Fall 2019 Update from the Eagle Rock Professional Development Center

As we do several times throughout the year, today’s post covers what’s occurring within our Professional Development Center — Eagle Rock’s conduit to working with schools, school districts, and youth service organizations to create healthy, high-functioning learning environments with the aim of improving student engagement across the United States.

As always, the Professional Development Center (PDC) staff — including PDC Director Sarah Bertucci, Associate Director Dan Condon, and Professional Development Associate Anastacia Galloway Reed — are hosting educators here on campus, as well as traveling to schools and events nationally to facilitate school improvement through workshops and training events. They’re also focusing on our own school — Eagle Rock School — to improve its current practices. This trimester, for example, the team of PDC staffers is helping the school evolve its Presentations of Learning as a mechanism to allow students to learn about and contribute to Eagle Rock’s focus on having a national impact. (If you’re unfamiliar with POLs, please read Understanding Eagle Rock’s Presentations of Learning — then, check back here early next year for an update on how our POLs are evolving.)

In the meantime, below is an update focused on all of our current professional development engagements. If you’d like to enquire about engaging with our PDC for a project at your school or organization, please connect with us using the PDC Contact Form on our website. 

SEPTEMBER 2019

Sept. 16 – 18
John Muir High School, Pasadena, Calif.: Anastacia Galloway Reed traveled to John Muir High School to conduct asset-based observations of the school in order to help continue the mission and vision work the high school began this past winter at Eagle Rock. That project involved Anastacia researching assets as to where the school’s mission and vision are embodied as part of the organization’s culture. In addition, she provided direction for how to use these assets in deepening their work.

Sept. 20
I Have a Dream Foundation, Boulder, Colo.: Dan Condon participated in a Program team meeting at I Have a Dream Foundation of Boulder County (IHAD) — an organization focused on providing support for underserved students from kindergarten through 12th grade. Dan’s work with IHAD entails organizational development and analyzing the organizational framework.

Sept. 30
Honda Leadership Advancement Mentoring Program, Estes Park, Colo.: Dan Condon facilitated associates from Honda, who were on campus for a values-based training that connected Honda’s values with Eagle Rock’s.

OCTOBER 2019

Oct. 9 – 11
iLEAD Schools, Castaic, Calif.: Dan Condon is visiting iLEAD, a system-focused educational services organization working in international education, leadership, entrepreneurial development, arts, and design thinking. While there, he is working with two of iLEAD’s programs — Empower Generations and Innovation Studios — supporting their transition toward adopting competency-based graduation requirements.

Oct. 17
I Have a Dream Foundation, Boulder, Colo.: Dan Condon will be back in Boulder to continue his work with IHAD as the organization innovates its program model.

Oct 17 – 18
Champlain Valley Union High School, Hinesburg, Vt: Anastacia Galloway Reed will be in northwestern Vermont to facilitate work aimed at re-structuring Champlain Valley Union High School’s approach and curriculum for wellness and social emotional learning.

Oct. 18
Generation Citizen (virtual delivery): With six locations nationally, Generation Citizen works to ensure every student in the nation receives an effective action civics education, which provides them with the knowledge and skills to participate in our democracy as active citizens. Dan Condon and Eagle Rock Instructional Specialist Josán Perales will facilitate a debrief of this organization’s summer work where members piloted new initiatives conceived in February at Eagle Rock.

Oct. 22 – 25
Flagstaff Unified School District, Flagstaff, Ariz.: Anastacia Galloway Reed will travel to Arizona to continue her work on a  project of creating a cohesive kindergarten through 12th-grade place-based experiential education program within the Flagstaff Unified School District.

NOVEMBER 2019

Nov. 6 – 9
School Reform Initiative Fall Meeting, Boston, Mass.: The PDC team will fly to Boston to attend the School Reform Initiative (SRI) Fall Meeting. While there, PDC team members will attend workshops focused on educational equity and improving teaching and learning opportunities, as well as participate in collaborative learning groups formed at the conference itself. Anastacia Galloway Reed will be working with the SRI Pre-Service teaching cohort along with supporting the SRI Leadership Academy. Sarah Bertucci and Public Allies Fellow Travis Burhart will arrive early to participate in the two-day 2019 Teacher Residency Convening, whileDan Condon will facilitate a session during the conference about innovations in instructional rounds with ourclient, the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

Nov. 9 – 11
The Étude Group, Public Allies, and The New Teacher Project — Sheboygan and Milwaukee, Wis.: Dan Condon will be in Wisconsin working with several organizations throughout November. With The Étude Group, Dan will continue ongoing projects aimed at implementing restorative practices in their schools. The work with Public Allies Milwaukee surrounds alumni opportunities for matriculation into the education field. Lastly, Dan’s work with The New Teacher Project (TNTP) focused on improvement science.

Nov. 11 – 13
The Center for Excellence @ New Tech High, Napa, Calif.: Dan Condon will be in California’s Napa Valley to work with not for profit organization that provides customized professional development on Project Based learning for educators, schools, and school districts interested in transforming their practices.  Dan is working with the organization on a project aimed at improving study tours at New Tech High.

Nov. 14
I Have a Dream Foundation, Boulder, Colo.: Dan Condon returns to IHAD to continue facilitation of its internal organizational development work.

Nov. 18 – 20
The Professional Development Center will be hosting the Baltimore Lab School on campus in Eses Park as it investigates project-based arts-integrated education as a path to support non-traditional learners.

Nov. 21
Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Chicago, Ill.: Dan Condon heads to West Aurora School District 129 for instructional rounds for the Robert R. McCormick Foundation’s Democracy Schools Network — an effort aimed at helping the Foundation’s greater mission of growing more educated and engaged citizens in Chicago and throughout Illinois.

DECEMBER 2019

Dec. 3
I Have a Dream Foundation, Boulder, Colo.: Dan Condon will return to Boulder and close out his work with IHAD for 2019.

Dec. 5 – 9
Eagle Rock welcomes researcher Andrea Hyde from Western Illinois University back to campus as she continues to learn about mindfulness and democratic schools.

Dec. 17
Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Chicago, Ill.: Dan Condon heads to Chicago to facilitate planning for spring instructional rounds for the Robert R. McCormick Foundation’s Democracy Schools Network.

Dec. 18 – 20
The Étude Group, Public Allies, and The New Teacher Project (TNTP), Sheboygan and Milwaukee, Wis.: The PDC will close out its work year as Dan Condon returns to Wisconsin to work with various agencies on their organizational development.