Smarter Spending  A New Vision for Teacher Professional Growth & Support: Six Steps to a More Powerful School System Strategy Education Resource Strategies, June 2013 With funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Education Resource Strategies combined research, past experience with urban districts, and analysis of three different school systems — Duval County, Fla.; Washington, D.C.; and charter network Achievement First — to identify six steps school system leaders can take to rethink their approach to teacher professional development. This includes ideas on how to shift resources from outdated models to promising practices without adding expensive new programs. Accompanying the report is a set of tools, including a self-assessment checklist, budget-focused worksheets, and case studies, to help districts assess their use of professional development dollars