NJEA honors Kittatinny HS teachers

Kittatinny - The Kittatinny Regional High School local professional development committee has been honored with an award for excellence in professional development for educators by the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA). The awards celebration in Trenton marked the end of the first five years of New Jersey’s groundbreaking professional development initiative. The committee is chaired by Deborah Haff. The team includes Betty Szymanski, Sue Kappler, Andrew VanOrden, John Gill, and Carol Stickney. In 1992, the Kittatinny Academy for Teachers (KAT) began providing in-house training in the form of after-school courses taught by veteran teachers. Every course requires participants to prepare projects that apply newly learned skills to their specific teaching assignment. To support new teachers, the committee also sponsors “masters in the making,” a three-year program facilitated by veteran staff members. Monthly study groups held by the principal and small group meetings held during teacher planning periods address the latest educational research and enhance communication among staff. The Kittatinny committee was one of five local professional development committees across the state honored by NJEA for developing and implementing best practices in professional development that are collaborative and educator-driven.