Who are the Experts?

I have a theory. Of course, I'm just a layperson. I've been to many, many workshops and professional development activities in which an expert offered techniques, research, and tools for me to become a better teacher. Some of these have been highly beneficial, others have been purely a waste of time. It's the sifting process, I suppose.
My theory is based on a study in a recent educational publication. The author of the book says that research shows that when laypeople are provided with the time and structure to reflect and share ideas, they often come to the same conclusions as the experts! What a profound finding!!
Simply stated: Schools could have much greater benefits if they sought ways to create reflection time and sharing of expertise among the teachers in the building and between buildings within districts. How much money could schools and professional development programs save if they simply applied their funding and resources to creating time and structure for the laypeople (in truth, these are the professionals who have been trained to educate others and who know their schools' struggles most clearly) to reflect and share ideas. Granted, the danger is that when given extra time to collaborate, some may waste the time and not dig deeply to find solutions. Also, it can be refreshing to have an outside perspective from someone who is truly qualified to offer assistance. But, it seems that this is such a largely untapped solution from which districts could benefit.