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Supporting Services Professional Growth System (SSPGS)
Our Supporting Services Professional Growth System (SSPGS) is based on seven core competencies. These
core competencies form the foundation for the continuing work of the SSPGS and reflect the high level of
skills and commitment to excellence that is expected of all supporting services personnel.
1. Commitment to Students
2. Knowledge of the Job
3. Professionalism
4. Interpersonal
5. Communication
6. Organization
7. Problem Solving
Office of Human Resources and Development
Department of Professional Growth Systems
Supporting Services Training & Development
Fall 2019 Training Opportunities for Supporting Services Professionals
Course Title Course # Core Competencies
Date/Time Location Course Description
SPT10: Building Positive Relationships
at Work
87060 1, 3, 4 & 5 October 17
4:30 pm – 7:30 pm
15 W Gude Dr. Rockville
Hoffman Room
Attend this seminar to discuss the elements of
healthy professional relationships and setting
expectations to guide your work with each other.
It is important to build positive relationships with
colleagues and team members in order to
enhance the quality of your work experience.
SPT10: (DOT) Future Leaders Series
64469 3, 4 & 5 October 23 October 30
November 6 November 13
10:15 am – 12:15 pm
15 W Gude Dr. Rockville
Hoffman Room
The purpose of this series of four 2-hour
sessions is to provide participants with an
opportunity to explore supervisory opportunities
within MCPS, examine what is expected of
MCPS leaders and supervisors, learn how
managers and supervisors got where they are,
sharpen interview skills, learn how to create
effective resumes and cover letters, and how to
use MCPS Careers successfully.
Clear and Concise Communication in the
Workplace
86390 1, 3, 4 & 5 October 24
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
15 W Gude Dr. Rockville
Hoffman Room
This course will help you develop skills to
improve your communication with
colleagues. Learn the importance of good
listening skills and clarifying questions in
gaining understanding. Discover how your body
language can be made consistent with your
verbal message. Learn why "less is more" when
communicating via email to avoid being ignored.
How to Fund Your Education Using
Financial Aid
88499 3 & 5 October 28
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Upcounty Regional
Services Center (URSC)
Germantown
Room 3F
Learn about the four sources to fund your
education for credit and non-credit courses.
To register for these training opportunities please visit the MCPS
Professional Development Online (PDO) System; https://pdo.mcpsmd.org and search the course number.
Fall 2019 Training Opportunities for Supporting Services Professionals
Course Title Course # Core Competencies
Date/Time Location Course Description
SPT10: (DOT) Time Management
53157 1, 2, 6 & 7 October 29
10:15 am – 12:15 pm
15 W Gude Dr. Rockville
Hoffman Room
Does time seem to fly by? Do you wish you
could add an extra hour to your day? Does it
seem like you have too little time to get the things
done you want to accomplish? In this interactive
workshop you will learn useful strategies for
time management so that you can gain extra time
to do the things you really want to do.
Giving and Receiving Feedback
53756 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 October 30
8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Upcounty Regional
Services Center (URSC)
Germantown
Room 3F
Learning to give and receive feedback at work is
an essential skill for individuals looking to grow
professionally, build successful relationships
with coworkers, and accomplish their
goals. Direct communication is a right and a
responsibility that we should all share, no matter
our role or position. Learn strategies for better
communication and coping skills for handling
difficult situations in both giving and receiving
information.
School Finance Training,
Part 2
85250 1, 2, 3 & 7 November 4
8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Upcounty Regional
Services Center (URSC)
Germantown
Room 3F
This class covers cash handling; IAF procedures
and guidelines related to field trips, fund raisers,
ticket sales, yearbook and school store; bank
reconciliations; Centralized Investment Fund
(CIF); and resources to support the work of
school financial agents.
AUDIENCE - Elementary administrative
secretaries, school financial specialists and
school business administrators.
Freeing Yourself from Emotional Traps at
Work
85874 1, 3, 4 & 5 November 6
8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Upcounty Regional
Services Center (URSC)
Germantown
Room 3F
This class focuses on the importance of
interpersonal relationships with your co-workers
and how to avoid destructive patterns that can
develop. Learn how to "unhook" yourself from
difficult interpersonal situations at work and set
healthy boundaries.
Course Title Course # Core Competencies
Date/Time Location Course Description
Getting the Job: Preparing for the
Successful Interview
85768 2, 3 & 5 November 6
4:30 pm – 6:30 pm
45 W Gude Dr. Rockville
Maple Room
This workshop will help prepare participants to
successfully interview for a leadership position.
Participants will learn a framework for
answering interview questions and discuss how
to present themselves positively during an
interview.
Getting Organized
51496 1, 2, 6 & 7 November 11
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Upcounty Regional
Services Center (URSC)
Germantown
Room 3F
This workshop helps you organize and prioritize
for greater workplace efficiency. The workshop
is full of ideas for organizing your work area and
your paperwork and working on the "right"
things.
SPT10: Computer Training
Excel: Charting Data
85442 2, 6 & 7 November 12
4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Gaithersburg HS
Computer Lab
2024
This instructor-led course covers tools needed to
illustrate numeric data into pie, bar, line, or
column charts. It is geared for users who have
experience with Microsoft Excel and need to
learn these more intermediate/advanced features.
Self-Care: The Key to Balance and Wellness
88466 1, 2 & 7 November 13
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Upcounty Regional
Services Center (URSC)
Germantown
Room 3F
Learn practical quick strategies to help you de-
stress in your everyday life. You will leave the
training feeling refreshed and with practical
solutions. Learn practical strategies to improve
work/life balance. Recognize the physiological
impact of stress and ways to combat it.
Understand how to better respond to your stress
signals. Learn stress busters that take ten minutes
or less.
What Do You Want To Do With Your Life?
88500 2, 5 & 7 November 18
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Upcounty Regional
Services Center (URSC)
Germantown
Room 3F
Participants will be able to reflect on their current
career position, and brainstorm ideas about their
future career path. Participants will take an
assessment to help them identify the best career
choice based on their personality and skill set.
Course Title Course # Core Competencies
Date/Time Location Course Description
Positive Communication:
Real-Life Strategies for Dealing with Conflict
86283 1, 3, 4 & 5 November 20
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Upcounty Regional
Services Center (URSC)
Germantown
Room 3F
In this interactive workshop you will learn how
to manage conflict so it no longer manages
you. Come join us to learn effective and
practical communication skills and useful
solutions to manage the emotions that are part of
conflict. When you are in a conflict do you listen
for all the reasons why you are "right" and why
the other person is "wrong"? Is it important that
you prove your point when you are in a
conflict? You are not alone. Conflict is a normal
part of life; it's how you manage it that counts.
SPT10: (DOT) Multiple Generations at Work: How Are We
Doing?
87502 1, 3, 4 & 5 December 3
10:15 am – 12:15 pm
15 W Gude Dr. Rockville
Hoffman Room
Where do you, your colleagues, and the students
you interact with fit into the generational
mix? On any given day you may encounter
several different generations, all with different
points of view. In addition to identifying the
generations and their distinguishing
characteristics, this workshop will explore the
potential challenges and opportunities of our
multi-generational workforce.
Workplace Etiquette and Professionalism
54220 1, 3, 4 & 5 December 4
9:00 am – 11:00 am
Upcounty Regional
Services Center (URSC)
Germantown
Room 3F
During this workshop participants will be able to
examine the behaviors that demonstrate
professionalism in any workplace and the rules
of etiquette that foster positive workplace
relationships.
7 Habits of Highly Effective Employees
87571 1, 3, 4 & 5 December 10
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
15 W Gude Dr. Rockville
Hoffman Room
This dynamic presentation will provide an
overview of these and other characteristics
important to career success, and outline several
strategies for integrating these traits into our own
leaves. Successful employees share many
common traits such as integrity, a positive
attitude, good interpersonal skills, and a strong
work ethic.
Course Title Course # Core Competencies
Date/Time Location Course Description
Proofreading 50736 2, 6 & 7 December 11
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Upcounty Regional
Services Center (URSC)
Germantown
Room 3F
Participants will be able to supplement basic
knowledge of grammar and punctuation. Learn
practical methods for proofreading and editing to
improve skills and reduce errors.
NOTE: This class is designed as a refresher for
office workers and other clerical support staff;
it is not intended to teach basic English
language grammar and/or punctuation. In
addition, completion of this class is a
prerequisite for Effective Writing.
Additional information:
Supporting Services Training & Development is in the process of selecting STP10, computer trainings and other
professional development opportunities for all supporting services professionals.
When registering for training, please be sure to check with your supervisor if you plan to attend training during your
regular duty hours.
Communication about existing and new professional development opportunities will be done via email. Changes in
location and/or cancellations will only be notified through your MCPS Outlook email.
It is important to check your MCPS Outlook email on a regular basis.
Winter and Spring training opportunities will be released later in the school year.
o December for Winter session (estimated released day TBD)
o February for Spring session (estimated released day TBD)
Courses that are labeled as SPT10: (DOT) are open for registration to all supporting services professionals. However,
only supporting services professionals from the Department of Transportation (DOT) will be able to obtain the SPT10
stipend. For non-DOT staff it will only count as professional development course and no stipend will be provided.
MCPS supporting services professionals are only allowed to request the SPT10 stipend when taking SPT10 classes
outside their regular duty hours.
Important information: Do not be a no-show for trainings!
It is unfair to fellow employees when a registered participant does not show up to a course and does not follow guidelines to withdraw from a
course. By not withdrawing from a course, a seat is being held and does not allow other employees who are interested in the course the
ability to attend a professional development opportunity. If your plans change and you are unable to attend a course, please withdraw from
the course as soon as possible. Instructions for withdrawing from a class are on the home page of the PDO website; https://pdo.mcpsmd.org.
It is understood that last minute changes and/or emergencies do happen.
If you need assistance, please contact the course instructor(s) or the Help Desk, (301) 517-5800.
For additional information and/or questions about training opportunities for supporting services professionals please
contact Mr. Victor Santiago, Staff Development Program Manager, via email at [email protected]
Career Pathways Program for Supporting Services Professionals
The Career Pathways program is intended to support SEIU Local 500 unit members to identify
career goals and obtain training and direction to attain those goals. The Career Pathways
Program will offer opportunities for employees to improve their knowledge and skills in
content areas that will enable employees to reach their career goals, with programs and
processes in place to support those objectives.
For additional information please visit:
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/personnel/career-pathways/index.aspx
Contact information:
Ms. Nathalie Bourdereau, Career Pathways Program Specialist