At Moffat County School District, learning is the name of the game.

That includes the adults.

MCSD teachers and staff participated in the first Professional Development Friday of the year earlier this month. It was yet another reminder of how hard our people work to be great at what they do.

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From secretaries to paraprofessionals to maintenance staff to teachers of all stripes, Moffat County schools were in session, even while the kids were enjoying their Friday off. Staff work two Fridays a month at MCSD, alternating days of professional development and of doing work in instructional and operational teams.

Part of the work Moffat County teachers did on Sept. 8 is a continuation of an effort that began last year. For a little over a year now, MCSD has been working closely with a consultant, Marzano Resources, which is a nationwide leader in helping schools and school districts reach the next level. This month, a partner met with teachers to discuss proven strategies in fostering learning. The focus was honing in on the most important concepts our students need to learn to be successful, and it was a very educational experience for MCSD instructors.

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These great teachers approach their craft with an eternal growth mindset, knowing they can always get better at teaching Moffat County kids. Stagnation is not an option, and these teachers know it. Improvement is a constant goal.

Special Education teachers and paraprofessionals, as well as counselors, case managers and social workers had their own training that day, meeting with an expert from the state department of education in the field of assisting students with these particular needs. Almost universally, the report from these professionals was positive. They came out of this daylong training with better skills to serve the students with whom they work.

The bottom line is this district knows it has room to grow, and it sees that growth potential as a huge opportunity. There’s lots more to come, from research-based training on math and reading instruction to further work ensuring students’ valuable time in the classroom is spent maximizing their learning potential.

Every student can learn, and, at Moffat County School District, the commitment is that every student does learn.

Performance Framework results, discussed in last week’s Whiteboard, underline the need for continual improvement. If certain metrics don’t improve, MCSD risks losing local control of everything that makes it great. That means classes and programs geared specifically toward our community, like agriculture or career and technical training, which are initiatives Moffat County has asked for and continues to affirm it loves, could find their way to the state’s cutting board. Nobody wants that. Moffat County teachers are working extremely hard to help students have the best possible chance to learn what they need to learn in order to be prepared to change those metrics.

But the truth is, the district needs help. Parents and community members must help teachers and administrators get kids into the classroom where the learning can occur, enforce the critical importance of study and practice, and, when state test time comes around, help these kids understand how crucial it is that they take them seriously.

MCSD teachers are doing their part. They’re going to keep getting better and better at making students’ time in the classroom effective and powerful. Together, we can build these schools into the powerhouse of learning this community needs and deserves.