Services for ESAs / ROEs / ISCs

The Professional Development Alliance provides a range of services to our sister agencies throughout Illinois and across the country, including Educational Service Agencies, Regional Offices of Education, Intermediate Service Centers, and Cooperatives (we'll collectively call them ESA's).  We provide services from our areas of strength to other ESA's so that we may help to improve the field of education and educator professional development far outside of our mandated service area.

Consulting Services and Trainings

Effective Leadership Practices

The consultants at the Professional Development Alliance are former teachers, principals, and superintendents who have had great success in those roles and have a desire to share their experience and knowledge with others.  We can work with individual ESA administrators or consultants to improve their leadership skills, or we can work with groups of leaders at the ESA.  All consultations are held in the strictest confidence.  Areas of assistance include:

• Facilitation and Meetings - Connect with a PDA consultant who can coach you to a higher level of facilitation skills!  Explore tools and acquire skills that will help you more effectively plan and facilitate your meetings so that participants remain engaged and focused on producing results.  Consultations can be provided for individuals or small groups.  We can custom-design the level of support that is just right to get your meetings running more smoothly and help you reach your target outcomes in less time.  For more information, contact Bob Wennberg at (815) 744-8334.
• Blueprints for Effective Meetings - One of our PDA Signature Programs, Blueprints for Effective Meetings is a one-day training that is offered at our location as a public offering or that can be brought to your agency for your staff.  This training gives participants the tools that they need to maximize your planning efforts for facilitating effective meetings.  For more information on this program, visit the program's web page or contact Bob Wennberg at (815) 744-8334.
• Climate and Culture - The climate and culture (the beliefs, values, and shared realities of members of the school community) of a school has a significant impact on student learning.  Similarly, the climate and culture within an ESA will have an impact on the quality and quantity of service that you provide to your schools.  Shaping, guiding, maintaining, and protecting a positive climate and a positive culture is a challenge for even the most seasoned leader.  Our consultants can provide research-based guidance, support, and assistance to enable you to create and maintain a highly successful climate and culture in your ESA or to enable you to better help schools and districts to work through issues in their cultures or climates.  For more information, contact Patti Furlano at (815) 744-8334.
• Leading Change - Leading students and staff through change can be difficult for even the most experienced leaders.  Learn tools and techniques for planning and leading through a change effort.  For more information, visit this program's web page or contact Patti Furlano at (815) 744-8334.
• Communication Skills - Words.  Every day, every hour, every minute - the world of educators is "word rich."  Yet, words do not necessarily communicate accurate meanings, as they are subject to interpretation by the persons engaged in a conversation.  When what is said influences opinions, arouses negative emotion, or directs decision making, inaccurate interpretation and miscommunication may have serious consequences for effective and efficient educational leadership by ESA staff.  Our consultants can customize a half-day or full-day workshop for your staff to practice and learn verbal communication skills that get to the meaning behind the words, the intent of the conversation, and help the persons involved in a conversation achieve a greater degree of understanding, and perhaps respect and rapport.  For more information, contact Bill Zielke at (815) 744-8334.

Facilities and Equipment

Room Rentals

The Professional Development Alliance is conveniently located near the intersections of Interstate 55 and Interstate 80, making it a convenient meeting space.  In addition to our location, organizations and committees love to use the PDA facilities for their meetings because of outstanding customer service provided by our Workshop Services crew and our technology support.  Room Rentals are open to both public and private organizations, with no geographic restrictions.  For more information, visit the Room Rentals web page.