FLEX hours for 2024-25 will be earned via live training (whether in person or virtual).

ACS will continue live learning as a part of our professional growth opportunities. All full-time instructional staff members (faculty), including teachers, counselors, therapists, psychologists, and assistant principals are required to earn the equivalent of four (4) professional development days (28 hours). 

You can begin thinking ahead to 2024-2025 FLEX Learning now!

How do I earn FLEX hours for 2024-25?

• Vendor Provided Live training (whether in person or virtual) *
• Safe Schools (eight hours – required by all) 
• Other events approved via the Request for PD Form
• District approved school-based courses provided by district and local personnel during Summer 2024, Fall 2024 and Spring 2025. All courses will be reflected in Frontline before or by July 19, 2024.
• View the pre-approved FLEX offerings listed outside Frontline here. This link will be updated as new offerings are released.
• Apple Teacher Certification (six hours- new educators only) 
• Apple Teacher Portfolio (10 hours)
• Apple Teacher Certification for iPad (six hours- returning educators only)
  • Before you attempt these hours, email Jason Winkler to obtain directions and receive prior approval for the Apple Teacher Certification for iPad. 

*Pre-recorded webinars or electronic course work will not be considered for FLEX credit.

Click here to download the FLEX PD request form. (More Information Below)

What is Flexible Professional Learning (FLEX)? 

Arlington Community Schools is committed to improvement through intentional, reflective and empowering professional learning that meets the individual needs of each school and our instructional staff members. By providing opportunities for flexible professional development hours specific to school needs, professional development is more closely aligned to the district’s strategic goals and targeted to the needs of the teachers. It is the expectation that all designated faculty members will earn hours equivalent to 4 professional development days built into the instructional calendar by April 30, 2025.

Who is required to earn FLEX hours? 

All full-time instructional staff members (faculty), including teachers, counselors, therapists, psychologists, and assistant principals are required to earn the equivalent of 4 professional development days. 

What are the timeline requirements for FLEX hours? 

• Faculty is required to earn a total of 28 FLEX hours.
• May 28^th begins the FLEX cycle for the 2024-25 school year. Assistant Principals, Guidance Counselors, and School Psychologists can begin earning flex hours on May 28^th to reflect the end of this contracted year. Eleven-month Guidance Counselors can begin earning FLEX hours beginning June 1st.

All 28 hours must be earned by April 30, 2025.

• SAFE SCHOOLS module completion is due by September 5, 2024 and will be monitored by district office.
  
  
• Submit attendance documentation for other pre-approved events to the district’s FLEX email account.

How will I earn my 28 FLEX hours? 

• Eight hours of FLEX will be recorded by the district office for completion of the SAFE SCHOOLS modules.
  
  
• Sign up and attend courses listed in Frontline for sessions that are labeled FLEX to ensure that the hours are documented.
  
  
• Other events directly correlated to one’s instructional duties can be used as FLEX, if pre-approved via the Request for FLEX PD form.

Will the district offer FLEX sessions during the Fall/Spring or Saturdays?

• The district will offer courses in the Fall and Spring, but not on Saturdays. Courses listing will be posted March 7, 2024 with the finalized courses posting in Frontline by July 19, 2024. 

Will I receive FLEX credit for completion of the required SAFE Schools modules? 

Yes, upon completion of the required modules by September 5th, eight hours of FLEX credit will be recorded by the district office.

How do I request FLEX credit for events not provided by a vendor? 

At least two weeks prior to the event, submit a Request for Flex PD form to the district’s FLEX email account. The request will be reviewed and either approved or denied. The PD opportunity should relate to one’s teaching duties. Two weeks is suggested as some requests require additional information. Most requests are approved within 48 hours. 

What is the district’s FLEX email address?

ACSFLEX@acsk-12.org

Will I be able to use pre-recorded webinars or other non-live activities for my Flex Hours?

No, we will only accept hours from live training to include in person or live virtual sessions with proof of attendance. 

When can I begin earning my hours? 

You can begin earning hours for 2024-25 on May 28^th. Assistant Principals, Guidance Counselors, and School Psychologists can begin earning flex hours May 28^th to reflect the end of this contracted year. Eleven-month Guidance Counselors can begin earning FLEX hours beginning June 1st.

Where can I find FLEX courses offered by ACS?

FLEX courses will be listed in Frontline. The course name will begin with the word FLEX. 

Will FLEX hours count for Professional Development Points (PDP’s)? 

Yes, your FLEX Professional Learning hours, if applicable to your current role, may be entered in TN Compass as professional development points towards renewing or advancing your license. Your Frontline (My Learning Plan) transcript will serve as the documentation you will attach in TNCompass. Safe Schools modules cannot be counted as PDPs. 

Will FLEX hours count for TASL (applicable to Assistant Principals)? 

Assistant Principals are required to earn 14 TASL hours per year. Your TASL hours can count as FLEX only if they were earned outside of your regular workday. If you wish to submit TASL credits for FLEX, please send the documentation to the district’s FLEX email account. Proof that it was completed outside the regular workday is required. 

Will I report to school on the designated 4 FLEX PD days listed on the ACS Instructional Calendar? 

No, schools will not be open for regular business these days. Faculty members are expected to earn the hours during the May 28, 2024 – April 30, 2025 window. 

What are the consequences of not fulfilling the required hours? 

• Faculty are expected to earn 28 hours. Professional development is a required component of your annual contract; it is not optional.
  
  
• Failure to meet the 28 hours will result in a payroll deduction on the May 15th paycheck. Employees will not be paid for partial credit.

How do I show proof the I have fulfilled the required 28 hours?

Once your 28 FLEX hours, with Safe Schools, have cleared Frontline, email your transcript to acsflex@acsk-12.org.

Why are we required to complete Flex hours?  

Per board policy 5.113 -Each certified employee shall be required to participate in the professional development opportunities approved by the school district.

How are Professional Development requirements determined?

Per board policy 1.800 -The regular school year shall be 200 days and scheduled as follows:

• A minimum of one hundred eighty (180) days for classroom instruction, unless the Commissioner of Education waives the one hundred eighty (180) days due to a natural disaster or serious outbreak of illness affecting or endangering students or staff;
• A minimum of five (5) days Professional Development education for all certificated personnel

In accordance with the calendar, ACS has 4 embedded Professional Development days where teachers must earn their flex hours. The fifth day is embedded into our calendar as an in-person meeting (District Learning Day). ACS Flex guidelines seek to provide teachers with an opportunity to earn their hours within a reasonable time frame. Note that the calendar embedded Professional Development days occur during the Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks. 

Why are we required to earn hours via live or in-person courses?  

As with many aspects of education, our professional development plan was adjusted to ensure that ACS was within Covid-19 guidelines. With the relaxing of Covid-19 guidelines for school activities, we were able to transition our Professional Development back to our previous practices of in-person learning.

FLEX hours for 2023-24 will be earned via live training (whether in person or virtual).

ACS will continue live learning as a part of our professional growth opportunities. All full-time instructional staff members (faculty), including teachers, counselors, therapists, psychologists, and assistant principals are required to earn the equivalent of four (4) professional development days (28 hours). 

You can begin thinking ahead to 2023-2024 FLEX Learning now! Please be sure to review the information below and on the ACS FLEX webpage. 

NEW FOR 23-24: Safe Schools will now be worth eight FLEX hours (up from four hours), and school-based courses provided by district and local personnel will also be available throughout the school year.

How do I earn FLEX hours for 2023-24?

• Vendor Provided Live training (whether in person or virtual) *
• Safe Schools (eight hours – required by all) Updated from four hours
• Other events approved via the Request for PD Form
• NEW: District approved school-based courses provided by district and local personnel. These courses will be reflected in Frontline by August 31, 2023.
• Apple Teacher Certification (six hours- new educators only) 
• Apple Teacher Portfolio (10 hours)
• Apple Teacher Certification for iPad (six hours- returning educators only)
  • Before you attempt these hours, email Jason Winkler to obtain directions and receive prior approval for the Apple Teacher Certification for iPad. 

*Pre-recorded webinars or electronic course work will not be considered for FLEX credit.

Need Help with Finding Flex: Pre-approved Flex Offerings are now listed and will be updated through the link when new offerings are released. Please visit the Flex Offerings link.

Click here to download the FLEX PD request form. (More Information Below)

What is Flexible Professional Learning (FLEX)? 

Arlington Community Schools is committed to improvement through intentional, reflective and empowering professional learning that meets the individual needs of each school and our instructional staff members. By providing opportunities for flexible professional development hours specific to school needs, professional development is more closely aligned to the district’s strategic goals and targeted to the needs of the teachers. It is the expectation that all designated faculty members will earn hours equivalent to 4 professional development days built into the 2023-24 instructional calendar by April 30, 2024.

Who is required to earn FLEX hours? 

All full-time instructional staff members (faculty), including teachers, counselors, therapists, psychologists, and assistant principals are required to earn the equivalent of 4 professional development days. 

What are the timeline requirements for FLEX hours? 

• Faculty is required to earn a total of 28 FLEX hours for the 2023-24 school year.
• May 24^th begins the FLEX cycle for the 2023-24 school year. Assistant Principals, Guidance Counselors, and School Psychologists can begin earning flex hours on May 27^th to reflect the end of this contracted year.

All 28 hours must be earned by April 30, 2024.

• SAFE SCHOOLS module completion is due by September 6, 2023 and will be monitored by district office.
  
  
• Submit attendance documentation for other pre-approved events to the district’s FLEX email account.

How will I earn my 28 FLEX hours? 

• Eight hours of FLEX will be recorded by the district office for completion of the SAFE SCHOOLS modules.
  
  
• Sign up and attend courses listed in Frontline for sessions that are labeled FLEX to ensure that the hours are documented.
  
  
• Other events directly correlated to one’s instructional duties can be used as FLEX, if pre-approved via the Request for FLEX PD form.

Will the district offer FLEX sessions during the Fall/Spring or Saturdays?

• The district will offer courses in the Fall and Spring, but not on Saturdays. Courses listing will be posted March 6, 2023 with the finalized courses posting in Frontline by August 31, 2023. 

Will I receive FLEX credit for completion of the required SAFE Schools modules? 

Yes, upon completion of the required modules by September 6th, eight hours of FLEX credit will be recorded by the district office.

How do I request FLEX credit for events not provided by a vendor? 

At least two weeks prior to the event, submit a Request for Flex PD form to the district’s FLEX email account. The request will be reviewed and either approved or denied. The PD opportunity should relate to one’s teaching duties. Two weeks is suggested as some requests require additional information. Most requests are approved within 48 hours. 

What is the district’s FLEX email address?

ACSFLEX@acsk-12.org

Will I be able to use pre-recorded webinars or other non-live activities for my Flex Hours?

No, we will only accept hours from live training to include in person or live virtual sessions with proof of attendance. 

When can I begin earning my hours for 2023-24? 

You can begin earning hours for 2023-24 on May 24^th . Assistant Principals, Guidance Counselors, and School Psychologists can begin earning flex hours May 27^th to reflect the end of this contracted year.

Where can I find FLEX courses offered by ACS?

FLEX courses will be listed in Frontline. The course name will begin with the word FLEX. 

Will FLEX hours count for Professional Development Points (PDP’s)? 

Yes, your FLEX Professional Learning hours, if applicable to your current role, may be entered in TN Compass as professional development points towards renewing or advancing your license. Your Frontline (My Learning Plan) transcript will serve as the documentation you will attach in TNCompass. Safe Schools modules cannot be counted as PDPs. 

Will FLEX hours count for TASL (applicable to Assistant Principals)? 

Assistant Principals are required to earn 14 TASL hours per year. Your TASL hours can count as FLEX only if they were earned outside of your regular workday. If you wish to submit TASL credits for FLEX, please send the documentation to the district’s FLEX email account. Proof that it was completed outside the regular workday is required. 

Will I report to school on the designated 4 FLEX PD days listed on the ACS Instructional Calendar? 

No, schools will not be open for regular business these days. Faculty members are expected to earn the hours during the May 24, 2023– April 30, 2024 window.

What are the consequences of not fulfilling the required hours? 

• Faculty are expected to earn 28 hours. Professional development is a required component of your annual contract; it is not optional.
  
  
• Failure to meet the 28 hours will result in a payroll deduction on the May 15th paycheck. Employees will not be paid for partial credit.

How do I show proof the I have fulfilled the required 28 hours?

Once your 28 FLEX hours, with Safe Schools, have cleared Frontline, email your transript to acsflex@acsk-12.org.

Why are we required to complete Flex hours?  

Per board policy 5.113 -Each certified employee shall be required to participate in the professional development opportunities approved by the school district.

How are Professional Development requirements determined?

Per board policy 1.800 -The regular school year shall be 200 days and scheduled as follows:

• A minimum of one hundred eighty (180) days for classroom instruction, unless the Commissioner of Education waives the one hundred eighty (180) days due to a natural disaster or serious outbreak of illness affecting or endangering students or staff;
• A minimum of five (5) days Professional Development education for all certificated personnel

In accordance with the calendar, ACS has 4 embedded Professional Development days where teachers must earn their flex hours. The fifth day is embedded into our calendar as an in-person meeting (District Learning Day). ACS Flex guidelines seek to provide teachers with an opportunity to earn their hours within a reasonable time frame. Note that the calendar embedded Professional Development days occur during the Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks. 

Why are we required to earn hours via live or in-person courses?  

As with many aspects of education, our professional development plan was adjusted to ensure that ACS was within Covid-19 guidelines. With the relaxing of Covid-19 guidelines for school activities, we were able to transition our Professional Development back to our previous practices of in person learning.

~ Plan ahead as you RENEW or ADVANCE your teaching license ~

Did you know?

Educators must earn 30 professional development points (PDPs) to advance or 60 PDPs to renew a teacher license (professional, professional occupational, and professional school services personnel license).

______________________________________________________________________________________

Activities used for PDPs must be completed within the validity period of the license being advanced or renewed and must be related to improving educator effectiveness by:

1. Developing content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, or pedagogical content knowledge; or
2. Enhancing educator effectiveness (e.g., world language courses for those working with students for whom English is a second language, coursework that supports understanding and use of data).

Reasons for PDP denial include, but are not limited to: 

• activity not related to improving educator effectiveness*;
• activity conducted outside the validity period of the license; 
• activity lacks adequate documentation; or duplicate activity. 

*Activities not related to improving educator effectiveness do not qualify for PDPs. This includes training activities such as sessions on bloodborne pathogens and suicide prevention. While these training opportunities are highly valuable and often mandated, they do not explicitly focus on educator effectiveness. 


It is the responsibility of the teacher to submit PDP’s for approval in TN Compass. 

Here are the steps:

• Click on My Educator Profile from the Home page (TNCompass).

• When the Educator Profile page displays, click Licensure tab.

• On the Licensure page, scroll to the section for Professional Development Points (PDPs) and click the Add PDPs button.

• When the PDP Wizard displays, select the Type of Activity from the drop-down list, --such as Training, Coursework and/or National Board Certification for the PDP-- and include the Date Completed, Course Title/Seminar Name/Title, the number of Clock Hours, CEUs, Semester Hours, Points Accrued, etc. When all entries are completed, click the Add button.

• When the activity/activities appear in the list click the Continue button.

• A summary of the new PDP activities displays. The Review and Submit step in the PDP Wizard tracks progress. Click the Submit button to send the PDP request for approval.

• For approval, you must add an Attachment to verify attendance/participation. Choose file, provide Attachment Description, choose Attachment Type. Click Save.

Please contact Marsha Davis if you have questions or need assistance.

Visit the Tennessee Department of Education Professional Development Website to learn more about PDPs.

TASL – Tennessee Academy for School Leaders
Arlington Community Schools

~ Plan ahead as you ADVANCE or RENEW your admin license ~

Did you know?

• TASL professional learning tracking has been integrated into the TNCompass data platform as of March 1, 2017.

• TASL cycles have changed from a 28 credit hour requirement in a two-year cycle to a 14-credit hour requirement in a one-year cycle.

• The 2019-20 new 14-hour TASL cycle will begin July 1, 2019. All cycles are one year beginning July 1 and ending June 30.

• A listing of TASL events can be found in TN Compass. ACS is committed to offering TASL events annually, as well. 

Check TNCompass to view the expiration date for your license(s)

It is the responsibility of the administratorto add/submit TASL credits for approval TN Compass. 

Here are the steps:

• Click on My Educator Profile from the Home page (TNCompass).

• When the Educator Profile page displays, click TASL tab.

• Find the TASL Requests section and Add TASL Attendance.

• Follow the TASL Wizard directions.

• A supporting document is required to submit (ie. Certificate, email verification of attendance, etc.)

• Click Continue. Review and Verify.Click Back to make changes.

• If all is correct, click Submit. Enter your PIN Signature to sign and click Submit. 

Visit the Tennessee Academy for School Leaders (TASL) website to learn more information.

Please contact Marsha Davis if you have questions or need assistance.

In conjunction with the Tennessee Department of Education, Arlington Community Schools recognizes the importance of high-quality professional learning in a continuous improvement process to support positive student outcomes. We seek to reinforce what it means to select, plan, implement and evaluate professional learning opportunities. This goal is accomplished by recognizing high-quality professional learning practices based upon research and supporting leaders and educators to reach those standards (Professional Learning Rubric and Quick Guide, 2017). 

ACS plans PD in alignment with the Tennessee Professional Learning Standards as stated in the State Board of Education Policy 5.2. We strive to provide professional learning opportunities that are based upon student, educator, community, and/or district needs. 


Tennessee Standards for Professional Learning (Adopted 2012)

The Standards for Professional Learning are the essential elements of professional learning that function in synergy to enable educators to increase their effectiveness and student learning. All elements are essential to realize the full potential of educator professional learning. The Standards for Professional Learning describe the attributes of effective professional learning to guide the decisions and practices of all persons with the responsibility to fund, regulate, manage, conceive, organize, implement, and evaluate professional learning. 


Educators’ commitment to students, all students, is the foundation of effective professional learning. Each educator involved in professional learning comes to the experience ready to learn. Because there are disparate experience levels, and use of practice among educators, professional learning can foster collaborative inquiry and learning that enhances individual and collective performance. Like all learners, educators learn in different ways and at different rates. 

Tennessee Standards for Professional Learning

LEARNING COMMUNITIES: Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students occurs within learning communities committed to continuous improvement, collective responsibility, and goal alignment. 

LEADERSHIP: Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students requires skillful leaders who develop capacity, advocate, and create support systems for professional learning. 

RESOURCES: Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students requires prioritizing, monitoring, and coordinating resources for educator learning. 

DATA: Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students uses a variety of sources and types of student, educator, and system data to plan, assess, and evaluate professional learning. 

LEARNING DESIGNS: Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students integrates theories, research, and models of human learning to achieve its intended outcomes. 

IMPLEMENTATION: Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students applies research on change and sustains support for implementation of professional learning for long term change. 

OUTCOMES: Professional learning that increases educator effectiveness and results for all students aligns its outcomes with educator performance and student curriculum standards.

References

Professional Learning Rubric and Quick Guide. (2017, September). Retrieved from here.

Policies. (n.d.). Retrieved from here.