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 for New Pedagogies for Deep Learning, has termed the wrong drivers.  As his work has evolved, so, too, has his concept of the "right drivers."  However, one of the tenets inherent in his work is that capacity building trumps judgmentalism.  During the Race to the Top era, the Obama Administration and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, established a policy in which, simply put, states would not be eligible for "competitive" grants if their teacher evaluation systems did not include student growth.  While well intentioned, like most legislatively driven initiatives, it has not worked.  This is one example of a "wrong driver."

And, so, I issue a caution to my peers around the country.

This country has been throwing people at problems and purchasing programs as a simple panacea to addressing complex problems in public schools for decades--with little to show for it.  I have nothing but respect for teachers and my administrative peers for how they have stepped up to meet the many societal challenges that continue to get dropped on their doorstep, including the pandemic, which is arguably the most challenging issue ever to impact public schools.  Public schools continue to rise to the occasion and have improved greatly in the face of exponentially rising demands.  However, with the pace of change and increasing complexity of the work, equity issues persist, gaps have widened, and too many students continue to leave the system unprepared for their uncertain futures.

This reality requires a different approach.

Many districts will be tempted to add staff and buy programs with the recent influx of money.  This may address some short-term needs.  Every district is different, and there is no one right answer.  I don't pretend to have one.  However, I do have an opinion that I volunteer for consideration.  The money will eventually run out.  Since I believe that there are no short-term fixes to what we are all currently facing, I think that districts would do well to make sure that they are maximizing their investments for long-term sustainability.  I believe that the best way to do that is to invest in building the capacity of teams and individuals to personalize learning and improve professional practice.  

I do not deny that programs, structures, and staffing can support long term improvement efforts, but I do not believe that, in and of themselves, they can be the "drivers" of long term improvement.  I do not believe that programs or added positions, no matter how good or justified, will be able to overcome mediocre Tier I instruction, inadequate assessment practices, sub-par leadership, or low functioning Professional Learning Communities.

The vast majority of Hattie's Top 10 effect sizes relate to overarching beliefs, assessment practices, systems, and effective pedagogy.  In my current district, we are taking an approach that we believe is consistent with Fullan's work on sustainable change and Hattie's research.  The Arlington Central School District is one of approximately 100 districts from across the country participating in the American Association for School Administrator's Learning 2025 Network.  This participation will help support a system and build the capacity of all involved to lead sustainable change.  Ray McNulty, President of the Successful Practices Network, is the District's personal liaison in establishing this foundation.

McNulty is one of three primary people supporting a job-embedded coaching approach to improvement.  Eric Sheninger, Associate Partner with the International Center for Leadership in Education and author of Disruptive Thinking in Our Classrooms, will support efforts to personalize learning, build student agency, and leverage technology.  Meghan Hargrave is the district's "CLC"--Chief Literacy Consultant--supporting the district's overall literacy work, but, specifically, its priority of ensuring that all students read at grade level by the end of third grade.  The expectation is that the consistency of message between the two in focusing on effective collaboration, formative assessment, personalized learning, student agency, and innovation and creativity will be a powerful combination that directly impacts classroom environments and learning opportunities.

In the area of SEL, Arlington is working toward having 100% of its elementary teachers and teaching assistants trained in Responsive Classrooms.  Though this could be viewed as a dreaded "initiative," because it is focused on Tier I instruction and consistent with the messaging of Learning 2025, Sheninger, and Hargrave, we believe that, over time, it will serve as a catalyst for continued improvement and not viewed as one more thing "added to the plate."  We believe that our classroom experts will be able to seamlessly incorporate the elements of effective Tier I instruction coherently for all students, and that is our goal.

We acknowledge the sense of urgency but realize that a long-term solution requires patience.  Whatever your approach, I encourage you to build long-term sustainability into your thinking.  I also hope you are moving to action quickly.  Our children deserve both.