Self-Improvement Month: How QCUSD is Helping Staff and Teachers in their Professional Development

From QCUSD’s Coordinator of AVID and Secondary PD

“Excellence is achieved through leadership.” The Queen Creek Unified School District does not limit its mission statement just to the students. It also applies to the teachers and staff.

The district provides professional development resources to help grow teachers' passion, content knowledge, and practice of teaching. Listed below are just some of the examples of what QCUSD has to offer for professional development:

New Teacher Induction and Orientation

All brand-new teachers (new to the profession) go through New Teacher Induction, a semester-long induction program that goes through classroom management, lesson planning, book studies, collaborative structures, and other best practices.

All teachers new to the district go through New Teacher Orientation, an introduction to the systems used at QCUSD, including classroom environment and student motivation.

National Board Certification and Gifted Endorsement

Teachers have the opportunity to participate in a three-year process to become a National Board-Certified Teacher, a very prestigious honor in the field of education. The National Board designed this honor to develop, retain, and recognize accomplished teachers and to generate ongoing improvement in schools nationwide.

We also offer teachers an opportunity to earn a Gifted Endorsement. During this two-year process, teachers put in the extra time and work to ensure that their students receive the best quality education possible. It is also a requirement for teachers whose primary responsibility is teaching gifted learners.

To learn more about the requirements for gifted education endorsements, please visit the Arizona Department of Education or our district’s Gifted Program page.

Video and Additional Resources

Elementary teachers have access to self-paced videos that help them implement our elementary school curriculum. Each month, Beyond Textbooks, the curriculum partner, shares best practices about using the curriculum platform to its best potential. All teachers also receive free resources from the AVID center, including instructional planning and best practices through AVID Open Access.

Teachers attending new teacher induction at the district office Teachers attending professional development session at CHS Teachers attending professional development at QCJH

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