Blending Together, Step By Step

Learning Forward

Equity and excellence in teaching and learning.

Blending together, step by step

Principal uses professional learning to combine two school cultures into one

By Linda Martin, Tracy Shafer and Sherry Kragler

December 2009

There is no denying that combining two schools, or even opening a new school, is loaded with challenges and frustrations as well as high expectations. Principal Tracy Shafer saw a rural school consolidation as an opportunity to use professional development to create a community focused on student learning, meeting the need for high-quality schools. Wes-Del Elementary, a rural school in east-central Indiana with approximately 355 students, was built to consolidate Gaston Elementary (grades K-2) and Harrison Elementary (grades 3-5). The newly joined staff and a focus on basic elements of professional development proved to be the ingredients for success for both adult and student learners. Building blocks During a two-year transition to consolidate the schools, Shafer was responsible for organizing professional development in both schools.

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