When people lack self-esteem, they doubt their value. They feel unworthy. They don't stand up for themselves. They feel that what they do is unimportant, so they don't make much of an effort to do it well.

As a field, professional development suffers from low self-esteem. Many educators responsible for organizing professional learning don't value it. Though there are standards that describe the essential components for effective professional learning, most education leaders don't observe them, and states and school systems that adopt them suffer no consequences if they don't use them to improve professional development practices and outcomes.
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Even worse, there seems to be an infinite tolerance for professional learning experiences that consume significant money and time but produce little or no positive change in instruction. No one exposes, criticizes, or condemns professional development that abuses educators' time and talents, or is grossly ineffective.

Unfortunately, few educators value professional development enough to advocate or defend it. Everyone knows the professional learning necessary for more effective instruction does not occur in a few days, but legislatures and school boards continue to parcel out minimal days for professional development, and educators let them get away with it. They don't educate others about what it takes for professional development to impact student performance. They take what they can get, lacking conviction that educators' learning is as important as positions and salaries.
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Each year, hundreds of thousands of students need more effective instruction, and a like number of teachers confront greater instructional challenges. High quality professional development that focuses on results is a reform strategy of immeasurable importance. No one, however, will take professional learning seriously until the educators responsible for it assert themselves to demonstrate its value, its power, and its results, and insist their peers do so as well.

Hayes Mizell is NSDC's Distinguished Senior Fellow.