PLP Pathways: Refocusing on Equity, Act 77 and Professional Development

With a new school year underway, PLP Pathways is excited to begin our fifth year of supporting Vermont's educators in the implementation of Act 77. 

This year we will be strengthening our core professional development, offering new opportunities for growth and learning, and paying particular attention to issues of equity. Additionally, we hope to continue bringing examples of the great work Vermont's educators are doing as they work to implement personal learning plans, proficiency-based learning and flexible pathways.

Webinar Series

This year we will again be offering a monthly webinar series to discuss issues related to the aforementioned pillars of personalized learning: personal learning plans, proficiency-based learning and flexible pathways. One change is that we will be utilizing Zoom for our webinar platform. Rather than live streaming our work on YouTube, each webinar will be a collaborative meeting open to viewers.

Interested parties will be able to join the conversation live, access the recorded conversation through Zoom for two weeks after the event, or visit our YouTube channel to revisit episodes related to your work. Our first webinar will be on September 26th and we'll focus on building relationships with students.

Equity

As personalized learning and Act 77 have evolved, issues of equity have come front and center. Educators, school systems and communities across Vermont are taking on these issues to ensure that all students have access and opportunity to the learning experiences that will support their growth and learning. 

Throughout the year, we will be discussing these issues, identifying resources to help educators and reflecting on how issues of equity impact us all. 

Many educators use the first few weeks of school to build relationships with students and to explore issues of identity. PLP Pathways will again try to provide you with resources developed by educators in the classroom. 

For example, check out this identity learning activity from practitioner Matthew McCormick. These resources and more can be found on our PLP Pathways website.  We will also be providing viewers with short videos throughout the year that deal with specific topics related to Act 77. 

These will be hosted on our YouTube channel in order to provide support, ideas, and innovative thinking for those seeking to improve their practice.

Professional Development

Finally, PLP Pathways will be continuing to offer professional development hours through a micro-credentialing program. Viewers who watch our program can complete a short Google Form and receive 1 hour of professional development credit and a certificate of completion. 

Additionally, PLP Pathways offers personalized consultations and support for action research in the field.

It is going to be an exciting year and we look forward to re-connecting with the hard-working and committed educators of Vermont. Have a great year!