Now is the Time to Act: Tough Times as a Catalyst for Change
Tough economic times are forcing districts to look long and hard at what they do and reallocate funds from programs that don’t work to proven strategies that do. We at ERS view this moment in time as a golden opportunity to help education leaders fundamentally change the way they use all of their resources—both current and stimulus dollars-- in a way that deeply impacts student achievement. The stimulus funds now arriving in state budgets will alleviate the worst of the budget crisis and minimize the number of teachers that lose their jobs. However, economists predict that once the stimulus funds go away, districts will face serious budget shortfalls once again.
Using these funds for short-term fixes without changing the fundamental structure and organization of schools and districts would be a wasted opportunity. Districts must use these funds to build bridges to a more effective system and better results for kids—not just pile them on top of already ineffective practices. Otherwise, when the stimulus funds run out, districts, schools, and most importantly kids will be right back where they were a few weeks ago. The confluence of tough times plus new funds must be the catalyst for district-wide transformation.
Use the tools and papers below to jumpstart resource reallocation in your school, district, or state:
This presentation lays out a powerful process that districts can use to lay the groundwork for the kind of reform that will outlast the short-term funding of the stimulus and lead to dramatic improvement in student achievement.
Realigning Resources for District Transformation: Using American Recovery & Reinvestment Act Funds to Advance a Strategic Education Reform Agenda
This paper, written with the Center for American Progress, gives state and district leaders 15 concrete ways to use all resources-- current and new-- for long-term transformation.
This tool helps district leaders ask targeted questions about their current resource use and benchmark answers against best practices.
Effective and Efficient Use of Resources and Opportunities for ARRA
Using Stimulus Funds to Build a Bridge to Better Practice
Making Strategic Resource Decisions: Finding the Resources to Invest in Teachers and Students
This working paper helps district leaders explore strategies for restructuring resources and processes for moving forward with budget cuts and reallocation.
Presentation on Turning Tough Times Into Opportunity
This presentation, delivered a the Public Education Fund’s annual conference, explores strategies for examining and reallocating resources to improve teaching quality and close the achievement gap.
The ERS District Resource Allocation Modeler (DREAM)
is a web-based tool that helps school district leaders see how the strategic management of resources-- people, time, and dollars-- can impact the key levers of student performance.
ERS' Regis Shields presented at EdWeek's webinar, "Creating Effective Teacher Professional Development in Tough Economic Times" on March 10, 2009. To watch the webinar, click here.
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