More than any other factor, the quality of a teacher determines how well a student will learn. At Village Academies, we provide our teachers with the training, information and support they need to be effective. We create a rich intellectual life for faculty, with a professional development program that is integrated with lesson planning, diagnostic assessment and daily instruction. Faculty regularly review student work together, analyze assessment data, and share best practices.
Instructional Excellence
Excellent instructional is the heart and soul of an excellent school - and is ultimately a function of excellent teachers, working in a supportive environment and following a clear course of action.
The Village Academies professional development program provides this clear plan: professional development is aligned with daily instruction, standards, internal assessment, external assessment and curriculum. Our vision of professional development is inspired by the Japanese concept of Kounaikenshuu - the collaborative planning and continual analysis and improvement of lessons - and the management and development practices of G.E. and the Ritz Carlton.
At Village Academies, we view teachers as scholars, and they work together as a team of research-practitioners, constantly striving for excellence together, and sharing best practices. Teachers plan lessons together, review student work together, analyze assessment data, observe master teachers and peers, receive instructional coaching, and continually discuss and refine instructional strategies. Our faculty and staff enjoy working with colleagues of unmatched thoughtfulness, and a school culture designed to care for and support teachers. The intellectual energy among faculty is palpable.
Leadership Development
Our principals are instructional leaders who receive intensive training and support. Principals at Village Academies practice performance-based hiring and management. They are provided with clear objectives, management tools and operational support.
Teachers who excel have the opportunity for many professional growth opportunities at Village Academies. An extraordinary effort is made to develop our people from within, so that teachers may be promoted to mentor teacher, department chair, or principal of a new school.
If principals are to be accountable for results, they must be empowered and supported. At Village Academies, principals are empowered with hiring and firing authority, to assign faculty as needed, and hold faculty accountable for student achievement results. In addition, Village Academies principals are afforded authority to select curriculum materials and service providers. This level of ownership attracts strong leaders, unleashes passion and engenders exceptional performance.
Village Academies inverts the management structure of the typical school district, recasting the central office as a "service center" that is accountable to deliver effective, timely service to principals and teachers. We view principals as clients, and service center staff must "earn the business" of principals, by provided professional support, resources and expertise which they may utilize at their own discretion. This system allows school leaders to focus time and energy on instructional leadership rather than bureaucracy or compliance.
As we work toward actualizing our vision, we make a continual, deliberate effort to remove roadblocks, provide support, and to understand and meet the needs of our school leaders and faculty.
A Professional Work Environment
Village Academies is serious about treating teachers as scholars and professionals. The school provides teachers with office space, computers, phones, and administrative assistance from college interns.
Honoring Teachers
Traditions such as our annual teacher appreciation day reflect the esteemed place that teachers hold at Village Academies. Our culture emphasizes student respect for teachers. We ask our administrative team to provide maximum support to teachers at all times.
Boundaryless Learning
The most accomplished professionals in any field are inherently avid learners. They are, in the words of Jack Welch, "boundaryless learners." Village Academies encourages teachers to become boundaryless learners, by observing teachers within our own school as well as other high performing schools.
Lesson Study
Teachers are encouraged to practice lesson study - the meticulous design, testing, observation and analysis of one lesson over the course of several months. Through this rich collaborative practice, communities of teachers enhance their skills by thinking deeply together about teaching and learning.
Workout
The Village Academies "workout" takes weekly faculty meetings to a whole new level. Workouts are weekly sessions in which faculty identify school-wide problems and develop practical solutions to improve the school. Some of the most effective programs at Village Academies were developed by our teachers during workout.
Collaborative Weekly Planning
Teachers meet every Friday afternoon to collaborate on lesson planning, analyze student work and review assessment data. Teachers share instructional challenges as well as their most effective instructional strategies
Summer Institute
A five week in-depth summer session gives teachers an opportunity for meaningful reflection on the previous year's program, development of lesson plans for the coming year, refinement of assessments, training in key aspects of instruction and culture, and collaboration with colleagues.
Instructional Coaching
Each faculty member receives personalized instructional coaching. This coaching points out strengths and areas that need improvement.
Peer Observation and Feedback
Village Academies embraces a culture of feedback as a means to improve instruction. Teachers at Village Academies regularly observe other teachers within the school and consult with one another regarding strategies that are contributing to student achievement. A protocol guides the feedback provided to one another. Faculty members observe peers across grade levels and disciplines.
