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In May 2006, I knew almost nothing about Internet technology.  I had never heard the term Web 2.0.  I had never read a blog; I certainly had never written one.  I knew very little about podcasts.  I had not given much thought to the influence that Internet technology could have on teaching and learning.  This past summer that all changed.  I developed my own blog and began to make podcasts.  More importantly, I spent considerable time thinking about the ways in which the Web 2.0 could enhance teaching and learning. 

You might ask why I spent the time to develop new technology skills.  I wish that I could attribute this to an immense thirst for new knowledge.  But, alas, my reason is much more practical and capitalistic.  I am an independent educational consultant.  I make my living by writing/editing curriculum and lesson plans and conducting professional development.  I thought that if I developed new skills I would make myself more marketable.  It’s one thing to help a group of teachers think about developing creative and thought provoking lessons.  It’s something more to help teachers consider incorporating technology into their classrooms in a way that will enhance teaching and learning.  

So, why do I write this?  Who cares what I learned this past summer?  

A consideration of my own experience can shed light on teacher learning in school settings.  Research demonstrates that teachers do not typically develop new skills and enhance old skills after they begin teaching (Lortie, 1976).  

In recent years, teacher unions have certainly taken an increased interest in promoting professional development.  The NEA has programs, such as the KEYS School Improvement Initiative, that actively seek to promote school improvement and increase student achievement.  One must only browse through both the NEA’s and AFT’s websites to see a wide range of professional development opportunities.  But the fact is that teacher unions continue to protect weak teachers. Tenure ensures that teachers who don’t incorporate new strategies into their teaching, even when old strategies do not work, maintain their positions.  This consequence of tenure infuriates good teachers.

As an educational consultant, I don’t have the luxury of tenure.  I must continue to increase my own professional knowledge and develop new skills or I’ll quickly become unemployed.   This is actually not such a bad thing, for if I stopped learning I wouldn’t deserve to teacher others.  All teachers should continue to learn throughout their entire careers.   The market nature of my job certainly requires me to do so.  

School choice has the potential to promote teacher learning, in both charter and traditional schools.  In an ideal situation, school administrators will recognize that if they want to attract and retain students the educational programs that they offer will have to continue to grow and become more effective.  In order to further develop their educational programs, school faculties will have to continue to learn new knowledge and skills.  Teachers will have to continuously improve their practice.    

I recognize that ideal situations do not exist.  However, just because school choice may not currently be motivating teachers to develop new knowledge and skills does not mean that it cannot do so.  Indeed, advocates of school choice should continuously urge teacher professional development, just as I recognize the need to continuously pursue my own professional development.  When citizens choose their own schools, continuous professional development will reap continuous rewards.  So too, when school leaders select speakers from a market-place of speakers, continuous development will reap increased opportunity.      

Lortie, D. 1976. School Teacher: A Sociological Study. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Andrew Pass operates an education consulting firm and blogs at The Current Events in Education.  He lives with his family in Michigan.