CUSD Solution Tree Purchasing Agreement Shed's Light on Rising Cost of Professional Development for School Districts

At the October 12, 2016 Board of Trustees Meeting District Staff is going to ask the Board to approve yet another contract that is not timely; and therefore, does not allow our elected representatives (Trustees) to make decisions that are in the best interest of students and taxpayers.

Staff is always asking Trustees to approve contracts that have already been partially executed.

Agenda Item #6 Exhibit #6 Page 129 is a contract with Solution Tree. Solution Tree provides Professional Development to Educators. Capistrano Unified pays Solutions Tree directly for these services. Trustee Lynn Hatton-Hodson's partner Jay Westover was a PLC Associate for Solution Tree from Jan 2006- 2011 and continues to sell his books through Solution Tree.

I have been watching District expenditures for quiet sometime and I am starting to understand that there is something really wrong with "Professional Development" expenditures within Public Education as a whole. If it was not so unbelievable I would say that the State of California is laundering money through Educational Foundations via Professional Development.

The Solution Tree Contract

July 20, 2016 BOT Meeting Agenda Item #13 page 426

Original Solution Tree Contract was for 4 different services totaling $47,600

• August 8, 2016 - 60 participation
• October 13, 2016 and October 14, 2016 - 60 participants
• January 24, 2017 and January 25, 2017 - 60 participants
• March 22, 2017 and March 23, 2017 - 60 participants

October 12, 2016 Board of Trustees Meeting Agenda Item #6 Exhibit #6 page 129 CUSD is adding 2 more sessions

• September 8, 2016 - 25 Participants (This event has already passed so this was done without Board approval)
• November 30, 2016 - 25 Participants

Additional Cost: $13,600.00
Total Cost for this contract $47,600 + $13,600 = $61,200.00
plus substitute pay at a cost $105 per day (290 Subs @ $105) = $30,450.00

Total cost to CUSD is $91,650.00

In addition to the cost everyday that a staff member is at a "Professional Development Conference or event" is a day they are not doing the job they are paid to do. There are more and more days that students no longer have class with their "highly qualified teacher." The increase in expense on Professional Development is starting to each up a larger and larger portion of the budget. CUSD now spends more on Professional Development than Books and Supplies.

http://www.ed-data.org/

Note: At the September 14, 2016 BOT meeting Trustees approved 165 teachers to attend a three day conference to learn about Cognitively Guided Instruction at a cost of $252,450.00
See: http://disclosurecusd.blogspot.com/2016/09/professional-development-costs-are-sky.html