The primary goal of the Mineola School District is to continue to improve student achievement, and while we are employing a number of educational strategies to ensure that all of our students meet or exceed state standards, it should be noted that our students are not the only ones working to better themselves; our teachers also continually strive for excellence. To that end, we have two very effective professional development programs in place.

We begin before our teachers even set foot in the classroom. The Professional Residency Program (PRP) starts when the teachers do, at New Teacher Orientation-three days of summer instruction, where teachers are introduced to the district and learn about everything from the basics, such as unit and lesson planning, to how they can create a brain-compatible classroom. The PRP requires new district educators to actively undertake professional development opportunities, such as workshops and conferences, so that they can learn from their more experienced colleagues.

The second professional development program, called the Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR), is an evaluation process for teachers, teacher assistants and other professional staff members. Its purpose is to encourage educators to look closely at what they are doing and to reflect on their practices, in order to continually improve the quality of the education our children receive. Teachers remain in the APPR throughout their careers in Mineola Schools.

These programs foster continuing professional development, helping our educators to persistently learn from their experiences. We encourage our students to persist in the quest for academic excellence, and we expect no less from our teachers. This dedication to continual development is one of the key ways in which the Mineola School District produces lifelong learners.