Dr. Chrissie Miles

Effective teams are underpinned by a common purpose that creates impact. It’s not enough to explore what we do and how we do it. Fundamentally, it must be driven by understanding why.

Simon Sinek says: Clearly, leadership does not mean taking responsibility, it means taking care of those in charge, whether it be an educational professional, a student, or the community we serve.

The NJEA Professional Development and Instructional Issues (PDII) Division is committed to igniting this energy, driving it forward, and inspiring the community to learn and lead alongside us.

The PDII department seeks to improve and enrich society through public education. We create experiences that enhance professional practice, promote organization on educational issues, and foster community leadership development. As we conceptualize, design, and implement our work, we constantly ask each other:

• How does our work improve our members’ professional practices?
• How does our work intentionally organize members around meaningful educational issues?
• How does our work lead our members to fair, just and impactful action?

For that, start here.

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The NJEA Congress expands the issue of advocating, organizing, and enhancing professional practice. Focusing on the power to see one’s identity and history reflected in the curriculum, the keynote speakers included her LeVar Burton, a national treasure; Nyle DiMarco, a deaf activist; and Nikole Hannah, author of the 1619 Project. Includes Jones. Together with David Hogg of March for Our Lives, Time magazine’s “Kid of the Year” Orion Jean, Cherry Hill’s transgender rights activist and Disney’s Marvel Comics star girlfriend Rebekah Bruesehoff, student activism and Elevate your leadership. A stressed session on labor captures the power and promise of organizing.

Workshops on Amistad, the Holocaust, LGBTQIA+, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and curricular inclusion of persons with disabilities are infused throughout the convention program and highlighted in the new NJEA consortium space. Additionally, an expanded wellness area prioritizes educator self-care, including guided meditation, art healing, and baby goat yoga. “bar mast”

Booksmiles is a member-driven non-profit organization with a mission to “irrigate the book desert,” distributing to members over 10,000 signature books purchased from independent black-owned bookstores.

PDII Conference Series

Our PDII conference series weaves together the themes of health, equity, advocacy, organizing, and strengthening professional practice. Each conference includes keynotes and workshop sessions focused on educational practice, special and gifted education, teacher leadership, healing, and Educational Support Professional (ESP) issues. Consortium-sponsored sessions deepen knowledge, skills, and understanding to teach the truth. Hosting and participatory practices complement each meeting, creating purposeful spaces to amplify member voices and strengthen networks.

Professional studies and programs

County and local professional learning opportunities will continue in both in-person and virtual formats. The statewide virtual “Year of Healing” series provides an opportunity to learn more about adverse childhood experiences (ACE), social-emotional learning, healing practices, and a comprehensive curriculum.

A third cohort of the Teacher Leader Academy program actively understands what it means to lead from within the profession in a way that impacts the larger educational system.

Our ACCESS program (Community Collective for Equitable and Sustainable Schools) continues to foster environments that build thriving communities.

policy

The PDII team works with the New Jersey Department of Education and the State Board of Education to advocate for equitable, just and effective policies. Our public comment collection tools are based on criteria and assessment, accreditation, adoption and retention,
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Dr. Chrissi Miles is the NJEA’s Director of Professional Development and Educational Affairs. For more information, questions, concerns or outrage, please email Dr. Miles at cmiles@njea.org.