrichment, and self-renewal, rather than professional development in its most restrictive sense. It is interested in supporting the type of professional development request that Shipley might find hard to justify funding from its own financial pool. Awards are generally in the $500 to $3,000 range. The Shipley Professional Development Newsletter usually announces the award and the application process in January and it is also mentioned in a Head of School's faculty memo.

Although the foundation offers no specific application form, a completed proposal includes a description, a rationale, and a budget. We strongly suggest that faculty submit proposals that are serious, creative, and personally and professionally renewing. Given Shipley's strong relationship with the Agnes & Sophie Dallas Irwin Foundation and the fund's generosity to the school in the past, please submit projects that are organized, well articulated and grammatically correct. Please have someone check your writing before submitting. All completed applications are submitted in advance to the Head of School who will then forward the proposals to the foundation with a personal cover letter.

There are many professional development opportunities that occur outside the school and directly connect with your job responsibilities. If you become aware of one of these and wish to attend, you are asked to express your interests to your division head. Most professional development funds during the academic year are handled directly through the division heads, Maggie Granados, Dorothy Maddock, or Mark Schoeffel. They will want you to describe the nature of the conference and to provide them with the reasons why you wish to attend. Please be sure to give them enough lead time so that a careful decision can be made and the Business Office can accommodate the financial request. As for all professional development initiatives, it's important for you to consider the overall conference and workshop cost including expenses for travel, lodging, and meals.

Shipley is committed to helping faculty members continue their formal education in pursuit of an advanced degree. At the present time such financial assistance is available through the Head of School on a first-come, first-served basis. In the fall, you are invited to send a letter explaining your wish for financial aid with information concerning the nature of the program, its cost, and the intended degree. Regardless of the course's overall cost, Shipley will try to help you with financial assistance of 50% of the tuition cost or $750 - $1000, whichever is the smaller amount. Therefore, your dollars will not go as far at an expensive university when compared to the tuition cost of a less costly institution. The availability of funds will be determined by the number of requests submitted. There may also be additional money available for the spring term. It is understood that those who apply for the second semester only will receive priority over those who were funded in the fall. If any money does remain, however, faculty who applied in the fall may also receive support for the spring.

In the near future, the Professional Development Committee hopes to be in charge of this process. Until such a procedure is inaugurated, please send your request to the Head of School prior to the beginning of the term. It is understood that your continuing education plans directly connect with your job responsibilities at Shipley.

This institute is for teachers K- 12 in the beginning years of their careers. Dedicated to affirming young teachers (with three to five years of teaching experience) and encouraging their continued commitment, the Joseph Klingenstein Summer Institute gathers 50 outstanding independent school teachers in mid-June for a three-week exploration of teaching styles, educational philosophies and issues, and professional development. Applications are due on or before January 15.
For information write to:
     The Joseph Klingenstein Summer Institute
     Box 125
     Teachers College
     Columbia University
     New York, NY 10027-9988

The Division of Research and Education Programs of the National Endowment for the Humanities each year offers teachers opportunities to study humanities topics in a variety of Summer Seminars and Summer Institutes. Teachers interested in participating in either a seminar or an institute should write to the project director to request information and application materials. The dates and duration of each project vary. Participants generally have their room, board, and supplies paid for by the project and receive an additional generous stipend. Full-time teachers in American K-12 schools, public or private or church affiliated are eligible. A complete listing for these offerings can be obtained directly on line on the NEH homepage.
Web address: www.neh.gov

Involvement in the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program requires a frank conversation with your Division Head and Head of School since the exchange implies the school's willingness to welcome a foreign teacher to work in its midst while you go abroad. Elementary and secondary school teachers and administrators are eligible to apply. Each year the United States Information Agency posts opportunities to qualified educators to participate in direct exchanges of positions with colleagues from other countries for six weeks, a semester, or a full academic year. The application process begins early. Applications for the 2008/2009 academic year are available in late April or early May 2007. For information call 800-726-0479.

Each season, this local organization offers a series of workshops and courses to help teachers in the county improve teaching skills. These include courses on Computer and Technology, Curriculum Development, Classroom Management, and Instructional Strategies. The cost is often quite minimal and is covered by Division Heads during the academic year and the Professional Development Committee during the summer. Course sites are either at MCIU in Norristown or various Montgomery County facilities. For more information about these offerings, see the MCIU brochure posted in each division.