Why Professional Development DOES NOT WORK?

After 20 years inside the K12 system and listening and speaking with over 10,000 educators, the consensus from teachers and principals is professional development (aka PD) DOES NOT WORK!!

PD is supposed to help teachers grow, but it doesn't.

PD is supposed to provide support, but it doesn't.

PD is supposed to help teachers feel more confident, but it doesn't.

What does PD do then?

Here's the Real Scoop

There is a huge difference between the promise of professional development and the reality of professional development. The first issue is that it sounds like a great idea.

Who would oppose providing professional development to teachers or administrators?

And that's part of the problem. No one wants to speak out against PD because it makes them look bad.

But the truth is that PD never lives up to its PROMISE!!

What Teachers NEED!

NEED #1

Teachers need to know how to write lesson plans that are 100% more effective in the classroom, don't take up hundreds of hours of their FREE time and also help them collect data and analyze student progress and growth.

Does your PD or school help teachers with writing lesson plans?

Does your PD or school show teachers how to outline 40 weeks of lesson plans in 30 days, so they don't spend over 200 hours during the school year (one of the reasons for burnout)?

NEED #2

Teachers need to know how to handle classroom situations that can get out of hand very quickly. The last thing a teacher wants is to be leading a lesson and all of a sudden one student gets up out of their seat and refuses to listen to the teacher's directions.

Does your PD address that concern?

Does your PD or school have a plan or training for teachers on what to do when students refuse to listen to teacher directions?

NEED #3

Teachers need to know how to push students to reach their maximum potential. This has nothing to do with test scores, although those will rise if students are reaching their maximum effort and learning growth.

Does your PD or school help teachers identify what student's maximum potential actually is in reality?

Does your PD or school provide teachers with the support they need to boost student achievement?

What the Experts Say?

Districts, school leaders and teachers are all stuck behind the Wizard of Oz curtain. Do you know that the "Experts" have been saying the same thing for the last 100 years, and none of their advice has worked? Look at where we are. There are 500,000 less teachers today because the "EXPERTS" never adjusted to modern times.

How much longer can you afford to listen to the "OLD EXPERTS??"

Modern Day Solutions

Back in 2009, I developed the Teacher Development Program. This is the most effective and successful on the job teacher preparation and training program in America. I can say that because the "Experts" say it takes at least five years for a teacher to become comfortable in the classroom.

In stark contrast, any teacher that went through the Teacher Development Program was fully prepared and 100% confident in their teaching skills after two years.

But adopting the Teacher Development Program takes courage and guts. And after 20 years of experience inside the K12 system and talking to thousands of school districts and tens of thousands of educators -- most educators are AFRAID of their own shadow at this point.

It's sad to see. Whenever I speak to groups of parents and community members across America, I inform them that America has the smartest educators in the world. And it's true. Any American teacher will get hired in 2 seconds if they want to teach anywhere else in the world. We are the envy of every developed nation, when it comes to intelligent teachers.

But we are the laughing stock when it comes to using our brains to NOT make mistakes on purpose. The rest of the world cannot understand how we refuse to move forward and modernize our schools.

And I agree with them.

It takes courage to say, "I'm going to do what's right, not what everyone else does."

If school leaders and districts want to stop being SHEEP and doing what the district next door does -- it's time to LEAD by example.

Over the last 6 months, I have been contacted by more and more school leaders and districts to find out more about this groundbreaking Teacher Development Program. How it works? How much it costs? And what it can do for their teachers and schools.

Simple Solutions

If your school has teacher retention issues, having trouble recruiting new teachers and just a general negative attitude throughout your school community--The Teacher Development Program is a NO-BRAINER!

When I first launched the Teacher Development Program in 2009, I had a hard time finding teachers who wanted to work in my K12 program. All of my students were the "forgotten ones." Yes, you know the students I'm talking about. They were all from low socioeconomic neighborhoods, they were angry everyday, they threatened both verbally and physically their teachers, students and administrators. Most of them had never received higher than a C- on any report card. Trying to teach them was like "pulling teeth" for most teachers.

By 2013, I had a waiting list of teachers who wanted to come work for my K12 program. That means, teachers who had tenure, who had 15-20 years of service in a public school district, teachers who were willing to take a pay cut - just to come work in this environment, where they would work harder than they ever worked before.

But they wanted to come work in this K12 program and take a pay cut, because they wanted to learn how to teach the right way. They wanted to see all the expert research and teaching best practices that your school's PD NEVER shows them.

But here's the funny twist.

Even though the students were more challenging to teach than all of the students you educate everyday, the teachers in my K12 program only worked 40 hours a week. That's right, the students were more challenging, but the work week was less difficult.

Teachers still needed to write lesson plans every week. Teachers still needed to prepare kids for tests. Teachers still needed to do everything on your teacher to-do list, but they learned how to do them like an expert would.

Does your PD or school show teachers how to do their jobs better? Or do you just sit back and watch teachers suffer?

Don't Sit Back Anymore

There are two types of school leaders and teacher leaders. The ones that talk a lot and never do anything and then the people who lead by example. Which one are you? Do you have a lot to say, but get nothing done?

Or are you ready to put an end to the toxic culture in your school and prevent teachers from burning out so easily?

The Teacher Development Program will not solve all of your school's problems, but it will solve the most harmful problem schools face -- Losing Highly Qualified and Dedicated Teachers.

(Ps. If your school is hiring the "less qualified" teachers, and think that a signing bonus is going to keep them from quitting before November -- you are dumber than you look. )

Real teachers try their best to make a bad situation work. Real teachers agonize over quitting. Real teachers don't want to quit in the first place.

But maybe you don't realize that.

If you want to stop teachers from quitting and burning out - it's very simple. Just help them and provide them with real support. Showing them the research and expert teaching best practices is a great start. And all of that is already done for you inside the Teacher Development Program.

What are you waiting around for?

About the Author:

D.Scott Schwartz, M.Ed. is the CEO and Founder of Leaf Academy and an education think tank. He is better known as "The School Doc" and hosts a weekly LIVE podcast on Instagram "Tuesdays with Schwartz" which you can catch here: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CehQspAKyF0/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=