PUBLIC School System officials and educators from Saipan, Tinian and Rota participated in a professional development session from April 3 to 6 at Koblerville Elementary School.
The training was conducted by one of the nation’s top education technology companies, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt or HMH which sent five of its experts to Saipan: Paul Carter, Amy Derethik, Kamal Fakhreddine, Suzanne Noor and Jason Luebke.
PSS principals, vice principals, select classroom teachers and key program officers from the PSS central office participated in the training.
The selected PSS teachers will conduct a similar training for their fellow classroom teachers in the PSS-wide professional development session that starts today, Monday, April 10, 2023, on Saipan. The professional development sessions for the Tinian and Rota public school teachers will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.
The training conducted last week by HMH was called “High-Quality Instructional Materials Professional Development Alignment with Implementation,” PSS Senior Director for Curriculum and Instruction Jackie A. Quitugua told Variety.
“It is for our instructional leaders — from the central office, school leaders and select classroom teachers who are to train their peers,” she added.
Quitugua said, like the other school districts in the nation, PSS is investing in high-quality, standards-aligned curricula and professional learning.
Commissioner of Education Dr. Alfred B. Ada, a member of the Council of Chief State School Officers, said the “buzzword in the nation right now is ‘highly qualified instructional materials,’ and they will be part of the transformation of our curriculum.”
Amy Derethik, HMH’s vice president of international customer acquisition and success, said every school district must “invest in its people.”
“Curriculum is really important. But if you don’t invest in your people, you will never get the return on your investment,” Derethik said. “We are taking time to make sure that your school administrators are well trained, and they understand how our schools are supposed to lead. Transformation is hard.”
But PSS, she added, is “starting at a level that makes it very, very manageable. We were talking about it this [Thursday] morning. And we were talking about how the CNMI has the building blocks to really be successful. And what I am seeing is, the region is looking at you. They are watching because of your students and teachers’ performance. Everyone is talking about the work that you are doing.”
Public School System officials and educators led by Commissioner of Education Dr. Alfred B. Ada and Senior Director for Curriculum and Instruction Jackie Quitugua pose for a photo on Thursday during the final day of a four-day professional development session conducted by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt at Koblerville Elementary School.
Commissioner of Education Dr. Alfred B. Ada, right, stresses a point during a professional development session as Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Vice President of International Acquisition and Success Amy Derethik listens.
PSS principals and vice principals participate in a professional development session.
Classroom teachers participate in a professional development session.
