Department of Professional Growth Systems
Building the capacity of our workforce
New Educator Orientation(NEO) - 2023: Building the Foundation for an Anti-Racist Education
Hello New Educators,
Congratulations on your new teaching position and welcome to Montgomery County Public Schools!
Building Our Future Together
The New Teacher Induction program is excited to announce plans for the 2023 New Educator Orientation (NEO). Educators hired by MCPS for the 2023-2024 school year and/or educators hired after August 16, 2022, are expected to attend. NEO is specifically designed to introduce educators to the MCPS curriculum and the latest on-going assessment methods. In addition, educators will learn how to create and maintain a positive classroom environment, honor diversity, and integrate students of all abilities and learning levels in classroom instruction. Data from the last four years indicate that over 95 percent of attendees recommend NEO for new educators.
We are conducting an in-person orientation for all our new educators.
NEO for all new educators to MCPS will be held on August 15, 2023 and August 16, 2023. Please view the flyer and agendas.
Click Contacts- Specialty Areas for a contact person and specific sites.
Newly hired Special Education, ELD¹, One-way Immersion, Montgomery Virtual Academy, and Physical Education teachers will also attend a third day of training on August 17, 2023.
All NEO attendees will be paid a stipend for their participation. See the frequently asked questions for more details.
Note:
- Specialty area educators, such as school counselors and therapists often have separate arrangements made for NEO programming. Follow directions from the supervisor/coordinator in your specialty area. Click Contacts – Specialty Areas (PDF) for a contact person.
- Media specialists and Physical Education and Health educators should refer to the Details section below for more information.
¹Two Way Immersion Program ELD Teachers are included.
Planning to attend NEO 2023?
Please visit the NEO Esssntial Google Site by clicking the button below:
Rising above hate/bias NEO CAPTURE SHEET
Contact Information
Ms. Serenity Moore
Coordinator, New Employee Onboarding and Induction
Emily Jimenez
Secretary, New Teacher Induction Program
REGISTRATION - STARTING JUNE 30, 2023
Note: Special Education, ELD¹, One-way Immersion, Montgomery Virtual Academy, and Physical Education teachers should register for the general sessions of NEO and then register separately for the third day of Special Education, ELD¹, One-way Immersion, Montgomery Virtual Academy, Physical Education training.
Please click this NEO Google Essentials Site to help you find sessions pertaining to your content area to register on PDO.
¹Two Way Immersion Program ELD Teachers are included.
NEO Anti Hate-Bias Course
A new virtual course titled Rising Above Hate: Empowering Responses to Hate-Bias Incidents-Changing Bystanders to Upstanders has been released on PDO for all NEO participants. This course is highly recommended and strongly encouraged for all new educators to the district. This module will increase the capacity of new teachers to interrupt hate speech, provide a summary of the comprehensive understanding of compliance procedures to respond to hate speech or actions, and provide a fundamental understanding of restorative approaches to prevent and respond to hate-bias speech and/or actions. It is also aligned to MCPS's commitment in addressing racism and cultivating anti-racist educators. You will receive a $20 per hour stipend for attending this two-hour course. You must register no later than August 4, 2023.
DETAILS:
Media Specialists:
August 9 & 10, 2023, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Please register via PDO before August 9, 2023 by using Section Number: 134054.
If you are a new media specialist who is new to MCPS and/or new to MCEA, you may attend MCPS NEO (Day 1 Aug 15th at Gaithersburg High School) using your Summer Supplemental (SSE) hours. More information will be given to you about this during SLMP NEO.
Physical Education and Health Teachers:
Elementary Physical Education
August 16 (7:45 am – 4:00 pm) at Bayard Rustin Elementary School
Join with other new educators in physical education on the second day at NEO at Bayard Rustin Elementary School. Registration will begin at 7:30 and we will start promptly at 8:00. Participants will engage in a curriculum overview through meaningful movement activities, please be dressed to move and be active. Participants will review materials related to assessment, differentiation, best practices for teaching in a culturally proficient and responsive classroom as well as management of the physical education classroom. All participants will be required to complete concussion training during NEO. Participants will attend day one, August 15th (7:15 – 4:10) at Gaithersburg High School.
Secondary Health and Physical Education
August 15 and August 16 at Paint Branch High School
Join with other new educators in health and physical educator throughout NEO at Paint Branch High School. During both days we will be engaging actively with the physical education curriculum and health education curriculum. Participants should dress to be move and be active. We will review materials related to secondary assessment, differentiation, best practices, and culturally proficient and responsive instruction in both physical education and health education. All participants will be required to complete concussion training during NEO.
All Elementary, Middle, and High School Physical Educators
August 17 at Paint Branch High School
All physical education teachers will meet at from 8:00 – 11:00 am. We will review best practices, resources, assessment and evaluation, and review adaptation and modification strategies for students with disabilities in physical education. We will also receive specific training for accessing the Maryland Online Individualized Educational Program (MOIEP) which will assist all teachers in making informed teaching decisions when planning and delivering instructions to the students we serve. Health educators are not required to attend this training day.
Elementary (Grades pre K - 5)/Specialty* Area Educators:
August 15 (8:00 a.m. to 4:10 p.m.)
New educators will be given a warm welcome and then receive an overview of the supports provided through the Teacher Professional Growth System. Once you sign up for the asynchronous and synchronous sessions of CCS and PGS on PDO, you will automatically be led into the following session where you will get an opportunity to meet with MCEA representatives. Next representatives from payroll, insurance & retirement, and certification will be available to explain important MCPS policies and resources, help you understand your rights and benefits, answer your questions, and help you complete the forms that you received through the Onboarding portal. Certification Unit representatives will be available to provide you with information and answer your questions. You do not have to sign up for these on PDO, the site coordinators will help you with the required links to connect you to the various representatives throughout the day.
August 16 (8:00 a.m. to 4:10 p.m.)
All new educators are expected to spend the day with MCPS educators learning MCPS curriculum. Spend the day with exemplary MCPS educators learning MCPS curriculum by content as well as innovative practices in teaching and learning that are applicable to students of all abilities and learning levels.
Secondary (Grades 6 - 12)/Specialty* Area Educators
August 15 (8:00 a.m. to 4:10 p.m.)
All new educators are expected to spend the day with MCPS educators learning MCPS curriculum. Spend the day with exemplary MCPS educators learning MCPS curriculum by content as well as innovative practices in teaching and learning that are applicable to students of all abilities and learning levels.
August 16 (8:00 a.m. to 4:10 p.m.)
New educators will be given a warm welcome and then receive an overview of the supports provided through the Teacher Professional Growth System. Once you sign up for the asynchronous and synchronous sessions of CCS and PGS on PDO, you will automatically be led into the following session where you will get an opportunity to meet with MCEA representatives. Next representatives from payroll, insurance & retirement, and certification will be available to explain important MCPS policies and resources, help you understand your rights and benefits, answer your questions, and help you complete the forms that you received through the Onboarding portal. Certification Unit representatives will be available to provide you with information and answer your questions. You do not have to sign up for these on PDO, the site coordinators will help you with the required links to connect you to the various representatives throughout the day.
*Specialty Area Teachers: Special Education, ELD¹, Montgomery Virtual Academy, and Physical Education Teachers New to MCPS:
August 17 (contact your specialty area contact person for timings).
ONLY new Special Education, ELD¹, Montgomery Virtual Academy, and Physical Education and Health teachers report for an additional day of training on Thursday, August 17, 2023.
¹Two Way Immersion Program ELD Teachers are included.
For questions about the additional day of these content areas, Please refer to the table below:
Content Area |
Contact Information |
Special Education |
Jacqueline Loso Hongladarom - Jacqueline_M_LosoHongladarom@mcpsmd.orgJessica Gould - Jessica_S_Gould@mcpsmd.org |
ELD K-12 Assessment and Accountability |
Leslie Chavis - Leslie_I_Chavis@mcpsmd.org |
Elementary ELD K-5 Instruction |
Tamara Hewlett - Tamara_K_Hewlett@mcpsmd.orgJulianne Foster - Julianne_M_fostersmoot@mcpsmd.orgRabiah George - Rabiah_L_George@mcpsmd.org |
Secondary ELD Instruction |
Sonja Bloetner - Sonja_M_Bloetner@mcpsmd.orgRosemary Millicam - Rosemary_Millican@mcpsmd.org |
K-5 Two Way Immersion(ELD Teachers) |
Norma Villavicencio - Norma_A_Villavicencio@mcpsmd.orgCarol Frenandez - Carol_Fernandez@mcpsmd.org |
Montgomery Virtual Academy |
Cassandra Heifetz - Cassandra_Heifetz@mcpsmd.org |
Physical Education and Health |
Karen Kart - Karen_B_Kart@mcpsmd.org |
Kindly check the FAQ if you have any questions, before reaching out to the contact person.
Questions???
Please check the Frequently Asked Questions first. If you have questions that are not addressed there, please email Emily_M_Jimenez@mcpsmd.org Monday through Friday after August 2, 2023.