Professional Opportunities
Providing the best professional development in the state of Kansas is a long-standing goal of Garden City Public Schools. Every month, USD 457 offers dozens of professional development seminars to assist our teachers in becoming the best educator possible. Each summer, more in-depth academies are offered for reading instruction, classroom management, and other topics. Our teachers also have many opportunities to participate in special grant-funded opportunities, such as Technology Rich Classrooms, Teaching American History, and Dual Language, just to name a few. Of course, all of these opportunities are provided without cost to our employees, and the hours spent in professional development activities accumulate to advance our employees on the salary schedule.
The district also offer several supports for teachers who must pass certification tests to gain licensure in Kansas or to add additional endorsements to their teaching license. The district has study guides available for all Praxis assessments. Additionally, review sessions are offered for the Praxis Principles of Teaching and Learning assessment as well as the Praxis English to Speakers of Other Languages assessment. Once USD 457 teachers pass assessments necessary to gain needed licensure or endorsements, they may qualify for district reimbursement for the cost of their assessments.
Tuition Reimbursement
The district offers a number of tuition reimbursement programs for graduate study. The Master's Tuition Reimbursement Program provides up to $5,000 for teachers to pursue their first master's degree related to an educational area. For teachers seeking a master's degree in Special Education or English as a Second Language, USD 457 can cover virtually all tuition expenses. Teachers accepted into the Tuition Reimbursement Program are asked to make a commitment to teach in USD 457 for two years for endorsement programs and five years for master's programs.