LCPS Holds Professional Development Before Start of School Year

More than 600 Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) administrators gathered at Briar Woods High School on August 1-2 for the Administration Leadership Team (ALT) two-day professional development event. The gathering serves as the unofficial start to the coming school year for division leadership.

Loudoun County School Board Chair Ian Serotkin opened the event by recalling the small Long Island community where he grew up, with two elementary schools, a middle school and a high school. “Everybody knew everybody,” he said. Serotkin said much of the small-town caring that marked his childhood is found in LCPS. As he walked among administrators before the morning’s session began, Serotkin said he saw people who had helped his family and children. “I (saw) administration teams that bent over backward to keep my family safe when it felt like the world was crashing down on top of us. At our best, that’s who we are,” said Serotkin. “That’s who we need to be every day, a community that helps one another.”  

Serotkin ended his remarks by referencing the universal truth that should motivate every educator. “I hope when you leave for work in the morning, you’re thinking about how to help kids that day. And when you get in your car at the end of the day, you’ll be proud you did. That’s the whole job. And the beauty of it is that it’s true everywhere, whether it’s a small school district or one of the biggest in the nation.”  

Acting Superintendent Dr. Daniel Smith set forth the primary mission for every LCPS educator.  "It's about meeting our kids where they are and finding ways to make sure they are successful… and helping them to grow and to learn each and every day.” Smith said he wants staff to challenge themselves to learn and grow as well. “If each and every one of us get a little bit better, our potential is limitless.”

Administrators took part in professional-learning seminars over the two days. Seminars included topics such as Best Practices in Math to Reach All Students, Supporting Teacher Goal Setting and Supporting Beginning Teachers: The New Kids on the Block. Lunchtime roundtable discussions allowed administrators time to network, share common concerns and develop solutions. 

Incoming LCPS Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence delivered the closing remarks Wednesday afternoon. Dr. Spence thanked Dr. Smith for his leadership during the transition and spoke to attendees about the power of hope, high expectations, and what he wishes for LCPS. “It will be my intention, working with you, to find ways to ensure that learning is both meaningful and authentic and creative and joyful in our classrooms, even as we continue to show the state and the nation that we are its premier school division.”

Published August 8, 2023