As part of the Children First reforms, all schools have been given greater discretion over budgets, educational programming, teacher development, and other areas under an agreement that holds them accountable for student performance. Principals are able spend a portion of their funds on the services, including professional development, that they feel will best serve their school's educational objectives. To meet these needs, the Office of the Arts and Special Projects will offer quality professional development workshops and other services at reasonable costs in dance, music, theater, and visual arts throughout the school year.

Teachers from all schools, regardless of their School Support Organization, are welcome to attend professional development events and participate in all programs administered by the Office of the Arts and Special Projects. Look for information on our programs in the Principals' Weekly newsletter, the Empowerment Weekly newsletter for Empowerment Schools, the Internal Services E-catalog in FAMIS and on this website. Teachers should discuss their interest in participating in our workshops with their Principal who will purchase the course on their behalf. All registration and course fees are to be paid by the schools, not by individual teachers.

Professional Development Opportunities

Welcoming New Arts Teachers to the DOE
Registration & Payment Deadline Friday, September 12th

New arts teachers will receive an overview and hard copy of the curriculum, Blueprint for Teaching and Learning in the Arts: PreK-12, and will become acquainted with the New York State Standards for the Arts. Following the overview, participants will work in groups by arts discipline to learn how to translate the Blueprint into unit planning and classroom practice.

Click here to register

Click here to download a full course description

Please check our Resources & Opportunities section for additional information on professional development offered by arts and cultural organizations.