Certified Staff Professional Development

Are you ready to learn?

Pattonville School District provides high quality professional development opportunities to help staff build capacity for serving students and families best. Our mission, That All Will Learn, is true for students and staff alike. In addition to embedded professional development throughout the school year, staff members have opportunities to take part in professional development with support of their buildings and the District Professional Development Committee.

2026-2027 Upcoming Professional Development Days

August 10-13: New Teacher Orientation (New certified staff only)
August 14, 17-21: Staff Orientation/Professional Development
- August 17: Rah-Rah (AM) and Building PD (PM)
- August 18: Building PD (Full Day)
- August 19: District PD (Full Day)
October 19: Building Professional Development Day
February 12: Building Professional Development Day
April 16: District P.I.R.A.T.E. Rally Day (AM); Building PD (PM)

What are the steps for requesting professional development leave?

Note: This process for requests can take weeks! Get your requests in immediately, starting several weeks before early bird pricing due dates.

Approval Process:

Step 1: Building/Supervisor Approval

Discuss the professional development opportunity with your principal or department supervisor to get approval to proceed and discuss funding needs.

Early Childhood teachers proceed as advised by your supervisor, as your funding works a little differently.

K-12 teachers who seek funding from their building will submit a Building Funds Request form:

Login to Wisdomwhere with your Pattonville username (not email) and password
Select "My Requests"
Go to the "Create New Request" section and select Building Funds Request

If your principal/supervisor can fully fund this event, go directly to step 3.

If your principal/supervisor can partially fund this event, go to step 2.

Additionally, seek approval from your principal or supervisor before submitting proposals to present at conferences. An accepted proposal doesn't guarantee building or district funding!

Step 2: Determine funding for all associated costs

We love PD... but it costs money! You have to determine how every expense will be paid.

Building funds pay for substitute costs and may cover other costs as well.

Teachers on conference rotation can use $900 toward travel, hotel, and registration costs.

DPDC can also help with registration costs, but you must request funds from them. They review requests the 2nd Tuesday of each month and will only fund registration costs not to exceed early bird pricing. Discuss with your DPDC rep so they can speak on your behalf at the next committee meeting.

You also have the option to contribute personal funds toward this event, but must indicate that on your Wisdomwhere forms where applicable.

Step 3: District Approval

Note: All requests for district approval for leave must be submitted at least 3 weeks in advance of the event.

Once you know how it will be funded... Submit a Professional Development Request for Leave form:

Login to Wisdomwhere with your Pattonville username (not email) and password
Select "My Requests"
Go to the "Create New Request" section and select Professional Development Request for Leave form.

This request follows an approval workflow that goes first to building approvals, then back to Teaching & Learning.

After Approval...

Once everything is approved, the Teaching & Learning department administrative assistant (Jennifer Hardin) will complete all registration, travel, and accommodations on your behalf.

DO NOT REGISTER yourself or BOOK A FLIGHT! This must be done by the T&L office.

Forms & Documents

Travel Procedures and Guidelines

Reimbursement Form

Wisdomwhere website

Wisdomwhere CheatSheet

WisdomWhere Help Guide

Request Examples

Conference Rotation List

District Professional Development Policies

DLCA: Travel and Expense Reimbursements

GCL: Professional Staff Development Opportunities

Pirate Rally 2026 Information

PIRATE Rally 2025

Frequently Asked Questions

When is it my turn to take part in a conference through Pattonville's Conference Rotation?

Important Conference Rotation Information:

The district conference rotation lists shall be maintained by the Assistant Superintendent for Teaching & Learning or designee. A copy of the rotation list is to be filed each year in the Teaching & Learning Office. The district rotation lists will be reviewed annually. Teachers may obtain a copy of the district rotation list on the District Professional Development website.
If the scheduled staff member waives the right to attend, the scheduled staff member is skipped and moved to the bottom of the rotation schedule. A staff member who attends cannot be scheduled for future conference/convention attendance until all others on the rotation list have had the opportunity to participate. A staff member can only attend either a state or regional/national/international conference in a school year. Extenuating circumstances (i.e. illness, family emergency) that prevent the attendance of a scheduled staff member, will be governed by a consensus of the Teaching & Learning Office.

The district provides up to $900 that may be applied to the expenses for registration, travel, and hotel fees. If you need additional funding, you may be required to pay for additional expenses or you may ask your principal to cover additional expenses; however, the district will not cover any expenses beyond $900.
You may choose to attend multiple smaller conferences rather than one large conference as you stay within your budget of $900.
Please talk with department leaders, instructional specialists, your principals, and the Teaching and Learning Department for ideas on meaningful conferences for you to attend if you need assistance. Also see the Professional Development section below.
Because of the popularity of many national conferences, availability and lodging may be limited. Please enter your information in Wisdomwhere as early as possible to ensure your ability to attend.
Reach out to the Teaching and Learning Department if you have additional questions.

Public Conference Rotation List

What is the District Professional Development Committee (DPDC) and who takes part?

Mission Statement:

It is the mission of the Pattonville Professional Development Committee to provide a meaningful professional learning framework of high quality and lasting impact that will support educators in their commitment to increase effectiveness so that every student experiences success.

Responsibilities:

The professional development committee shall work with all teachers in identifying instructional concerns and remedies; assist beginning teachers with implementation of their professional development plan; serve as a confidential* consultant upon a teacher's request; arrange training programs for mentors; assess faculty needs; develop in-service opportunities for school staff; and present the coordinator of professional development activities with faculty suggestions, ideas and recommendations pertaining to classroom instruction within the school district.

Structure:

Pattonville's Professional Development Committee will include fifteen (15) members, broken out as follows: three (3) high school, two (2) middle school, one (1) POSITIVE School, eight (8) elementary, and the district professional development coordinator.
Committee members shall be certificated staff members with at least three (3) years of teaching experience and at least two (2) years in the Pattonville School District. Professional development committee members will be elected for three year terms. Each year approximately one-third of the committee will be new. New members shall be elected no later than April 15, with service to begin on May 1.
Committee members shall be elected by the certified staff in each building.

Who is my representative on DPDC?

What are the responsibilities of the DPDC?

RESPONSIBILITIES OF DISTRICT PDC
Approved: November 14, 2000
Revised: June 4, 2014

The PDC, working in partnership with building leaders and the local school board, utilizes standards for professional learning to guide the efforts of individuals, teams, schools and districts in setting policy, as well as organizing, providing, facilitating, managing, participating in, monitoring, and measuring professional learning to increase educator effectiveness and results for all students.

With the passage of the Outstanding Schools Act of 1993 (SB380), PDC responsibilities changed from an emphasis on meeting individual teacher needs to meeting district needs as identified in the district’s Comprehensive School Improvement Plan. Also, rather than presenting suggestions, ideas, and recommendations to the proper authority, this bill specifically directs the PDC to consult with the administrator(s) and then obtain board approval to provide professional development opportunities.

District PDC Goals:
Potential goals and strategies for the next calendar year will be examined by the committee and presented for discussion, review, and adoption. These goals and objectives will be published within the PDC handbook.

Needs Assessment:
Missouri law requires that the PDC conduct a Professional Learning Needs Assessment to determine the professional learning needs of practicing teachers. The responsibility for meeting this requirement is entrusted to PDC and the Office of Curriculum and Instruction. A Professional Learning Needs Assessment should be considered a continuous, data-driven, and ever-changing means of keeping a district responsive to student and educator needs. Needs Assessment data results are reported in the Professional Development Program Evaluation. Student data from the Curriculum and Instruction Program Evaluation are also used in the needs assessment process.

Budget:
The PDC has significant financial responsibility in Missouri schools as mandated by law. According to the Outstanding Schools Act of 1993 some of the responsibilities of PDCs regarding the expenditure of 1 percent of designated state aide received by the district include the following:

Consulting with administrators
Determining purposes for expending professional development monies
Securing school board approval for expenditures that meet district’s Comprehensive School Improvement Plan objectives
Expending at least 75 percent of the annually allotted money for professional development no later than June 30 of the current fiscal year

The budget will support the goals and objectives of the district PDC in alignment with the Comprehensive School Improvement Plan. It will be established by the committee and approved by a simple majority of a quorum of the committee. Eight voting members must be in attendance for a quorum.

Budget categories may include state and national conferences/conventions, staff development opportunities, grants for special projects, and expendables.

Distribution of PDC Funds and Expenditure Approval

Conferences/Conventions
- National: The PDC will allocate funds to send a minimum of three delegates each year to a National PDC conference or convention. Preference will be given to committee members in Cycle B who have not previously attended a convention. Delegates will provide a brief presentation of the convention at the meeting that most closely follows the convention.
- State/Local: The PDC will allocate funds to send a minimum of three delegates each year to a state or local PDC conference or convention. Preference will be given to committee members in their first year, and who have not previously attended a convention. Delegates will provide a brief presentation of the convention at the meeting that most closely follows the convention.
All expenditures will be approved by vote of the committee.
The minutes of the PDC are generally used as documentation for distribution of PDC funds.

Miscellaneous Accounting Information

For reimbursement of expenses, PDC will follow Pattonville accounting policies:
The professional development leave policies will be followed by the PDC.
Compensation for workshops approved by the district PDC will be aligned with the policies set forth by the Pattonville Curriculum Coordinating Council.
The district PDC will approve compensation for outside presenters. Negotiations are expected when engaging outside presenters.

What are the responsibilities of the DPDC members and leaders?

RESPONSIBILITIES OF DISTRICT PDC MEMBERS
Approved: November 14, 2000
Revised: June 4, 2014

Serve three-year term on district PDC.
Attend all district PDC meetings.
If a representative must miss a PDC meeting, he/she is to contact the district PDC Secretary to inform the committee of his/her absence.
Assist the committee in establishing and reaching its goals and objectives.
Actively facilitate communication with the certified staff of their building by sharing faculty ideas, suggestions and recommendations with the building PDC, the district PDC, administrators, and other district staff.
Plan and provide resources for the implementation of desired learning designs.
Support ongoing professional learning as individual, department, and building practices change over time.

LEADERSHIP
Approved: November 2000
Revised: June 4, 2014

Procedures for Election of Officers

The district PDC will elect a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, and Treasurer during the spring. These officers must have at least one year of district PDC service. Officers assume their responsibilities upon election.

Officer Responsibilities

Chairperson

Establish a meeting schedule for each year.
Develop and distribute agenda at least twenty-four hours prior to each scheduled meeting.
Lead all meetings, including the PDC retreat.
Delegate responsibilities.
Assist in the development of a proposed budget.
Assist in drafting the proposed goals and objectives for the following year.
Work with other officers in nominating eligible candidates for leadership roles.
Meet with incoming officers to facilitate a smooth transition in leadership.
Introduce PDC to new teachers during the orientation process.

Vice-Chairperson

Lead meetings in the absence of the Chairperson.
Oversee PDC handbook review, revision, and distribution.
Oversee orientation of new members.
Assist in the development of a proposed budget.
Assist in drafting the proposed goals and objectives for the following year.
Work with other officers in nominating eligible candidates for leadership roles.
Meet with incoming officers to facilitate a smooth transition in leadership.
Assist Chairperson in planning the agenda.

Secretary

Take and publish meeting minutes.
Notify/remind committee members of deadlines.
Manage and publish the three-year member rotation.
Assist in the development of a proposed budget.
Assist in drafting the proposed goals and objectives for the following year.
Work with other officers in nominating eligible candidates for leadership roles.
Meet with incoming officers to facilitate a smooth transition in leadership.
Receive communication from members who will be unable to attend a meeting.
Facilitate communication for PDC events.

Treasurer

Work with designated support staff to prepare a monthly treasurer’s report of district PDC expenditures.
Work with support staff to facilitate arrangements for conference attendance.
Assist in the development of a proposed budget.
Assist in drafting the proposed goals and objectives for the following year.
Work with other officers in nominating eligible candidates for leadership roles.
Meet with incoming officers to facilitate a smooth transition in leadership.

What is the make up of the DPDC and how is it determined?

COMPOSITION AND ELIGIBILITY
Approved: November 14, 2000
Revised: June 4, 2014

Professional Development Committee members are elected by the certified staff in the building they represent. Committee members shall be certified staff members with at least one year of employment in Pattonville. Committee members serve a three-year term.

PDC members are elected consistent with the following ratios, based on the student enrollment at each building:

Students	PDC Members
1-500	1
500-1000	2
1000-1500	3
1500-2000	4, etc.

In addition to building representation, one representative from the District Administrative Team serves as an ex-officio member. If buildings choose to have multiple representatives sharing a term, the representative team is entitled to one vote in PDC matters.

Procedures for Elections & Retreat
One-third of the committee is elected each year. New members shall be elected prior to the annual PDC retreat or in the spring.

Committee members ending their 3-year terms will work with the building administration to do the following:

February - survey entire staff for interest in running for PDC.
March - ballot of all interested eligible staff will be submitted and the election will be held. (Committee members may run for re-election).

The PDC will hold both a spring and fall retreat. Dates and location will be determined each year based on the district calendar. Newly elected district representatives attend the fall PDC retreat for orientation.