Civil Municipal Magazine - Nov 2023

196 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 11 time and energy it takes to train and to support new teachers to the profession. So, if we can keep them with us, and keep them invested in Council Bluffs, we know our students will achieve at high levels.” For 16 years, Council Bluffs has offered professional development through a Summer Academy, providing weeklong professional learning opportunities for teachers. The academy brings in renowned speakers in the education field, such as Dr. Timothy Shanahan and Dr. Marcia Tate. Each year, a key educational theme is chosen, and this focus continues throughout the school year. “We do small group sessions during that week, and those are led by our teacher leaders. So really, it is for teachers, by teachers. Our teachers are learning from their colleagues because they’re the experts, and they do the work every day. We find that that’s one of the best ways to impart that new learning and review of instructional practices from teacher to teacher,” describes Chalupnik. Murillo boasts, “For the last two years when most school districts in the nation are struggling to be fully staffed, Council Bluffs was able to have a teacher in every classroom.” Looking ahead, Council Bluffs Community School District remains steadfast in its efforts to ensure all students graduate with a high school diploma and a second credential. This begins with providing a solid foundation for learning, even for our youngest learners, and developing partnerships and programs that provide more choices, more opportunities and more ways for students to succeed. “This is what our students deserve,” stresses Dr. Murillo. PREFERRED VENDOR/PARTNER n Google www.google.com n Buena Vista University www.bvu.edu