Key to Maximizing Federal Funds Is Strategizing for Sustainability
ESSER, the Elementary and Secondary School Education Relief Fund, provides significant dollars to help schools mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. My current district has submitted a plan for utilizing approximately $15M during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years. An inherent dilemma in the requirements of the grant is the timeline over which funds must be expended. The pandemic is still with us, and while its impact was not catastrophic for all students, children who are the most at risk are the ones who are struggling the most, and there is no disputing the pandemic's detrimental impact on the academic growth for many students and the overall social-emotional wellness of children and school employees across the country. This will not be "fixed" in two years. There have been many "fixes" introduced into education by this country's policy makers, but most of the legislation has focused on what Michael Fullan , the Global Leadership Director fo