Steve Cina
Chief Operating Officer
Passport For Good
Looking back on the last two or so years, “unprecedented” seems to be the word to define it all.
The impact of these past few years will last for decades – especially with our youth. Every day, I hear from educators about the mounting stress around how deeply this will affect current student mindset and motivation. And, as a parent myself, I can’t help but echo their concerns:
- What’s the best and quickest way to offset learning setbacks?
- Will less students get the opportunities they deserve now because of the pandemic?
- How can educators rebound the impact on social-emotional learning (SEL)?
- Will more students be left behind?
The good news is that NYS Schools are receiving an unprecedented amount of COVID-19 relief aid from the federal government…giving the state a unique opportunity to recover lost learning and get ahead of the issues impacting students today like never before.
But, here’s the catch: only a fraction of these funds are being used right now.
Image Source: New York State Comptroller
With a limited amount of time to apply for and receive funds from the $14B pool, the minimal spend begs the question – why?
How Are Funds Being Used Right Now?
The response to COVID-19 is ongoing. The ever-rippling effects create new challenges daily. Meanwhile, the federal government is providing the largest ever investment in public education – right after NYS schools prepared for cuts.
So – naturally – the pressure is on to make the best decision on how to allocate funds, and when.
A lot of schools are in planning mode. Here’s what I’m hearing from colleagues regarding COVID-19 funding priorities:
- Teachers/staff (and subsequent training) to offset labor shortage.
- Supplies and tools to support in-class and online learning.
- Cleanliness, health, and safety investments.
On top of that, sustaining budgets amid a rally of budget cuts, then a huge budget influx remains top-of-mind for school administrators. (And it’s easier said than done.)
While these priorities make complete and total sense, they don’t address the elephant in the room…. the impact left on students’ emotional well-being.
See How Passport For Good Makes Measuring Student Engagement Easy
Discover HowHow Are The Students?
Even pre-COVID, working towards a day where every child is engaged is a tough assignment. Now, with the pandemic magnifying the disparities that can set students back, it is absolutely crucial to address whole child engagement within the next few years.
If you’re thinking, “the problems of tomorrow can’t be solved unless we deal with today”, then I don’t blame you. In fact, it would be troubling to hear that a school puts long-term needs ahead of what needs to be done right now.
But, here’s what I tell my peers: there’s a way to do both.
Here’s the dream:
- We want all students to be celebrated on all productive activities, in and out of the classroom.
- We need every student to get equal opportunity to reach their full potential.
- And, we require educators to have solid strategies to continually support college, career, and civic readiness.
Making this vision a reality doesn’t have to be an arduous task. While there are many solutions and platforms out there made to fuel student success, only a few hone into the factors that actually contribute to whole child engagement: quantifiable data for students and administrators.
That’s where Passport For Good comes in.
Maximize Your COVID-19 Relief Program Funds for Student Success
At Passport For Good, we have a mission: Make a measurable difference in the world. But that’s just the start.
Measuring the impact is essential to sustaining, growing, and evolving the difference that can be made. And, we believe that applying that vision to develop and celebrate young minds is the key to a brighter future.
That’s why we designed the Passport For Good platform to:
- Work within school budgets – our platform is affordable and effective enough to be sustained for the long-term, so you don’t have to give up any other priorities.
- Be easy to use – admins love our intuitive interface and easy onboarding.
- Actually work – our schools start making data-driven decisions (and better-allocating resources) within just a few weeks.
- Last – we’re here for software support, as well as student adoption strategies.