The mission of professional development is to prepare and support educators to help all students achieve to high standards of learning and development.

Professional Development:

• focuses on teachers as central to student learning, yet includes all other members of the school community;
• focuses on individual, collegial, and organizational improvement;
• respects and nurtures the intellectual and leadership capacity of teachers, principals, and others in the school community;
• reflects best available research and practice in teaching, learning, and leadership;
• enables teachers to develop further expertise in subject content, teaching strategies, uses of technologies, and other essential elements in teaching to high standards;
• promotes continuous inquiry and improvement embedded in the daily life of schools;
• is planned collaboratively by those who will participate in and facilitate that development;
• requires substantial time and other resources;
• is driven by a coherent long-term plan;
• is evaluated ultimately on the basis of its impact on teacher effectiveness and student learning; and this assessment guides subsequent professional development efforts.

Here are a few excellent websites for professional development resources:

Library of Congress - Teachers Page
Teach-nology
Wiki-Teacher
Annenberg Media
National Staff Development Council
VoyagerU
Curriki