Bluefield Professional Development
Schools Consortium
Tells Conference How it
“Got Its Groove Back”

Bluefield--Four members of the Bluefield Professional Development Schools (PDS) partnership delivered a featured presentation during the recent National PDS Conference in Las Vegas. Brian Perkins (Bluewell Elementary School), Donna Jackson and Vickie Witt (Bluefield Middle School) and Dr. Betsy Steenken (Bluefield State College) collaborated during the program,“How One PDS Partnership Got its Groove Back,” sharing their experiences as they sought to regain the original momentum fostered by the initiation of the partnership in 2003.

Three public schools comprised the partnership in 2003, Bluewell Elementary, Bluefield Intermediate, and Bluefield Middle School. This original partnership stemmed from a State of West Virginia initiative to increase collaboration between state colleges and universities and local public schools. “In the ensuing years, leadership at both the college and public schools shifted due to retirements and relocations, leading to both lack of communication and understanding of the Professional Development Schools concept,” explained Steenken, BSC’s Director of Teacher Education. The partnership is now comprised of five schools, including Princeton Primary and Whitethorn, in addition to the original three, along with Bluefield State College.

“New leadership directed at making the most of PDS opportunities led to the awareness of new possibilities, bringing back energy and new ideas. The mission of developing quality educators again became the focus through communication and increased understanding between BSC and its public school partners,” Steenken explained.

Other Bluefield PDS representatives attending the national conference included Deborah Eller ( Bluefield Intermediate School), Elizabeth Hollifield ( Princeton Primary School), and Dr. Patricia Hilton (BSC Professor of Education).

April 13, 2007