Even though we spend $18 billion a year on professional development for teachers in the United States, teachers usually don’t get to pick their own programs. Instead, professional-development products and services are purchased by schools and districts. This investment might not be leading to better student outcomes, though. According to the New Teacher Project, “despite enormous and admirable investments of time and money… most teachers we studied do not appear to be improving substantially from year to year.” In a column for our Fall 2018 issue, Michael B. Horn and Mike Goldstein ask: What would happen if we put professional-development money in individual teachers’ hands and let them choose their own professional-development opportunities? To learn more, read the full article on EdNext.org.
—Education Next
