Mark Blevis

Well, a snappier title might help…

Hi Mark,
There is a lot of interest in the topic in the public sector but the price of this conference was expensive. Our training budgets only allow for $1500 to $1800 per employee per year, which means that if an employee were to attend, that would be the only conference or training for them all year. There’s also competing conferences that also run at about $1800 per conference, where some of the same speakers are presenting. The program for this one did look excellent though.

I know the word accountability scares the crap out of people.

For example, accountability as applied to public school teachers means that teachers are going to held accountable for all the shortfalls of the education system.
Shortfalls like underfunding, an overstuffed curriculum, overcrowded classrooms, lack of resources, behavior disorder kids and their “could care less” parents who are all to happy to blame the teachers for their kids lack of civilized social skills and absence of morality.
Not mention the mainstreaming of special needs kids with little or no funding for aids.
No libraries, librarians, music ed resources or music teachers.
No computers or computers that no longer function due to lack of proper tech support.
Crumbling infrastructures.
Science Labs and gymnasiums and text books that haven’t been updated since the 60s, etc, etc.
That what accountability means in the education system, scapegoating.

If had a choice I wouldn’t attend a conference that had the word accountability in the title even if the Beatles were teaching the course.