Empowering Professional Leaders was the theme of Monday’s Ripon Unified School District learning day created to address the question of how to best meet the needs of all Ripon students from elementary to high school, according to Superintendent Ziggy Robeson.
Robeson said the event showcased the concept that learning and leadership are the key components of a continuous cycle of improvement.
Sixth grade teacher Leslie Due remarked, “Being able to choose sessions that are related to my students is empowering.”
Samara Stevens – a fourth grade teacher had a simple evaluation at the end of the day, “Inspiring.”
Eric Dambrosio said, “The best staff development I’ve attended.”
“Effectiveness skills, team functioning skills, systems thinking skills and excellent communication skills are all needed to maintain the sense of urgency today in educating our youth,” the superintendent said. She went on to say that, “We as part of a community that is working to improve our professional skills by engaging in shared inquiry and learning with each other in our common goal to provide the skills for our student successes in the future.”
The educational improvement day was designed with an intensive and collaborative approach in mind, she added, including 16 presenters with guest speaker Mark Johnson. They provided their expertise during session on such topics of student engagement, mathematical conceptual learning, technology applications, Next Generation Science Standards, differentiation strategies just to name a few.
Robeson further explained the sessions were based on relevant, research-based information written by practitioners in the field providing Ripon Unified teachers with high quality training designed for educator by educators.
“Today was a powerful experience providing teachers across all grade levels time to engage in meaningful dialog with one another and examine our practices throughout the district,” she noted.
“Professional development opportunities are an essential part of public education and the teaching profession in order to better prepare to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Such continuous improvement exemplifies the fundamental truth that education is never ending – not just for children, but for all – adults, cultures and civilizations,” Robeson said.
Ripon teachers go to class
Event helps sharpen teaching skills

