A LETTER FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LISA HANEY
Dear CATDC Community,
CATDC turns 25 at a time when California educators and schools are facing rapid change and growing challenges. As the fires in Los Angeles County and their aftermath so poignantly illustrate, tapping into the strength of community is more important than ever. We need each other, and we need spaces where we can learn and grow together. In celebrating a quarter century of impact, CATDC is deepening our commitment to support teachers and leaders in their growth so they can better empower young people to flourish and thrive.
Now in my seventh year as Executive Director of CATDC, I have attended hundreds of our programs, experiencing firsthand the transformational learning that takes place. Countless teachers and administrators have shared with me how CATDC has served as a career catalyst, connecting them to a vibrant professional community and transforming their practice. Most importantly, they speak of the ripple effect—how this learning enriches their classrooms and strengthens their school communities.
Improving teaching and learning, nurturing authentic relationships, and fostering innovative collaboration were central to the vision of our founding director Janet McGarvey and continue to drive our work. Research has consistently shown what Janet knew in her heart to be true: student success and well-being are directly linked to the skills and well-being of their teachers. When educators thrive, students thrive.
In the months ahead, I look forward to sharing more about CATDC's 25-year journey as we continue to draw from our creative energy, community sensibility, and collective strength to navigate uncertainty and create the future we hope to see.
With appreciation,
JANET MCGARVEY FUND
In honor of this important milestone, we are proud to announce the Janet McGarvey Fund, which will ensure that more educators can benefit from CATDC programming through:
- Individual scholarships for early-career teachers and aspiring leaders
- Membership grants to schools with demonstrated need
- Program discounts for schools experiencing financial constraints
FOUNDING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, JANET MCGARVEY
What if it worked? These were the words I repeated over and over... and it DID work thanks to the support of our first member schools, and the administrators and teachers who had faith.
A MILESTONE IN LEARNING AND COLLABORATION
Based on our deep understanding of California independent schools and focus on authentic relationships, CATDC offers quality in-person and virtual professional learning programming, instructional and leadership coaching, and consulting.
STATEWIDE COLLABORATIONS
We couldn't imagine a better way to celebrate 25 years than by co-creating transformative learning experiences with the CATDC community. We hope you'll be part of it by joining us at one of these upcoming conferences!
WOMEN + LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
Join the California Teacher Development Collaborative for our annual Women + Leadership Conference! This powerful event brings together women educators from our schools to celebrate our journeys and strengthen our individual and collective impact. In celebration of CATDC’s 25th year, we are hosting one statewide gathering on February 7, 2025 in San Francisco at Futures Without Violence.
TRANSFORMATIVE TEACHING CONFERENCE
In collaboration with Crystal Springs Uplands School, the inaugural Transformative Teaching Conference invites teachers, innovators, and thought leaders to participate in a day-long conference dedicated to transformative teaching practices. The goal of this gathering is to increase students’ mastery of skills and concepts, while at the same time cultivating in students a love of learning and positive sense of self and ability. This is a unique opportunity to collaborate and learn from the dynamic insights, experiences, and research of your peers that challenge conventional approaches and inspire all of us to enhance our teaching methodologies.