Professional Development

Fall 2026 Professional Development Offerings

Administrators

• Elementary Principal Meetings - October 8, December 10, February 4, April 6 - 8:30 @ ESC
• Middle School/High School Principal Meetings - September 10, November 12, January 14, March 4 - 8:30 @ ESC
• School Sims Leadership Simulations*
  • Complete 3 simulations from the School Sims simulation library and share a reflection for each. 
  • You can purchase 1 credit hour from Ashland University
  • Complete by December 11, 2026

All Staff

• Building Reading Habits - This is the chance to read books that are related to your work and interests and earn credit for it. *
  • Teachers use a provided grid to choose books to read with reflection submitted at the end of course; the grid/requirements have changed a bit from the past Teachers Read; please view requirements linked above.
  • Runs from September 9, 2026-December 18, 2026
  • Register by September 7, 2026- registration form
  • FREE for Darke County member districts; $25 for all others
• Prepared Classroom Book Study* 
  • Coursework/Discussion will be completed through Google classroom
  • Runs from September 24-December 17
  • Register by September 9  - registration form
  • FREE for Darke County member districts; $25 for all others
  • Participants need to secure their own copy of the text

Core Teachers

• Science PD - Tested Grades Only (5, 8, Biology)
  • Presented by Dave Shellhaas, Midwest Regional ESC
  • September 29, 2026 - 8:30-2:30 - Darke County ESC - lunch is provided
  • FREE for teachers in Darke County school districts; $50 for all others
  • Register by September 22 - registration form

• Social Studies  - Teaching American History Seminars
  • America at 250: The Legacy of the Declaration of Independence: October 6: 9:00-2:15 - Darke County ESC
  • The Legislative Branch: March 18: 9:00-2:15 - Darke County ESC
  • FREE for ALL Teachers; Register in the flyers linked above.
• Seeing the Math You Teach Book Study* 
  • Coursework/Discussion will be completed through Google classroom
  • Runs from September 24-December 10, 2026
  • Register by September 9 - registration form
  • FREE for Darke County member districts; $25 for all others
  • Participants need to secure their own copy of the text
• Teaching Fractions with Confidence: A Hands-On Learning Experience for Teachers
  • THIS PD OPPORTUNITY IS DESIGNED FOR GRADES 5-6 TEACHERS
  • Join us for a full-day, in-person professional learning experience built around the Teaching Fractions Toolkit, a free resource developed by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) and Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Midwest to support high-quality fractions instruction. 
  • During this interactive session, we'll explore Modules 1-4 of the toolkit together through rich mathematical tasks, collaborative discussions, reflection, and classroom-focused application. You'll have the opportunity to:
    • Strengthen your own understanding of key fraction concepts
    • Explore instructional strategies that promote deep conceptual understanding
    • Analyze student thinking and common misconceptions
    • Engage with classroom-ready activities and resources
    • Collaborate with fellow educators and share ideas for practice
  • Following the in-person session, participants will continue their learning virtually through Modules 5 and 6, which focus on rate, ratio, and proportional reasoning and their implementation in classroom instruction.
  • Date: December 1, 2026 - 8:30-3:30
  • Location: Darke County ESC
  • FREE for all teachers
  • Registration: Register by November 18, 2026 - registration link

Special Areas

• Physical Education Seminar

Join Dr. Aaron Beighle for an engaging day of practical strategies designed to help K–12 physical educators create active, well-managed, and meaningful learning environments. 

• Participants will explore effective classroom management techniques that maximize learning time, strategies to motivate students of all ages to embrace physical activity, and approaches to developing skills progressively from elementary through high school. The workshop will also highlight how to create meaningful learning experiences and utilize lead-up games that can be adapted for a variety of grade levels, class sizes, and equipment availability. Every participant will receive free access to an expanding collection of online resources, including instructional videos, learning outcomes, assessments, lesson ideas, and a comprehensive curriculum that can be implemented immediately. 
• October 15, 2026 - 8:30-3:30
• Held at - Franklin Monroe Local Schools
• Register by October 8 - registration form
• FREE for all Darke County Teachers; $50 for all others/Lunch is provided

• Art  
  • September 24, 2026 - 9:00-2:00 - Cornell Studios - 8290 North Dixie Drive, Dayton, OH
  • Focus on ceramics and learning new ideas and methods
  • Register by September 9  - registration form
  • FREE for Darke County PD member districts; $25 for all others

* Course credit from Ashland University available for this course.  Information will be provided upon registration.  

Please email April Hoying, april.hoying@darkeesc.org, with any questions.