The Escambia County School Board is being asked to approve an expenditure of $136,000.00 for Flip Flippen and the Flippen group to bring a seminar to the district on June 16th. 200 staff members will participate in this 2 and 1/2 day training seminar called "Capturing Kid's Hearts."
District staff appear very receptive to this concept, and all of the assembled staff at yesterday's workshop spoke glowingly of this wonderful program.
I remain skeptical, particularly given the price-tag.
What are the opportunity costs of $136,000.00?
Why can't we do this ourselves with materials that are available online right now for free? Why not scale one of the many available MOOCs, TEDtalks, or Khan presentations that relate to professional development, classroom management, and/or forming good relationships with kids?
Is this the most efficient way to spend $136,000.00? I asked how it is measured, and I was told that the number of discipline referrals went down.
But what does that mean? We have watered down discipline so much in this district, that behavior could be getting worse and referrals still could be declining. I asked how else it is measured, and I got a nebulous response about how the number of greetings administered to students in the mornings by teachers is one measured metric. Whaaaat?
This is the fourth year they are bringing this, and I'm not sold on it. Inviting me to participate does not help sell me on this expenditure.
Telling me that teachers have to examine themselves and question themselves about whether they have committed a "foul" contributing to students' misbehavior ---sounds like some social justice experimentation and social engineering. I'm not convinced.
I'll probably vote against this because I think there are more economical ways to provide better professional development.
This is too much taxpayer cash to expend when this could fund three reading teachers for a whole year!
Or how about we give that money as raises for the teachers working in the most challenging environments, like Weis Elementary, as a bonus?
What are the opportunity costs of $136,000.00?
