Teachers as Learners and Leaders is a professional development awareness and advocacy program with two levels of participation:

• Professional Development Advocates
• Professional Development Activists

Local presidents nominate members to receive training and engage in activities that expand their union’s capacity to support and deliver effective professional development.

Professional Development Advocates
Members begin in the program as advocates. Activities include the following:

• Raise awareness in their own local union about staff development responsibilities and practices.
• Become knowledgeable about Minnesota statutes and national standards for high-quality, effective professional development.
• Engage in discussion and activities related to change theory, leadership and using data to make decisions about staff development.
• Conduct a survey of staff development in their district and their local.

Advocates who wish to continue with the TALL program may then move into the activist category.

Professional Development Activists
Activists receive additional opportunities to become agents of change in their local union and their school district. They further develop skills leadership skills. Evalution of professional development programs becomes an important ingredient in their planning for change. Each year, participants dig deeper into topics such as compliance, capacity, quality, change, leadership and using data.

Training sessions for activists
Activists start each year with a winter session (five or six duplicate sessions are offered around the state from January through early March).

They continue with spring training (duplicate sessions in six to seven areas from late March into late April or early May).

Advocates and activists receive incentives, network with members from around the state and bring a new perspective to their professional lives. They have made many significant improvements in staff development practices among their colleagues.

Trainers consist of some of our state’s most respected professional development scholars and practitioners:

• Amy Egenberger
• Roanne Eliott
• Dr. Jenni Norlin-Weaver
• Walter (Skip) Olson
• Jim Roussin
• Dr. Bill Sommers
• Dr. Jennifer York Barr

Education Minnesota’s TALL staff planning and training team:

• Marcia Averbook, education issues specialist
• Garnet Franklin, education issues specialist
• Sara Gjerdrum, field manager
• Pat Reisenger, education issues specialist and Foundation director

Trainers from Education Minnesota’s field staff:

• Sandy Anderson, Mankato
• Gary Christofferson, Anoka
• Michelle Goos, Dilworth
• Mary Minnehan, Willmar
• Richard Wood, Sherburne
• Christina Clark, attorney