Conversation #64 was inspired by an article published on the AASA blog this summer on meaningful district transformation, written by Ellen Martin, Assistant Superintendent of Marshfield. I loved digging into her human-centered approach to professional learning and coaching.

"One of our most effective innovations has been our Lab Teacher model. With leadership from instructional coaches, these teacher ambassadors stay a step ahead when we roll out new programs, curating resources and leading professional learning with their colleagues. They meet with leaders to plan, and then it’s teachers learning from other teachers. What started as curriculum support for teachers has expanded to include special education and multilingual learners. We now have 15-20 Lab Teachers across K-5, with plans to expand across K-12 for cross-building observations. Lab Teachers earn stipends for summer work creating resources for our 'One Stop Shop', designed so teachers can focus on instruction without constantly searching for materials.

Our learning walks have become a cornerstone of our work driving deeper student engagement. Using Dr. Amy Berry's continuum, we are moving beyond compliance to genuinely amplify student voice. Leaders and teachers look for patterns and trends, we are examining the types of tasks students are asked to tackle, and we are exploring how AI might support this analysis work. After each walk, our principals synthesize findings into 'noticings, wonderings, inspirations, and suggestions' memos, helping us identify themes building-wide and district-wide. We were supported in this work last year by Teaching and Learning Alliance, but we have internalized the process and will expand teacher involvement this year on our own. Teachers now understand where students are on the engagement continuum and can identify ways to adjust instruction to improve engagement.

We have also transformed our professional learning structure. Instead of lengthy sessions, we offer short bursts that research shows is more effective — usually held on Wednesday afternoons to allow for immediate adaptation and follow-up. We don’t have rigid yearly professional learning plans. Instead, we use a data-driven approach that combines assessment results, survey data, and focus group conversations to drive PL selection and decision making. We aim to stay responsive to real-time teacher needs and feedback so we use AI tools like Notebook LM to analyze teacher professional learning feedback, prioritize the right improvements, and share aggregated insights back with staff much faster than in the past.

Our schedule on the student side reflects our values too. We have revamped elementary scheduling to ensure students are not pulled from Tier 1 instruction. Our middle school launched a Wellness, Belonging, and Connections course to ease the transition from elementary, while our high school implemented a 30-minute flex block where students choose their learning path and teachers can provide targeted support."