Annual training brings educators, administrators, and staff together to strengthen teaching, leadership, and organizational effectiveness
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ALEXANDRIA, VA — Hopkins House Preschool Academy educators, Early Childhood Learning Institute (ECLI) staff, and administrators came together on August 27 for the organization’s 2026 Professional Development Day, an annual mandatory training designed to strengthen professional skills, reinforce organizational standards, and support continuous improvement across Hopkins House programs.
Held in Alexandria, the daylong training combined a full-team meeting with specialized professional development organized into two tracks: Educator Training and Administrator Training. Hopkins House policy, consistent with state regulations, requires employees to receive at least 16 hours of training annually.
“Providing high-quality programs for children and families begins with investing in the people who deliver those programs every day,” said J. Glenn Hopkins, President & CEO of Hopkins House. “Professional development is not simply a regulatory requirement for us, it reflects our commitment to encouraging and supporting self-improvement among our educators, staff, and administrators and giving them opportunities to strengthen their skills, expand their knowledge, and grow as professionals.”
Two Tracks Focused on Excellence
The Educator Training Track, themed “Tracking for Success: Building a Stronger, More Connected Team,” focused on practical skills educators can apply directly in their Preschool Academy classroom and in their relationships with the Young Scholars and their families. Sessions addressed positive behavioral interventions and supports, effective classroom management, professional communication with families, classroom structure for students with special needs, the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), and educator leadership.
Presenters included Grace N. Jones, Senior Therapist with the City of Alexandria’s Early Childhood Wellness program; Mary Braxton, Child Care Specialist with The Childcare Network and Child Care Aware of Northern Virginia; Hopkins House Preschool Academy Principal Dr. Justin Thomas; and Hopkins House Preschool Academy senior educators, Nana Ashanti and Derrick Baker.
The Administrator Training Track, themed “Creating and Maintaining Effective Administrative Systems,” concentrated on the leadership and management skills necessary to operate effective programs. Sessions included regulations and administrative processes, employee policies and procedures, Leading the Hopkins House Way, program administration, program evaluation, and leading with clarity, confidence, and strategic direction.
Administrator sessions were led by President & CEO J. Glenn Hopkins, Vice President & COO Garvey Wright, Director of Program Compliance & Administrative Services Deborah Okyere, and Dr. Mike Jacobs of LEAD2020, an expert in early childhood education administration.
Learning and Building a Stronger Team
Professional Development Day also emphasized engagement and team building. Staff participated in the “Know Hopkins House Team Challenge,” a friendly competition testing employees’ knowledge of the organization, its policies, professional development opportunities, strategic priorities, and workplace practices.
This annual event is one component of Hopkins House’s broader commitment to creating a workplace culture in which learning and self-improvement are encouraged and supported. By investing in the continued development of its workforce, Hopkins House seeks to strengthen classroom quality, organizational leadership, employee effectiveness, and ultimately the services provided to children and families.
“Organizations improve when their people are given opportunities to improve,” Hopkins added. “Our goal is to make professional growth part of the embedded learning culture of Hopkins House.”
