COVID-19 Reopening and Recovery: Toolkit for Districts and Schools
FACING THE CHALLENGE TOGETHER
From equitably meeting students’ increased needs, to planning new budgets, to creating safe and effective models for hybrid and fully-remote learning — the options facing districts and schools are complex and the stakes are high. As the challenges of this pandemic continue to unfold, we’re here to help district and school leadership teams move from reactive decision-making to doable plans, within your community’s context. This page is our homebase for COVID-19 support.
Information you can use:
TOOLS YOU CAN USE RIGHT NOW
Start Here: Power Strategies
5 “power strategies” (and real-life examples) to accelerate equity-focused recovery and redesign.
Continuous Improvement
How a whole-system approach to continuous improvement can help districts chart a course to equity and excellence this pandemic school year
Do Now, Build Toward
7 crucial principles for investing ESSER funds for sustainable impact.
The Cost of COVID
A brief and tool for understanding the full financial impact of COVID-19 on districts and schools.
Five-Minute Reads
Budget Planning for 2021-22
Six crucial approaches to budgeting and planning for the 2021-22 school year and key considerations and advice from district leaders.
Principles for Policy-Makers
Four principles for policymakers – from Joe Biden down to state legislators – to allocate resources for education recovery
COVID is constantly evolving. See past tools and publications.
- Big Picture
- school design
- Budget & Staffing
- Equity
BIG PICTURE ARCHIVE
The Strategic Summer | An overarching framework for district leaders’ COVID response strategy
What Post-COVID Schools Could Look Like | 7 school- and system-level changes to ensure we don’t repeat mistakes made during the 2008 recession
Navigating the Moment | Bright spots and focus areas from school districts’ early COVID-19 responses
Managing Through Uncertainty | 4 realities for districts from early on in the pandemic
Remote School is Back | How leaders can organize resources to make remote teaching and learning work
SCHOOL DESIGN ARCHIVE
COVID Comeback Models | Concrete examples of possible student groups, schedules, and staff roles for various hybrid models
Decision Points | Guidance for choosing and adapting “COVID Comeback Models”
Guiding Principles | 10 principles to guide realistic, flexible planning that puts people first
Spotlight on Tulsa | How Tulsa Public Schools is using teams to create their back-to-school plans
BUDGET & STAFFING ARCHIVE
Handling Finances | 2 questions about pay policies and roles from early school closures
Financial Implications on School Districts | An overview of likely short- and long-term financial challenges
Key Tradeoffs Calculator | A tool (and video guide) to assess the feasibility and tradeoffs of your district’s school models
Capturing FY20 Savings (or Not) | How COVID-related spending and saving impacted school districts’ end-of-year financial position — including next steps for districts and states
Comeback Costs Calculator | A tool to help district finance teams determine new costs for the 2020-21 school year
Designing Effective Remote School Requires Math | 3 insights into how staffing could make all the difference
The Economics of Transitioning from Remote to In-Person School | A look at 3 district planning levers for increasing opportunities for in-person learning (when it’s safe to)
BIG PICTURE ARCHIVE
Putting Our Money Where Our Values Are | Polling data shows most Americans agree: we need more resources for the students most impacted by COVID
Spotlight on Dallas ISD | How Dallas ISD is recognizing and addressing persistent racial inequities