Mission

​The Essex County Learning Community (ECLC) provides K-12 educators in Essex County with authentic, community-driven, and professional learning/development experiences: we focus upon building relationships with educators, serving students with diverse learning needs, and on achieving equitable student outcomes. The ECLC is a dynamic community-of-practice that aims to lift up and scale evidence-based district, school, and classroom-level strategies, while empowering educators to better serve their students with diverse learning assets and needs. This includes students with learning disabilities, learning and attention issues, exposure to trauma, and those not served well under current systems because of structural inequities based on race, culture, income, language, and gender.
 
Using a networked approach to capacity-building, we reach educators in small and medium-sized school districts in close geographic proximity to one another, who form a community of districts invested in their work together - even beyond the duration of their formal cohort experience in ECLC. The ECLC model is unique as it provides opportunities for professional development within and across these districts, giving teachers and school leaders the chance to know themselves, their district colleagues, and their cross-district counterparts. Our approach takes superintendents, principals, department directors, and teachers on a deep learning journey toward more effectively serving all students.

Core Values and Beliefs

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Together, members of the ECLC articulated a set of beliefs to guide its work, as follows: 
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  • We must develop within our students the ability to recognize their value and contribution to the world. 
  • All students are entitled to engaging and accessible learning experiences. 
  • Learning differences are not equated to learning difficulties. 
  • We must provide students with the tools, strategies and supports that empower ownership.
  • We want to build students’ capacity to students think for themselves and collaborate well with others.
  • We are a community of learners and practitioners who share in the learning and development of all children. 
  • We strive for equity, not equality.