How do people feel about this use of school board money?

[Anonymous]

I don't have any problem with this.

[Anonymous]

Are you serious? Less than $1,000 per person for professional development is not a big deal. Do you want well trained, well informed principals for your kids? I most certainly do. I'm guessing they talk about new techniques for better educating children, maybe discuss different federal funding, trends with NCLB.....

[Anonymous]

Professional development is great, but as a teacher I notice how often one hand seems to wash the other -- meaning I used to work in this district but now I'm a consultant, pay me to talk about my book and buy a copy for everyone on staff.

There seems to be a lot of people and companies making money on our kids including the companies that create and administer standardized tests.

[Anonymous]

I don't think this is a waste of taxpayer money, as most have mentioned the Principals along with teachers need professional development. This is not an expensive conference.

What was expensive and completely not worth it is the online math program FCPS purchased that is being critized by parents, students and teachers, that was a waste IMHO.

[Anonymous]

Our company only does online conferences and they work fine. We all get together in a room, log in, and watch and respond to the conference. At the end, we all talk amongst ourselves about how to better our company. Often, people attend these far away conferences and then never come back to discuss together how to implement these changes in their own work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't have any problem with this.

Really? This sounds like a total waste of taxpayer $$. Why do they need to go to Las Vegas? There are plenty of local venues to have the school officials meet? Sounds like a vacation on our $$--where is the school board on this?

PS did the federal government just land in hot water of conferences to Las Vegas and Orlando?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Professional development is great, but as a teacher I notice how often one hand seems to wash the other -- meaning I used to work in this district but now I'm a consultant, pay me to talk about my book and buy a copy for everyone on staff.

There seems to be a lot of people and companies making money on our kids including the companies that create and administer standardized tests.

Right--I wonder if anyone did a cost-benefit analysis/business case for this conference? As a taxpayer, I'm wondering what metrics/results are expected from such a trip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can tell you that on line conferences do not work as well as in person. With on line, people will be distracted by other activities.

Also, one can not discount the importance of the sidebar discussions, which do not happen in virtual conferences.

I think it is a reasonable expense.

I agree. Also, lots of professions have conferences in Las Vegas: they have the facilities there and the costs are relatively low, especially when compared to what a similar set-up in a much higher cost of living area such as DC would be.

Professional development is very worthwhile.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think this is a waste of taxpayer money, as most have mentioned the Principals along with teachers need professional development. This is not an expensive conference.

What was expensive and completely not worth it is the online math program FCPS purchased that is being critized by parents, students and teachers, that was a waste IMHO.

+1 on the online math.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like this is the conference. The DuFours are serious scam artists and have milked quite a lot from Fairfax.

http://www.solution-tree.com/leadership-now-cff334.html

Was it the Annandale pyramid?

[Anonymous]

Former teacher here. This is a waste of money on the part of the school board. It is probably a reward to employees. The real problem is not the expense of the trip, but the unintended consequences.
An earlier poster mentioned that she/he would rather spend money on this than on “online math” It may very well be that this is the type of event that led to “online math”.
These events usually have lots of vendors in attendance- and that is where the real money problems occur. Vendors (book salesmen, etc.) offer lots of freebies: dinners, entertainment, tours, etc. Example, if the “online math” vendor was there, he might take the attendees out to dinner and an expensive show. Later, he may call and tell them about this “great” math program.
I saw this type of thing in action many years ago in another school system. Book vendors at an IRA (International Reading Assn.) would take the teachers on the state book committee out to dinner(this was against the rules). I was not on the committee. My friend was. She secured free dinners for about eight of her best friends. Did she vote or that book company? I don’t remember, but I think it likely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you serious? Less than $1,000 per person for professional development is not a big deal. Do you want well trained, well informed principals for your kids? I most certainly do. I'm guessing they talk about new techniques for better educating children, maybe discuss different federal funding, trends with NCLB.....

I am an SES executive in the federal government and I can tell you that NO ONE is travelling in my agency right now (even the cabinet-level secretary). Sequester, baby. I think it looks bad that county employees are still going on boondoggles like this one.

[Anonymous]

I agree PP. At this time, I don't care how much they learn, nobody should be wasting money in this manner. Schools are losing aides and can't get copy paper but the system can pay for this boondoggle? It is a crock to say how beneficial it will be to principals. I have been told that they have a great deal of free time to enjoy Vegas. What a wonderful use of our taxpayer dollars!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can tell you that on line conferences do not work as well as in person. With on line, people will be distracted by other activities.

Also, one can not discount the importance of the sidebar discussions, which do not happen in virtual conferences.

I think it is a reasonable expense.

I agree. Also, lots of professions have conferences in Las Vegas: they have the facilities there and the costs are relatively low, especially when compared to what a similar set-up in a much higher cost of living area such as DC would be.

Professional development is very worthwhile.

Professional development is worth it, BUT we have plenty of facilities at Virginia's many fine universities to host something like this. Let's keep the money in-state. After all, the venue shouldn't matter . . . It's the content of the program. Where is our school board in all of this???