On July 15th I had the privilege of meeting with Sylvia Cooper a retired teacher from Morgantown High School. We are in the process of doing a study of Morgantown High as the school was one of the original PDSs and has indicated an interest in renewing their long-term commitment. As a PDS researcher, I was equally interested in understanding the MHS story.

What an amazing woman! I had the opportunity to hear about the energy and empowerment that the original PDS work created at MHS. She talked about teachers, school leaders, and university faculty working together to improve student learning around five self identified strands (e.g., critical thinking, technology, student learning, restructuring). They worked with university faculty and created university courses for MHS teachers that were delivered on site. The created “Snow Days”. They engaged in research and exploration of the literature related to Block Scheduling. They created time for this collaborative work by going to each other’s homes, meeting before or after school, working with the principal to carve out school-based time, and the list goes on….

In our discussion she indicated that money was not the reason for the collaboration and energy at Morgantown High School. She even mentioned that the teachers on her planning team returned their stipend so that they could buy smiley face cookies for the teachers in the building. Finally, Sylvia’s story clearly identifies the essential role that the principal plays in supporting and facilitating PDS work.

Thanks Sylvia for your institutional memory!