Organizational Development and Supports

Mission

The mission of the Department of Organizational Development and Supports is to establish an organizational culture and system of high-quality adult learning, supported by integrated collaborative systems, to drive the district’s key initiatives while meeting the individualized needs for professional growth and development of all adult learners, resulting in highly effective staff, teachers, and leaders and improved student outcomes.

The Department of Organizational Development and Supports is focused on three major areas of work: educator effectiveness for teachers and principals, induction and support for new educators and pre-service opportunities for students in the field of education, and the district system of professional development.

Educator Effectiveness

The Educator Effectiveness System in MPS includes the system of growth and development, as well as evaluation, for teachers in the district based on the Danielson Framework for Teaching. The system also includes the principal system of growth, development, and evaluation for all principals and assistant principals based on the Wisconsin Framework for Principal Leadership.

Educator Effectiveness Manager:
Jineen McLemore Torres
Phone: 414-475-8411
Email: mclemojx@milwaukee.k12.wi.us

Induction and Support

Induction and support programs offer a range of services and supports for educators new to the district, including professional development, mentoring support, and licensure support. In addition, the induction and support office is responsible for over 1,000 pre-service placements in MPS schools for field experience students, student teachers, and clinical placements, working in partnership with many institutes of higher education in southeastern Milwaukee and around the state of Wisconsin.

Induction and Support Manager:
Theopa Tolbert
Phone: 414-267-5170
Fax: 414-267-5180
Email: tolbertc@milwaukee.k12.wi.us  

Professional Development

Milwaukee Public Schools provides a system for professional learning that engages all educators and leaders in continuous professional growth leading to improved practice that results in increased achievement for all students. The vision for the professional development office is to provide a high-quality system of professional learning aligned to key district initiatives, designed collaboratively and available in a variety of formats, allowing educators to personalize their learning, accessible anytime, anywhere. Professional learning will be ongoing, job-embedded, supported by coaching, and based on adult learning theory. Successful professional learning will result in highly effective educators and measureable gains in student achievement.

Professional Development Manager:

Tonja Whittley
Phone: 414-267-5174 - North Division PD Center
Phone: 414-252-0342 - Grant Gordon (formerly Lee) Learning Center
Email: whittltl@milwaukee.k12.wi.us

Turnaround Arts

Milwaukee Public Schools is a partner of Turnaround Arts, a national program of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Turnaround Arts works to support our priority schools through the strategic use of the arts aligned with key district initiatives to foster schools that are anti-racist and equitable and in which students thrive. We work with our national network to coordinate the consistent application of high-impact professional development, coaching, and strategic planning as part of the Turnaround Arts framework, its tools for implementation, and the co-developing and execution of school goals. We help leaders to leverage the expressive, collaborative, and joyful aspects of the arts with emergent opportunities and innovations and existing school and district resources to catalyze systemic improvements in school climate and culture, academic engagement, and connection to the broader community. 

Local Program Director:

Ja'Rhan Leveston
Phone: 414-915-6962
Email: levestjs@milwaukee.k12.wi.us