With the signing of the American Rescue Plan Act, a portion of the $1.9-trillion federal relief fund will be directed into the nation’s educational system. However, the challenges faced by educators all over the country aren’t over yet.
School leaders must now maneuver through the law’s requirements and strategize the best way to use the funds for their students and staff.
Here to discuss how schools can use the federal relief money to better prepare for the inevitable return to the classroom are David Lopez and Megan Lipinczyk. Lopez is ScreenBeam’s Senior Manager of Strategic Alliances, while Lipinczyk is the organization’s Strategic Alliance Manager.
When asked about the challenges she faced in integrating technology into the classroom setting, Lipinczyk replied, “The biggest challenge I faced was making sure my students had what they needed to be successful,” a sentiment felt by many educators today.
Unfortunately, schools across district and state lines haven’t been given the same kinds of opportunities, and it has resulted in completely different educational experiences for our nation’s students.
“It’s hit or miss depending on the school, on the location, on the initiatives that the district was putting out at the time,” Lopez said. “But, now, all those districts that were left behind are even further behind because of the current situation.”
Although districts and technology companies offer educational resources to help them along the way, Lopez called upon teachers to be proactive, as well. “There are a lot of resources out there, but a lot of the time, it’s up to the teacher to take initiative to seek it out and make it their own, because you can’t apply a cookie cutter system to every single teacher.”
For the latest news and insights on collaboration, technology, and better communication in our nation’s classroom, subscribe to the Collaborative Tech Talks podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify today.
David Lopez
Director, Edu Strategy at ScreenBeam
Helping education technology leaders rethink the modern classroom.
Tampa, Florida, United States