Chicago's public schools reaped little reward for their nearly $200 million investment in professional development last year because the money was spent "without any 'overarching strategy' for improving instruction," and without a demand for proof of improvement. So concludes an outside audit. Surprisingly, the city's teacher union doesn't dispute the findings, though it sought to place part of the blame for the training's "vague results" on the fact that it "was done to [the teachers], rather than with them or for them." The audit nonetheless suggests that more resources poured into professional development is no sure path to improved teacher effectiveness. "Schools get millions; results 'unclear'," by Rosalind Rossi, Chicago Sun-Times, November 15, 2002
