Exchange Day for Professional Learning

The Exchange Day plan provides an opportunity for individualized and relevant professional learning for our professional employees.  These credits may be exchanged for Monday, April 6, 2026. The Summer 2025 Learning Opportunities Catalog has been developed based on staff feedback that aligns with our District Priorities. All sessions offered in the catalog are approved professional development options for the Exchange Day, with the exception of Camp-Learn-A-Lot or any other district compensated training.

Gregory-Portland ISD seeks to educate, inspire and empower our high-performing and engaged workforce through the continuous professional development of our staff members. The district has established an exchange day built within our 2025-2026 academic calendar to foster individualized professional growth and contribute to exceptional student performance.

An Exchange Day for Professional Learning is mutually beneficial to staff and the district. The approach:

• Offers individual and campus empowerment and flexibility around professional learning.
• Sharpens the focus of professional learning around district initiatives and priorities.
• Encourages a variety of forms and structures for professional learning.
• Increases access to professional learning while reducing teacher time away from instruction and substitute costs.

The Exchange Day is required of all professional employees on a 187-217 day calendar. This includes teachers, interventionists, instructional coaches, counselors, assistant principals, and other professional positions.

• Exchange Day credits can be earned between May 29 - December 31, 2025.
• To earn the credit, professional learning cannot be a training for which you are compensated and must be completed outside of the duty day.

Yes. Please submit proposals at the following link:

Presenter Proposals

How are professional learning hours for Exchange Days submitted for approval?

Any G-PISD professional employee who works a 187-217 day calendar will complete an Individual Professional Learning Plan using this form (or use this fillable version). Plans must be pre-approved by the campus principal or supervisor.  Plans will be submitted and approved as part of their “end of year” check out. Important note: Registration is required in Eduphoria/Strive for professional development.

Professional learning approved by the district will count toward professional learning hours, unless it is a training for which staff is compensated, such as Camp-Learn-A-Lot. The district will track all locally provided professional development through Eduphoria/Strive.

Any professional learning occurring outside of the district must be relevant to your position or approved by the campus principal or supervisor using this form (or use this fillable version). Staff will be responsible for uploading certificates into Eduphoria/Strive for learning received outside of the district.

A full day of training or 6 hours will be considered equivalent to one day of exchange time.

Any professional learning occurring outside of the district must be relevant to your position or approved by the campus principal or supervisor using this form (or use this fillable version). Staff will be responsible for uploading certificates into Eduphoria/Strive for learning received outside of the district.

Professional employees who do not meet the requirements or are not eligible for the Exchange Day will be required to use personal leave. If you do not have personal leave, you will be docked pay for the absence for that specific day.

It is the responsibility of the professional employee to assure they have met the requirements for Exchange Days and assure their portfolios are correct. A running list of all professional learning credits earned should be recorded in Eduphoria/Strive. Professional Learning should be approved by your supervisor.

Yes. In some circumstance, a supervisor may recommend or require certain sessions for professional employees to attend to receive exchange time.

No. Eduhero does not count towards the Exchange Day.

Camp-Learn-A-Lot is a compensated training. Therefore, it is not eligible for Exchange Day credit. You cannot be compensated twice for the same professional learning activity.

"Paid" professional learning means that there was a cost to attend a professional learning, most likely outside of the district. The district or school might pay for the training, but you can still use it towards the Exchange Day.

"Compensated" professional learning means that you were personally compensated to attend professional learning. An example of this is Camp-Learn-A-Lot provided by the district and at which teachers are compensated $40 per hour. Compensated professional learning does not count towards the exchange day because you have already been compensated for your time.

No. The district will not provide childcare at any professional learning opportunity. Please make other arrangements for your child care.

Yes, as long as the entirety of the professional learning occurs after your assigned duty day. Exchange day credit will NOT be awarded for professional learning that includes compensation or occurs during the duty day.

No. Personal days may not be used to earn Exchange Day credit. If you choose to take a personal day instead of completing a professional learning opportunity or the Exchange Day, then that personal day must be taken on the Exchange Day. 

No.

Although new teachers are encouraged to take advantage of professional learning opportunities, the district will count the time spent in New Employee Orientation prior to the start of the school year for Exchange Day credit.

Professional employees who are hired after the start of the school year but before the end of the first semester will develop an Individual Professional Learning Plan with their campus principal or supervisor. Any professional employees hired after first semester will be required to use personal leave or request dock pay for the absence if they have no personal leave.

Yes. Or they will be required to use personal leave or request dock pay if they have no personal leave.

Professional employees that work more than 217 days and up to 226 days will receive the Exchange Day through a plan approved by their supervisor.

Exchange Day credit is not available to professional employees who work more than 226 days.

Eligibility for Compensatory Time: Starting on the first day of their working calendars, non-exempt employees (hourly/paraprofessionals) can participate in learning opportunities and other activities outside of their regular school hours with supervisor approval. They can accrue up to 7.5 hours of compensatory time, which can be used on April 6, 2026 (designated as an Exchange Day on our 2025-2026 calendar).

Qualifying Activities: Eduhero courses completed outside of regular school hours, with supervisor approval, are eligible for compensatory time. Additional fall learning opportunities and supervisor-approved activities will be announced as they become available. You must remain "clocked in" to earn compensatory time.

Compensatory Time Usage: If a non-exempt employee does not have 7.5 hours of compensatory time by April 6, 2026, they may be required to fulfill other duties on that day or take a personal day.

Auxiliary employees will have their work calendars designed so that they will not work on April 6, 2026. Auxiliary employees will also receive a day of professional learning during their normal working calendar.

Yes, as long it has been approved by your supervisor.

Yes, but it must be approved by your supervisor.