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Department of Professional Growth Systems

Building the capacity of our workforce

New Educator Orientation (NEO) - 2024:

August 13th, 14th, and 15th or 16th


Hello New Educators, 

Congratulations on your new teaching position and welcome to Montgomery County Public Schools!If you were hired after August 15, 2024, you are still eligible for a virtual new educator onboarding experience where you can receive a stipend for your participation. MCPS is committed to supporting you as you transition into your new role. Please click the flyer HERE for information on how to register for this event. In addition, there is an onboarding and induction Canvas page that is complete with resources from the Employee and Retiree Services Center, Employee Assistance Program, the Montgomery County Educators Association, the Educational Systems Federal Credit Union and more! This resource course is titled,  Onboarding and Induction - Educator Level - (BOOST: Believe, Opportunity, Onboard, Support, Team).  Please register for this asynchronous course #92647 on PDO HERE. After completing this course, you will still be eligible to attend New Educator Orientation 2025 and earn a stipend.


Building Our Future Together

The New Teacher Induction program is excited to announce plans for the 2024 New Educator Orientation (NEO). Educators hired by MCPS for the 2024-2025 school year and/or educators hired after August 16, 2023, 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 and virtual orientation for all our new educators.

NEO for all new educators to MCPS will be held in-person on August 13, 2024, and August 14, 2024 with a virtual segment available on August 15, 2024 or August 16th 2024.  Please view the NEO 2024 Week at a Glance.

Click  Contacts- Specialty Areas for a contact person and specific sites.

Newly hired Special Education, ELD¹, Physical Education, One-way Immersion and Two-way Immersion teachers will also attend a third day of training on August 15, 2024.

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 2024?

NEO 2023 VIDEO

NEO 2024 Essentials Site

NEO FAQ


Contact Information

Ms. Serenity Moore
Coordinator, New Employee Onboarding and Induction
serenity_l_moore@mcpsmd.org

Emily Jimenez
Secretary, New Teacher Induction Program
emily_m_jimenez@mcpsmd.org


REGISTRATION - STARTING JUNE 30, 2024

You may register for NEO using the MCPS Professional Development Online (PDO) System starting June 30, 2024. The deadline is August 09, 2024.

New Educator OrientationNote: Special Education, ELD¹, One-way Immersion, Two-way Immersion 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, Two-way Immersion and 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.


DETAILS:

Media Specialists: 

August 7 & 8, 2024, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm

Please register via PDO before August 7, 2024 by using Section Number: 137584. 

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 13th 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:

All Elementary and Secondary Health and Physical Education

August 13 and August 14 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 15 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 13 (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 14 (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:

Updated Information Comming Soon

August 13 (8:00 a.m. to 4:10 p.m.)

All new educators will be given a warm welcom and 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 14 (8:00 a.m. to 4:10 p.m.) 

 New educators will 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

*Specialty Area Teachers: Special Education, ELD¹, Physical Education, One-way Immersion and Two-way Immersion Teachers New to MCPS:

August 15 (contact your specialty area contact person for timings).

ONLY new Special Education, ELD¹, Physical Education, One-way Immersion and Two-way Immersion teachers report for an additional day of training on Thursday, August 15, 2024.  

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

Jessica Gould - Jessica_S_Gould@mcpsmd.org

Lauren-Ashley Minor -

Lauren- Ashley_Minor@mcpsmd.org

ELD K-12 Assessment and Accountability

Leslie Chavis - Leslie_I_Chavis@mcpsmd.org 

Elementary ELD K-5 Instruction

Julianne Foster - Julianne_M_fostersmoot@mcpsmd.org

Rabiah George - Rabiah_L_George@mcpsmd.org

Noelia Gonzalez - Noelia_C_Gonzalez@mcpsmd.org

Secondary ELD Instruction

Vicky Parcan - Lily_V_Lake-Parcan@mcpsmd.org

Rosemary Millicam - Rosemary_Millican@mcpsmd.org

K-5 Two Way Immersion

(ELD Teachers)

Norma Villavicencio - Norma_A_Villavicencio@mcpsmd.org

Carol Frenandez - Carol_Fernandez@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, 2024.