Avoid this ESSER III spending pitfall
Written by Ashley Peterson-DeLuca
In a previous life, Ashley Peterson-DeLuca, a senior advisor here at Forthright, became an expert in crisis management by spending her weekends and late nights putting out fires. (Luckily her overtime days are over!) To prevent school leaders like you from working (even more) hours, she’s sharing tips for districts on how to avoid a dust-up when it comes to spending federal dollars.
To help schools manage the pandemic’s effects and accelerate learning, last year the federal government approved disseminating a historic sum — $122.7 billion — known as the ESSER III fund. Districts are already spending the influx of money on much-needed ventilation upgrades, after-school tutoring, teacher bonuses and more.
But – 59 percent of parents told the advocacy group National Parents Union that they haven’t seen or heard anything about additional resources in their child’s school being used to address challenges created by the pandemic. This is a HUGE red flag, which can be turned into a big opportunity for district leaders like you.
Why?
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Research shows that people grant trust based on two things: delivering on promises and doing the right thing. Not telling your community how you’re spending large amounts of federal funding can put their trust in you in jeopardy.
The best way to fuel trust is open, honest communication. And, by talking about new programs and how they benefit your students, families and district, you have the opportunity to do more than avert a crisis. This is a chance to celebrate your wins!
According to a survey of parents by the Walton Family Foundation last year, although parents don’t have specific targets in mind, they do expect the money to help students’ learning.
By showing your community how you’re spending the federal funds and how you’re helping students learn during uncertain times, you can build trust and important relationships in your district. Here are four easy ideas:
Trumpet your good news on social media. Tag the people involved and celebrate your team’s work. (This can help advance your social media goals. If you haven’t already written your social media goals down, we have a worksheet to guide you.)
Pitch your local news outlets – both TV and newspapers. We have a foolproof checklist to help you put together your pitch. Bring reporters behind the scenes to see your new ventilation systems or meet your new school counselor.
Feature a short story on your homepage. It doesn’t have to be long – this example from Orange County Schools is only five lines! Telling a story about just one student or just one teacher who has benefited from the funds is a great way to help your community understand where the dollars are getting used as well.
Share a one pager or postcard about improvements with families. You can send these home with students, or mail them to families! This ensures that families both with and without internet access can learn more about your news, too.
We look forward to reading about your good news!
P.S. We’re sharing more tips for how to build trust with parents here!
