Welcome to the School District of Philadelphia! The goal of the Teacher Development Team is to empower Philadelphia students through timely and transformational professional learning for their new/novice teachers.
New and Novice Teachers
Welcome Center for New and Novice Teachers
Where to find information about your new school
Visit the SDP website, go to the Schools dropdown menu, and select School Profiles & Data.
How to set up your district email and login
If you have not already registered for your Employee Portal and/or email account, click HERE.
How to take attendance and set up your gradebook
How to access your pay stub and check sick/personal day balances
Go to the Employee Payroll Information tile on the Employee Portal, commonly called Hollywood Squares.
What to do if you’re going to be absent from work
1) Request a substitute teacher using the Substitute Services tile on the Employee Portal.
2) Call your school to let them know about the absence.
3) Submit THIS form to the school office as soon as possible.
How to access tools and documents to plan instruction
How to translate the most commonly used acronyms
Visit the SDP Acronym Glossary HERE.
It’s a big district and sometimes it’s hard to know how to get your questions answered! Try THIS page of resources and points of contact. If you don’t see what you need, please contact Elizabeth McAnally, Director of Teacher Development (emcanally@philasd.org).
A valid Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate is required for employment in the School District of Philadelphia.
- If you have an emergency teaching permit, visit THIS document for FAQs.
- If you hold a Level I, or Level II certificate, visit THIS document to see what you need to do to keep your teaching certification active.
- For more information about certification and salary upgrades, visit THIS district FAQ page.
- To access the PA Department of Education certification page, click HERE.
It’s rewarding to be a teacher, and it’s also challenging work! Don’t be discouraged when you have a tough day or feel like there’s more to learn. Great teachers are always learning and developing their craft.
- Check out the professional learning initiatives tailored to the needs of new and novice teachers in the section below. Our sessions are collaborative, informative, and judgment-free. For help selecting the right initiative for your needs, visit THIS flyer.
- Reach out for support!
- If you are a new, non-tenured teacher and haven’t yet been contacted by your Consulting Teacher, email professionaldevelopment@philasd.org. For more information about the Peer Assistance and Review program for non-tenured teachers new to the district, click HERE.
- If you are not already receiving coaching support from the Office of Professional Learning, sign up to be paired with a Teacher Mentor by emailing teachermentor@philasd.org. For more information about the Teacher Mentor Program, click HERE for our flyer.
- Talk to people in your school who can support you: School-Based Teacher Leaders (SBTLs), Special Education Compliance Monitors (SPECMs), your principal or assistant principal, and other teachers.
- Partner with your students’ families. Resources for families can be found HERE and supports for multilingual families can be found HERE, including translation and interpretation services.
Professional Learning for New and Novice Teachers
You can find more information about professional learning initiatives below! The tabs on the left include our different initiatives and resources curated for the needs of teachers in their first year in our district. If you don’t see what you need, please contact Elizabeth McAnally, Director of Teacher Development (emcanally@philasd.org).
New Hire Orientation
New Hire Orientation is a program that allows the District to ensure that new teacher hires are thoroughly prepared for the first day of teaching. Orientation is held for five-days in August with consolidated Saturday orientations held September – March for teachers hired later in the year. It allows us to provide timely, relevant information related to professional responsibilities, classroom management, and instruction. It also provides a unique opportunity to establish a strong adult culture within our newest cohort of teachers, to invest them with the District’s vision and to build a solid foundation to promote teacher retention.
Orientation Resources
NHO: Frequently Asked Questions
- When is Orientation?
- Orientation is August 7, 8, 9, 12, and 13, 2024 and will be held in person at School of the Future between the hours of 8:45am-3:15pm.
- How do I register for Orientation?
- New hires will receive a link to register upon returning their signed offer letter.
- Are participants compensated?
- Participants are compensated at the contractual PD rate ($30.33/hour) for time in sessions. Participants are not compensated for lunch. It will take 6-8 weeks from a teacher’s new hire date to process payments. We are only able to compensate teachers who are active employees at the time payment is processed. For example, if you resign from the district prior to payment being processed, you will not be paid.
- Can participants earn Act 48 hours?
- Teachers with an active Professional Personnel Identification Number (7-digit number issued by the state) and a Level I or II teaching certificate will be eligible to earn Act 48 hours for sessions attended at New Hire Orientation. Teachers with an emergency certificate do not earn Act 48 hours (and are not required to do so until they achieve Level I certification.)
- I already took induction, do I have to attend orientation?
- Yes – induction is different from orientation. Although you may have completed the state mandated induction program within a different district within PA, this orientation session would still be necessary to help prepare you for your teaching career within the District.
Menu of Sessions
Content areas covered during New Hire Orientation
Chalk Talk — These mini sessions focus on the power of thoughtful conversations about race, culture, and gender identity. Chalk Talk provides teachers with opportunities to examine their own identity and increase their awareness of Culturally Responsive Teaching concepts to reach and teach our diverse students.
New Hire 101 Series — These sessions consist of information about certification, teacher evaluation, school district systems, and the supports available to newly hired teachers in the School District of Philadelphia.
Subject-Specific Series — These sessions consist of professional development specific to planning and instruction in a particular subject area. Teachers are grouped by subject matter and grade band, when appropriate. Sessions focus on curriculum, scope and sequence, instructional resources, assessments, and state and federal standards.
NHO Core Series — These five sessions reflect differentiation by teaching experience. Session topics are related to culturally-responsive pedagogy, racial equity, trauma-informed teaching, planning impactful, grade-level instruction, and district policies that inform classroom routines and procedures.
Questions can be directed to orientation@philasd.org.
NHO Information & Agenda
Sample K-12 NHO Participant Agenda: This New Hire Orientation sample roster gives a brief idea of a participant’s daily agenda.
Interactive Notes
Click HERE to access participant interactive notes for sessions offered during orientation.
Acronym Glossary
Are you having trouble navigating the many acronyms our district uses in emails, professional development, and conversations? Check out our Acronym Glossary HERE!
Professional learning tailored to the needs of novice and experienced teachers in their first year in the district.
The #teachPHL Professional Learning Community is a multi-layered initiative tailored to the needs of novice and experienced teachers who are new to the School District of Philadelphia, in order to make meaningful connections, grow their foundational toolkit, and be successful in the classroom and school community.
#teachPHL supports teachers through:
- Impactful Professional Development: Twice-monthly sessions focused on classroom environment, instructional best practices, and timely professional learning topics, with an emphasis on planning and practice in a judgment-free space.
- Resource Center: Curated resources needed for success in the first year of teaching in SDP and selected materials from professional development sessions.
Questions may be directed to professionaldevelopment@philasd.org.
Professional learning and resources for newly hired emergency-certified teachers.
Teach Right Now supports emergency certified teachers (ECTs) with the essential development and resources to deliver high-quality impactful instruction and create nurturing and engaging learning environments for our diverse student population.
Teach Right Now supports teachers through:
- Professional Learning: Twice monthly professional development sessions designed to formally introduce emergency certified teachers to foundational concepts and skills for lesson design and implementation and differentiated professional learning organized in collaboration with the Office of Curriculum and Instruction and the Office of Diverse Learners.
- Certification Support: Resources created in collaboration with the Office of Talent to keep ECTs abreast of timelines and requirements to remain in compliance and inform teachers about certification programs.
- Outreach and Resources: Monthly newsletter with timely information regarding the academic calendar, deadlines, professional learning opportunities, announcements from central office entities, and documents in the form of checklists, templates, and one page summaries.
Questions may be directed to sgraham2@philasd.org.
State-approved program of study that fulfills one of the requirements for Level II certification.
All educators seeking to convert their Level I instructional certificates to Level II instructional certificates must go through the Teacher Induction program.
Program Overview
Induction is a requirement in the state of Pennsylvania for all educators to convert their Level I instructional certificate to a Level II instructional certificate. The Teacher Induction program is offered to all teachers who have taught in Pennsylvania for 0-6 years and/or have teaching experience outside of Pennsylvania. In addition to completing a state-approved Induction program, teachers in Pennsylvania must also have 3 years of teaching experience in the state and 24 post-baccalaureate credits to convert their level I teaching certificate to a level II.
The Teacher Induction program gives teachers the opportunity to participate in a full year of professional development that focuses on the unique needs of beginning educators. Our Induction program provides one year of support that prioritizes skill development, personal reflection, and professional networking. Our model provides teachers with general pedagogical strategies that are designed for teachers in years 0-3. The program has opportunities to collaborate and problem solve with similar teachers of similar grade level and content area. There are two choices of cohorts for participants. Both include the 20 hours of in-person learning and 10 hour of portfolio work.
Registration
Teacher Induction is advertised on the Teacher Information Board and through teacher e-mail distribution lists. Teachers should register by completing the registration survey.
Participants should have a fully-charged laptop and any relevant planning materials for each session and should be ready to practice and to apply the new content and be open to feedback from colleagues and mentors.
For Nurses seeking Induction, please contact Student Health Services at studenthealth@philasd.org.
For psychologists seeking Induction, please contact Dr. Veronica Knapper (vknapper@philasd.org) and Janay Jones (jjones3@philasd.org)
For counselors seeking Induction, please contact Meghan Smith at measmith@philasd.org.
For Pre-K teachers seeking Induction, please contact Tryphina Robinson tsrobinson@philasd.org.
2024-2025 Session Information
Please review the Induction Flyer for all the most important information!
The Teacher Induction Program offers two different cohorts to accommodate your schedule.
- Cohort 1 has sessions in the summer and throughout the course of the school year.
- Cohort 2 has sessions on Thursdays and Saturdays throughout the year.
Attendance is required at all sessions.
- All sessions for Cohort 1 and Cohort 2 will be virtual until more information is provided.
- More information will be provided to registered participants as the dates approach.
For additional questions regarding Teacher Induction, please contact teacherinduction@philasd.org.
Use this application on the Employee Portal to register for professional learning sessions.
Click HERE to access our webpage for PowerSchool steppers and screencasts.