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ESSER endgame: What 7 districts plan to fund and what leaders might cut

Leaders are determined to extend academic recovery, but they're also preparing to cut new staff that has been hired to beef up instruction and scrambling to find the funding to sustain effective programs.

Stricter discipline may be returning to schools after abandonment of zero tolerance

Research has found that stricter discipline policies disproportionately harm students of color but a rise in violence and other behavioral problems is fueling a return to move punitive punishments.

How long does it take teachers to afford an average home in their district?

It would take a teacher 30 years to save for a 20% down payment for a "median home" in San Francisco Unified School District in California, according to a new analysis breaking down some of the most—and least—affordable districts for teachers.

How to streamline employee time tracking and attendance to improve retention

Hourly workers—bus drivers, custodians, substitute teachers—are the backbone of K12 schools. One of the most important ways administrators can retain them is by providing consistent, accurate and timely pay.

Districts are using up their ESSER funds. Now comes the hard part

Districts are now spending ESSER money at a rate of $5 billion a month, a pace that will exhaust the funds by the 2024 deadline, according to the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University.

Leaders who are taming out-of-control absenteeism are focused on 3 areas

Chronic absenteeism spiked at 10 million students in 2020-21—that means more than one in every five students in the nation missed at least 10% of the school year.

Are 4-day school weeks worth attracting teachers if learning suffers?

The 4-day school week, seen as a powerful recruitment tool, could cause as much learning loss as the pandemic but over a protracted period of time, according to a new Rand Corporation analysis.

These states are leading the electric school bus movement

Zero emissions transportation is a slow, yet growing movement in K12 school districts. Here are four ways to help your district cut costs while transitioning to ESBs.

2 uncomfortable truths a video experiment reveals about school discipline

A Yale education researcher recruited young white, Black, and Latino actors to "misbehave" in a series of videos. Teachers were asked who should be sent to the principal’s office—and the responses were disturbing.

Why some teachers have no choice but to work two jobs

"I have considered declaring bankruptcy," one Louisiana teacher wrote. "I cannot stay in this profession unless we receive a 25% raise."

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