In addition, for the first time the school began paying its faculty coaches for the many hours they contribute to the athletic program. By taking this initiative, the Board insured greater stability of the Rivers faculty, which, in turn, leads to better focus, greater collaboration, stronger programs, and thus a more positive educational experience for Rivers students. The next step toward creating a challenging and exciting program is to give teachers the tools that will help them challenge and engage students. Professional development opportunities for our teachers represent one such significant tool. This year the Board of Trustees approved a substantial increase in professional development expenditures, allowing more Rivers teachers to attend conferences, work on graduate degrees, and participate in summer enrichment programs.
Technology is another important device for our teachers.
The explosion in technology over the past 15 years has provided them with powerful tools and, at the same time, created a new set of distractions competing for students' attention. Early use of the computer in secondary schools was, more often than not, a dismal failure. Enthralled by the novelty of the personal computer and hungry for some panacea to rectify the ills of education, school leaders put pressure on teachers to use these tools. Schools invested thousands of dollars on computer labs only to have their leaders scratch their heads when the labs were empty for much of the day. In hindsight it is easy to see why so many teachers disdained the use of computers.