The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 contains numerous references to “high-quality professional development. The quantity and the quality of professional development are critical issues in the NCLB Act with direct impact on student achievement. Research proves that the most important factor in student achievement is the quality of the teacher. In this month’s opinion piece, the author encourages teachers to take responsibility for their own professional development by becoming more involved in planning and developing their professional growth. The end result will be meaningful personal growth for educators and increased student achievement!