en schedule big projects over the summer, may also be affected by extending the school year. Perhaps the most formidable challenge to institutionalising effective professional development time may be the prevailing school culture, which generally considers a teacher's proper place during school hours to be in front of a class and which isolates teachers from one another and discourages collaborative work (NECTL, 1994). It is a culture that does not place a premium on teacher learning and in which decisions about professional development needs are not usually made by teachers but by state, district, and building administrators. Paradoxically, implementing a more effective pattern of teacher professional development requires struggling against these constraints, but it may also help to create a school climate that is more hospitable to teacher learning.Wallenpaupack Area School Districts Act 48 CommitteeOur chairpersons were nominated and elected by the Act 48 committee members from previous studies. The committee is comprised of teacher representatives, one per each elementary building, two middle school, and two high school chosen by the teachers; two members of the association, two educational specialists selected by educational specialists, one central office administrator; and all building principals. The board of directors appoint two parents of children attending a school within the district, and two local business representatives.The administrative interns of the Act 48 Professional Education Committee base our professional education needs on a review of the collected data. Our results identified the following categories of professional education needs:1) To increase the knowledge and skills of all professional staff members in the effective use of technology in the curriculum and for administrative and student support functions.2) To assist teachers in aligning curriculum and assessment with the Pennsylvania Academic Standards.3)...
