ISSUE # 2: Time to Engage in and Implement PD

Practitioners had two chief concerns – both in finding the time to participate in PD activities and in finding the time to implement ideas learned in PD activities. Several participants felt that LBS college practitioners currently do not ha ve sufficient opportunity for PD. The reason is primarily fiscal – there are simply not enough funds in the LBS budget to adequately cover it. Instead, money goes to operating items like salaries, books and supplies. Even where PD might be free, money is a factor in replacing the LBS college practitioner who might want to attend an event. These problems have far reaching effects as the comment below illustrates:

Personally, I would like to see more time allowed for our own...staff to meet to discuss ideas and work on adapting and updating our resources on a monthly basis. We try to do this on a piece-meal and when-and-if-you're-free basis. This is not satisfactory and brings the morale of the department down.

ISSUE # 3: Resistance to Change

Teachers perceive program change and the need for program change in very different ways. Teachers who seek change and pursue it actively are very frustrated by other teachers (and/or institutions) that are ambivalent or resistant to it. Quality PD might provide teachers with new ideas, potential solutions to specific problems and new direction for their programs, but if there is no ‘buy-in’ from the whole team or from the department, very little if any of it will ever be implemented. One suggested solution focused on the importance of the hiring process, i.e., greater effort should be applied to hire practitioners who are more suited to adult basic education.