This week ERS Director Don Hovey and I traveled to Chicago to present to the National Governors Association's Resource Reallocation Policy Academy. Don presented “Restructuring Resources for High Performing Schools” to state officials from Arizona, Kentucky, Minnesota and New Mexico. The group discussed how states can support school districts to make transformational change in an age of shrinking budgets. The presentation was followed by a spirited game of School Budget Hold'em where the state officials were asked to put themselves in the shoes of district leaders. Teams included participants with different professional experiences and from different states, which led to a lively discussion and exchange of ideas. Several participants plan to bring Hold'em back to their constituents and co-workers and noted its value in shedding light on the difficult realities that school districts face.

Our thanks to the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices for sponsoring this event.