I would want an investment in bringing classrooms into the 21st century along with the needed professional development. I think that this will help transform education as never before. I was in a school recently to visit a friend and they had just got a great new tool that they say they can't teach without - it is an ACTIVBoard and what is even better there is research out there to show that it works for all students. Go with really technology that helps students learn and teachers teach.

Please don't sit teachers in endless meetings telling them how to use text books or stuff though - make it real PD not wasted time.

Amen, Former Teacher--
I have been in so many special education PD days where all we did was learn how to read the textbooks six different ways. Maybe for brand new teachers but even then--get real. Most teachers skip out on that type of PD. BCPSS is run by special education now to the exclusion of every other program. Give us something that lets ALL students achieve in the 21st century and keep it in working order.

Do not get me started on professional development! As BCPS does it,waste of time,waste of money! Just plain criminal! Do we need it? Of course. But the one size fits all mentality has never been fixed.BCPS thinks they have done PD if you sign a sign-in sheet, have a cutsie agenda, and do a meaningless evaluation which never changes the next PD. Never. 90% of my so called PD's this year alone could have been accomplished with an electronic memo. Meanwhile, I spend my personal time and money taking courses, going to county workshops, buying books specific to my area, and seeking online communities to develop myself.Given a small amount of money, I could purchase the PD I actually need to do MY job! Mathworks is the exception to what I have written.Also, why are some PD's during the work day and others after school and paid while others after school (are necessary to your job) but are unpaid? Where is the fairness in how PD is handled? So I teach all day and then go to unpaid PD on my time(and useless) and someone who is not with kids all day either goes on school time or gets paid to go on non-school time.

Extending the school day/year means nothing if you don't utilize that time properly. During a regular day at my school my students have class periods where they complete word searches all the time because they only have long term subs. They have teachers that have no classroom discipline and the students will, literally, run wild through the class or hallways. I know everyone's schools aren't as extreme as mine, but I would rather see us get the hours we have right before we try to add on more. Word searches at 4pm instead of 2pm wouldn't be any more effective. (I know you can make the argument that, "at least they are in school and not on the streets," but the ones who skip now to be in the streets wouldn't change their ways)

And, I agree with everything the other posters have said about PD-a huge waste of time and money. I have never been to a worthwhile PD implemented by BCPS.

Other than Mathworks, what does a good PD look like? Have you heard of successful PDs in other districts? If so, which ones? And would they be as successful in Baltimore? I guess I have my own thoughts but would be interested in hearing yours: @steph, @wise ed, @vet teach, @a former teach.

I've been to fantastic PD's that I paid for or attended on my own time. In my personal opinion, I can leave a good PD with, if not actual lessons to implement immediately, at least ideas for lessons for teaching concepts that are important within my subject area. These PDs include engaging speakers, treat me like a professional, and don't make any assumptions about my school or classroom ("Then, you have one group working with the SMARTboard while the other uses the overhead projector while still another group is down the hall working independently."...haha, in my dream life) I would also like to be able to choose from several options that interest me and are still relevant to my curriculum.

BCPSS tends to either read aloud to me from a textbook, read aloud to me from handouts, have groups "jigsaw" the reading/handouts, or give me common sense advice with no actual information on how to implement it (i.e. differentiation...if I hear ONE MORE TIME that differentiation is simply "giving students different work" I'm going to throw something.)

My favorite was the one we all had to attend at Morgan State (I believe it was earlier this year?) in which we were shown slides about how important it is for us to care about our children. No! Really? (My reasoning is, if you're going to care, then you already do, and if you don't, why would a slide on a powerpoint change your mind?)

I am short on time tonight and will ponder your question, Bill. But just a couple quick thoughts! First, I agree with and echo all of Steph's comments! I never want to hear any of the trite comments again as long as I live! ("Work smarter, not harder.") I worked smart and hard all weekend!

The best PD's I attend are usually conferences of like-minded professionals which of course I always pay for myself. I want to hear from experts in my field! I do not want to hear recycled,out of date information from BCPS people who probably should have either retired or found a different career years ago.I am tired of jaded and bitter outlooks. I was in a session recently where an "experienced" presenter chastised a newer educator for "playing" on her computer. The presenter clearly was not a tech savvy person. The computer user was looking at the VSC. I also hate all the time consuming,interactive,ice-breaker activities. Fillers..nothing more! I give too much of my personal time and money every week to BCPS. Do not waste my time!

I agree that it is nice to come away from PD with things you can use. However, sometimes I just want to know how things are done elsewhere in the world, want to inspired and motivated, and yes, treated like a professional! A meal or snack, a bottle of water, a place to park, air quality, tolerable seating, well planned PD, (beyond the sign-in, agenda, and evaualtion) and a presenter who knows his/her topic. Presenters should not be mouthing someone else's powerpoint.

I attended the MDK12 Digial Library conference last June. Two excellent keynote speakers, relevent workshops,new faces, nice food, a bathroom break.Gosh!

I have often wished that we could join forces with the surrounding counties for PD. I would like to meet others in my dicipline. With BCPS getting rid of actual departments;science, art, music, library, etc., how do we interact about best instuctional practices?

Finally,for now, BCPS needs to understand what PD is and is not! It is not anything that could be covered in an email,memo, letter etc.It is an investemnt to develop the staff! We are individuals,each with our own skill levels, experience,needs,and wishes.I think online PD specific to my certification is a great possibility!

This is a subject I am passionate about. I spend so much money and time on conferences, classes, meberships, subscriptions,and keeping up my several certifications but nothing BCPS offers has ever helped this.(except partial tuition reimbursment which I hear is changing????????) I have taken graduate courses about PD and everything I was taught is in total conflict with how BCPS does things.

Steph & wise educator: Thanks so much for your great comments. Makes lots of sense. You definitely mentioned things that I'd never considered before.

If you have links to paid PDs that you've attended, I'd really love to see them. On a similar note (and I can't find the link, but I'll keep looking), NYC has a PD system where schools "pay" for PD. No PD is mandatory, and the central office has to justify its programming by attracting teachers who convince their principals to "pay" for the off-site PD. Costs are nominal, and they're more purposely directed at incentivizing central officers to justify their work.

So, imagine the current math office continued with MathWorks. On PD days, teachers could stay at their site, or they could ask their principals to pay for certain MathWorks offerings. MathWorks would send out a "menu" of options, with description/name of presenter/grade level target etc., and schools would have to register and pay for the "service." After the PD departments and intra-offices (i.e. all of the Math office) compare the results and figure out a way to increase attendance for certain programs.

Does this system sound like something that would be beneficial in your mind? Remember, "paying" would just be using the per pupil funds to supplement the PD. Or do you think that this is a bad model? How would this work in Baltimore?

The NY option sounds interesting. With so much online education available, we should be able to match offerings to specific needs. Some needs are generic such as aspects of managing students,special education and so on. Others needs are very specific to your field. The discipline specific needs are what I am not getting! Regarding links; my specific professional development comes almost entirely from conferences and conventions in my given field. It is costly and I pay for myself. Sometimes it involves travel.Occasionally I have been able to piggy back on a county PD usually through the goodness of somebody willing to "get me in." Then I take a sick or personal leave day.I have also pursued graduate level classes in my field. Also costly and sometimes questionable in value to our everyday jobs. Finally, do you know about
360 PD? I think the city is using it somehow for online PD.

Wanted to pass this along: http://www.eduratireview.com/2009/05/missing-piece-of-professional.html

With all of this talk regarding stimulus money and professional development...I need to ask WHERE is this money? My understanding is that it has not hit the schools. Do you know when the schools will receive their Stimulus Funding?

In reply @ Inside Ed Posted by Debbie

(Maryland Recovery Act Education )

Fiscal Year 2008-Recovery Act-FY 2009 State Tables for the U.S. Department of Education.

Open the below link:

http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/statetables/index.html

Open data to review links State tables by program.

Open data to review links State tables by State.

That totally makes sence, thank you