Our Core
Enhancing the Educational Experience
At the center of our school are students. Whether education happens in classrooms, on stages and fields or out in the community, our faculty and staff ensure that each student is known, cared for and academically challenged.
Our three essential initiatives support faculty and the educational experience they strive to provide:
- Evolving Teaching and Learning through Instructional Coaching
We have made the unprecedented decision to appoint a full-time instructional coach. When faculty receive ongoing, meaningful feedback and collaborate with their colleagues, teaching and, more importantly, student learning improve. All Overlake faculty receive individualized coaching, which inspires them to be reflective practitioners committed to ongoing growth. This bold approach enables continual learning for every member of our community.
- Reduced Faculty Course Load
Our program becomes stronger when teachers work together on curriculum, assessment and sharing of best practices. Full-time faculty teach four sections (down from five). The course-load reduction creates time for instructional coaching, collaboration with colleagues, supporting students and working on grade level teams.
- Strengthening Academic Leadership
Department chairs serve as academic leaders, who guide their program’s evolution, facilitate collaboration among faculty and inspire new, innovative thinking about pedagogy. A reduced teaching load enables department chairs to fulfill this critical leadership role.