Developing Our Members

Whether you're a new or veteran teacher or an education staff professional, quality professional development is key to your job success. Let your union help you excel....

The alphabet soup of education mandates continues to expand – FCAT 2.0, NCLB, AYP, DA, RTI, ELL, HQT. Florida teachers and education staff professionals (ESPs) are under growing pressure to perform and exceed in and out of the classroom.

Yet, you continue to meet every benchmark set by the legislature and FLDOE while maintaining focus on your students. You know quality teachers and ESPs are important.

The Florida Education Association recognizes your dedication to lifelong learning, both personally and professionally. We have partnered with the American Federation of Teachers’ (AFT) and the National Educational Association (NEA) to offer professional development opportunities geared towards both teacher and education support professionals.

FEA wants to make it easy for all members to access the skills, strategies and research needed for you to maintain peak performance. This is a place to highlight your professional development success and spotlight your work to provide students and neighborhood schools with the highest quality academic services.

That's why FEA and your affiliate unions are committed to providing top quality professional development. Professional development, mentoring, and collaborative work environments help teachers realize their potential and imporve classroom performance. Please take a moment to check out some of the offerings below: FEA Professional Development - 2012-13 FEA Training Schedule

Whether it is Leadership Development or First Aid Training, National Board Certification or strategies to Close the Achievement Gaps, FEA PD will prepare members to meet the challenges of today's classrooms. WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK!

 
NEA Professional Development

• NEA Teacher Tool Kit ( https://www.neateachertoolkit.com/TTK/Default.aspx?id=911 )
  The NEA Teacher ToolKit is a fully integrated web-based application that empowers teachers to make curricular decisions with confidence. It also promotes student evaluation and achievement while facilitating communication with parents, colleagues, and students.
  
  
• NEA Academy  (http://www.nea.org/tools/597.htm) National Education Association is devoted to meeting the professional needs of teachers and education support professionals. NEA Academy provides the highest quality courses from the best developers. All professional development courses offered through the NEA Academy are carefully screened against a set of quality standards developed by NEA members in consultation with the National Staff Development Council. Only the best courses of the highest quality make it through the screening process. (http://sites.nea.org/academy/index.htmlx)
  
  
• ESP Resources:  A special section dedicated to providing support for education staff professionals.
  
  
• Works4Me: Works4Me is a weekly electronic newsletter presenting classroom and school-related tips from the real education experts: your colleagues! Explore the searchable archive.
  
  
• Lesson Plans: (http://www.nea.org/tools/LessonPlans.html) You can making learning a lot more fun and exciting with these great ideas for captivating lesson plans.
  
  
• Walden/NEA Excellence in Public School Education + Full-Tuition Scholarship Master’s Degree Program (http://www.neaacademy.org/30252.html): Walden University offers scholarships and other educational benefits to NEA members enrolling as new students in the M.S. in Education, M.S. in Early Childhood Studies, or M.S. in Instructional Design and Technology program. For full details, contact an NEA advisor at 1-800-893-0396,
  
  
• Western Governors University (WGU): This online, nonprofit university offers affordable programs (at lmost half the cost of for-profit universities). You can also obtain NCATE-accredited bachelor's and master’s degrees in mathematics, science, special education, ELL/ESL, and other critical teaching disciplines. For full details, contact an NEA advisor at 1-800-893-0396.
  
  
• Leaders for Tomorrow: ESP Leadership Training
  
  
• NEA ESP Conference

AFT Professional Development

• Tools for Teachers  (http://www.aft.org/tools4teachers/index.htm ):  AFT site for teachers with tips on classroom management and webinars to help improve instructional strategies.
  
  
• ESP Resources:  A special section dedicated to providing support for education staff professionals.
  
  
• Share My Lesson: AFT has created this new digital platform for teachers and ESPs to collaborate and share teaching and learning resources and innovative ideas.
  
  
• Colorin Colorado:  A bilingual site for families and educators of English language learners.
  
  
• AFT Teacher Quality Professional Development: Educational Research and Dissemination (ER&D) Program—a union-sponsored, research-based professional development program created by the AFT through collaboration between practitioners and researchers to encourage classroom educators to improve their practice and their students' achievement by becoming users of research.
  
  
• Quest: AFT Professional Development conference.

More Professional Development Resources:

• FEA Classroom Resources
  
• FEA Grants and Funding Resources

• American Association of Classified School Employees

• Khan Academy

• Annenberg Learner
• PBS Teacherline
• Education Week Online
• Education Week Spotlight
• Education Week Professional Development Directory
• PD 360 on Demand
  
  

ESP Resources

• NEA ESP Virtual Library (must register to login)
• NEA resources for Education Support Professionals
• AFT Workplace Health and Safety
• AFT Building Minds, Minding Buildings initiative

FEA Leadership Training

 (If you are interested in these trainings, contact your local union)

• New Officer Intensive Training
• FEA ESP Conference
• Women’s Leadership Conference
• Minority Leadership Conference 
• Communications Skills Training
• Legislative Lobbying Training
• Membership Development & Internal Organizing Conference
• Collective Bargaining Conference
• Grandfathered Salary Schedule Summit