DES MOINES — The faculty of all three Perry Public Schools will journey to the Convention Center in Des Moines Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for Professional Learning Communities workshops.
The Perry teachers will be joined by the instructional staffs of numerous other districts, as more than 2,500 educational professionals gather to seek ways to improved student learning efficiency.
In past years Perry schools have had single-day in-service events, but this year opted to push altogether for a one-time effort, according to a district spokesperson. All Perry schools have been collecting data on student achievement and will focus on strengthening areas that have not been as successful as others, the spokesperson said.
For example, the high school math department might notice some students consistently struggling with fractions. The goal of the PLC meetings will be to review how fractions are taught and discuss ways to increase student success in that area.
Each department will meet as units, and some areas with single instructors — for example, French — will pair with teachers from several other schools inorder to compare notes.
Classes will resume at Perry Public Schools Monday. Students at St. Patrick Catholic School will remain in class this week, with parents of St. Pat’s students reminded they will need to make transportation arrangements because buses will not operate Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
