Practice 10: Access to External Expertise

Teachers and other members cannot presume that all worthwhile knowledge can be developed within the school itself. Fullan (1993) notes that the isolation of a teacher within a classroom limits insights to the experiences of that individual, similarly this can happen for schools. In professional learning community schools teachers and others are regularly exposed to ideas and knowledge from sources external to the school. These schools are constantly participating in individual or collective staff development efforts (O’Hair, Retizug & McLaughlin, 2000). Research is reviewed, critical friends are invited to observe and the community is invited to provide feedback. Inviting critical friends to review practices within the school can shed light on "hidden curriculum and practices". Ideas and knowledge brought in from external sources are not simply "adopted" and put into practice, but rather discussed, debated, and subjected to inquiry and discourse.

One principal of a partner school describes what he hopes to gain through the use of external expertise as follows:  "In order for any innovation to be sustained it must become a part of the culture of the site or district. For professional development to continue it must rise out of individual teachers and site needs. These must in turn be nurtured and supported by site, district, state, and federal resources. With this in place, mechanisms can then be developed for continuous examination and adjustment of practices. We will utilize action research, site plan and action teams, networking with other support groups, to develop a culture of learning, that includes those directly impacted in the decision making processes to support the renewal process."

Action Plan Example for Practice 10: