ABSTRACT
There is a saying that if one wants to know someone's priorities, look at their calendar and credit card bills. Beyond the credit card bills, people have to look at principals' calendars, most notably the school master schedule, because time is a precious commodity too. Every single one included at least optional, often mandatory, professional development in character education, because effective character education does not come fully assembled in a box. Professional development is a matter of time, but it is also often a matter of money. There may be a cost for the professional development, and there may be money needed for substitute/supply teachers to allow educators to participate. There are also choices as to the focus of professional development. Most typically, schools are more supportive of instructional/academic-focused professional development than character-focused professional development. This says a lot about what the true priorities are, no matter what the rhetorical prioritization may be.
