No Time or Money for PD? This Superintendent Shares Some Creative Solutions
Your school's professional development is probably broken.
You've sat through pointless workshops that don't change classroom practice.
Your district claims there's "no time" and "no money" for meaningful teacher learning.
In this episode of the Engaging Leadership Show, Dr. Brett Geithman, Superintendent of Larkspur-Corte Madera School District in California, has cracked the code on effective professional development—and it doesn't require unlimited resources.
"If we're in the business of learning, we need to be continuously learning ourselves. If that is truly a value, then we need to also invest in it."-Dr. Brett Geithman |
Watch the full episode below
The 1% Solution That Transformed Teacher LearningWhen Dr. Geithman arrived at LCMSD, the district was spending just 0.25% of its budget on professional development. Today, they invest 1%—a modest increase that's delivered outsized results. |
"One of the hard things in education is we're constantly presented with great ideas for students. It's really hard to look at someone across the table and say: 'That's amazing and no, we're not going to do that.''"-Dr. Brett Geithman |
The Four-Layer PD Model |
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"These four different layers create a more personalized approach. Different sites have different needs—we sometimes have trailblazers, sometimes we have staff who are hesitant."- Dr. Brett Geithman |
The "Airline Ticket" Strategy for Solving the Substitute Crisis |
Professional development days require teachers to be out of the classroom. No subs? No PD. |
"I can put everything on the calendar, but if subs don't show up, it's done. We've invested all this time and energy and 1% of our district budget, but no one can engage in the PD"- Dr. Brett Geithman |
His solution? Think like an airline pricing algorithm:
"We decided to apply the same concept of surge pricing to substitutes. Our daily rate for substitutes is $230, but then we have 'premium days' where we tack on an additional $50."
These premium days include:
- Mondays and Fridays (traditionally hard-to-staff days)
- Any scheduled lab day for professional development
- Days with multiple teachers out across schools
"We post all the dates of our premium days on our website, and we'll have subs call and say, 'Sign me up for all the premium days—I'm in."- Dr. Brett Geithman |
How They Find Time When There's "No Time"
Dr. Geithman doesn't buy the "no time" excuse. His district has systematically created time through several strategic moves:
- Four dedicated PD days: Built into the 187-day teacher calendar (180 school days plus 4 PD days and 3 work days)
- Early-out Wednesdays: Protected time for grade-level planning and coaching touchpoints
- Lab days: Five release days per grade level/department annually for classroom-based experiences
- Staff meetings: Repurposed for site-specific professional development
- Summer stipends: Grant-funded opportunities ($100/hour) for additional training
"You have to be really strategic. It's all about timing and key touch points throughout the year where you can advance that momentum."- Dr. Brett Geithman |
The "Leaders From Within" Pipeline
Beyond classroom instruction, Dr. Geithman's district also invests in growing future administrators through a year-long "Leaders From Within" cohort.
"This is for classified and certificated members. It's a four-part series to expose them to all the different types of leadership experiences"- Dr. Brett Geithman The program creates a partnership between current and emerging leaders, with participants stepping in when site administrators are away. |
"A number of our teachers and classified members who participated are actually serving in leadership roles now. Some are in our district, and some are serving in neighboring districts."- Dr. Brett Geithman His Philosophy? |
"We're supporting their career goals, supporting the entire field of education, and it says a lot about LCMSD that we're growing leaders who support the greater Marin County and Bay area."- Dr. Brett Geithman |