User Experience and Financing

 

Although still sprawling, every week I feel more confident that Teacher Academy is a service that is a viable option to change the way we look at training US teachers.  Whether or not I can pitch it as an eager “neophyte” or a “pushover” is still to be determined, but practice and time will shake out those uncertainties.

 

This week I have been reflecting on how my service fits into the Buyer Experience Cycle as discussed in “Knowing a Winning Business Idea When You See One” by Kim and Mauborgne.  I have been using this to flush out ideas of what the actual interface of a Teacher Academy would look like.  How would it be used? What would make it user (teacher) friendly? What bells and whistles would it have to showcase to make districts willing to purchase a subscription?

 

It has been my experience that schools spend money without caution, but are less apt to spend money on something that would improve efficiency.  How can I reverse that cycle by making the Buyer Cycle efficient so that other customers (districts and teachers) would be interested after the pilot? Senior teachers complain of the “pendulum effect” in public education.  That nothing really new ever happens, it’s just packaged differently and after the roll out, everyone just goes back to doing whatever they were doing before. 

 

Currently I am focused on the logistics of the Purchase, Delivery and Use.  How can I organize the material so that educators can target exactly what they are looking for?

Pricing

 

 

Picture From "Knowing a Winning Business Idea When you See One"

 

The original pilot programs would have to be free.  I am envisioning starting in three districts and using research academies that are already established.  These schools have high student achievement attributed to effective teachers. 

 

After the initial pilot programs, I want to make the subscription in the upper level pricing since the program would be easy to copy. However, realistically districts are not going to be willing to use their entire professional development budget and drop other programs. 

 

Using advertisement space is also an option, but then you lose control of the message.  Those that would want to advertise would likely be schools to get teachers to enroll in online degree programs.  One aim of teacher academy would be for teachers to improve their practice while limiting the financial strain for teachers going back to school. 

 

During the elevator pitch, the large holes poked revolved around finances.  There are several averages and financial statement I am searching for that would make the pitch and stakeholder presentation strong. 

-Operating budget of model Khan Academy
-Start up costs

-How much districts pay on average for their professional development

-How much teachers’ pay for professional development without compensation

 

I am on the search and looking to count on teammates with stronger financial backgrounds assist me in grounded these arguments.