August 10, 2021 For Immediate Release
Six hundred newly hired educators are being welcomed to City Schools in a week-long New Teacher Summer Institute, being held virtually and in-person August 9-13, 2021.
Through informative and timely plenaries, presentations, and participatory sessions, the orientation will help teachers form collaborative and ongoing professional learning communities. They are developing awareness of City School students, priorities, curriculum, and resources — and themselves as teachers and learners — so they can successfully begin their teaching journey.
The theme for the multi-day event is “We are Baltimore! We are City Schools! We are Educators!” Opening sessions focus on the importance of getting to know students as whole people, the importance of understanding where they’re coming from, and giving them the chance to show who they are before making assumptions about them. New educators are learning about Baltimore City history and culture, the district’s Blueprint for Success, and racial consciousness and race equity commitment.
Over the first four days of the Institute, veteran City Schools educators are leading more than 50 individual content sessions on instructional frameworks, practice, and curriculum. New teachers are being introduced to professional development opportunities, available resources and supports, tips for well-being, and personal maintenance in more than 30 Choice Sessions and Virtual Cafes.
On Friday, new teachers will meet at their schools for meetings and networking with their fellow educators and school leaders.
The New Teacher Summer Institute is coordinated by the City Schools Office of Talent and Organizational Development. In addition to the dozens of educators leading sessions, speakers include City Schools CEO Dr. Sonja Santelises, Baltimore Teachers Union President Diamonte Brown, and City Schools Board of Commissioners chair Johnette Richardson.