Advocating for Professional Development Opportunities

Justifying professional development opportunities can be a challenge, and a prohibiting factor, for many educators. In schools across the country, remaining within budget is an issue whether it’s public, private, or charter. Though it may be intimidating, or perhaps you think your administration will deny your request, here are our tips for how to justify professional development opportunities outside your organization (like CTI!). 

Additionally, we have provided a template for a formal proposal for those who want assistance justifying attending a Chartwell Teaching Institute workshop or course. Make a copy of the template and using the tips below, fill out the sections of the template that apply to you. 

Do your research. 

Thoroughly research the workshop, course, or conference you’re interested in attending. Who are the key speakers? What topics will be covered? How does this relate to your job description?

Alignment with goals. 

Consider how attending this professional development event aligns with your current and future goals. What will this opportunity provide you and how will you implement it into your day-to-day professional life?

• Benefits to the organization 
  • Emphasize the benefits that this opportunity will have for you as an employee and for your organization as a whole. The experience that you gain will benefit your team directly and is an investment in the company’s success and growth.
• Cost-benefit analysis 
  • ​​​​​​​Provide your administrative team with a cost-benefit analysis that details every expected cost (registration fees, transportation, food, lodging, etc). Highlight the return on investment that can come out of those expenditures. Will you be able to take on a new subject after attending? Will you become a more specialized teacher with expertise in a specific field? Remember; investing in teachers is an investment in students.

Proposal presentation. 

Prepare a formal proposal to give to your administrative team or senior leadership. Be as specific as possible, especially regarding cost. In addition to outlining all potential costs, be specific about your reasoning for wanting to attend and what benefits it will provide on both a personal and organizational level.

We have also provided a template for a formal proposal for those who want assistance justifying attending a Chartwell Teaching Institute workshop or course.

Follow-up and flexibility 

Be prepared to follow up on your request. Questions or concerns may arise once your proposal is received. Be open to negotiations or compromises. If your proposal is initially denied, look into alternative options like virtual conferences, traveling with coworkers to reduce cost, or planning to attend next year and work it into the budget in advance.