L E Embracing a co-constructivist approach, professional development as envisioned in the present project refers to rigorous, relevant, and sustained strategies, techniques, and organizational supports that ensure the career development of administrators, teachers and others whose talents, competencies, expectations, motivations and actions influence the teaching and learning community. This approach to professional development differs significantly from more traditional approaches. This program, however, is based on a whole-school reform model, focusing on the entire system rather than the individual child, teacher, administrator, or classroom. With talent development as its guiding philosophy, this program articulates the notion that all students can learn to high standards when there is a supportive environment, when all stakeholders hold high expectations, and when there is clear accountability on behalf of the students, teachers, administrators, staff, parents, and the community at large. All teachers must teach.
Development is primarily a function of coherent instruction.
Instruction can hardly be coherent if culture is ignored. All children are endowed by their culture with multiple forms of intelligence. Every form of intelligence must be capitalized upon and nurtured. Motivation begets greater learning, which begets greater motivation. The quality of the school is closely equal to the quality of its resources raised to the power of its teachers dedication.