Garfield Re-2 Academies and Professional Development

The three major goals of the Garfield School District No. Re-2 are to have the highest achieving students on the Western Slope of Colorado, the highest trained and the highest paid staff on the Western Slope of Colorado.

In order to accomplish these goals, the district has embarked on a journey to provide high quality and continuous professional development experiences for its staff. These experiences will consist of:

• Professional Development Academies
  During the 2003-2004 school year, Garfield Re-2 instituted
  Professional Development Academies. An academy
  is a professional development experience designed by
  the district and/or an individual building that is reflective
  of and aligned with the major initiatives of the district.
  Credits issued for completing an academy may be used
  for advancement on the salary schedule.
  
• Graduate Level Course Work
  All staff members are encouraged to further their education
  by taking graduate level course work. Graduate level
  classes taken for salary improvement must be from an
  accredited college/university and accompanied by an
  official transcript.
• Building and District Professional Development Days
  Beginning in the the 2004-2005 school year, five staff development
  days were implemented. These days emphasize
  and expand upon initiatives, programs and procedures
  that are in place at either the district or building level.
• Individualized and Customized Staff Development
  Through the new staff development center, staff at
  Garfield Re-2 will have access to individualized instruction.
  Classes will be provided both a one-on-one and in
  small groups based upon the individual, building or district
  goals.