The School Superintendents Association (AASA) recently published an analysis of American Rescue Plan Funding expenditures and use across the United States. A Congressional briefing on the report was recently held, and two district superintendents shared their experiences. Dr. Rupak Gandhi of Fargo, North Dakota, and Heidi Sipe of Umatilla, OR, were asked to represent the superintendents of the nation for this event.
Fargo Public Schools was chosen to speak because of their focus on investment in professional development. They provided human capital investments, such as teacher coaching, attendance specialists, restorative practice facilitators, and student success coaches, to positively impact their students.
Umatilla was selected because they spent their funds across the full spectrum of options; however, they focused on long-lasting and sustainable improvements that would continue once the Federal funds were exhausted. The district used the American Recovery Act funding to rethink the manner in which they ran substitute staffing. They also replaced a modular structure that had been placed as a temporary facility in the 1970s but was still in use.
"Post-pandemic, we had a number of substitutes decide not to return. Some were concerned about their health, others decided to fully retire, and many shifted to other industries," Superintendent Heidi Sipe of Umatilla stated. "We had to step back and stop thinking about how we could recruit more substitutes during a time when most industries were seeking employees and instead redesign the structure of substituting entirely," Sipe continued.
Using a three-part redesign, the Umatilla School District implemented a new staffing structure that has proven to be sustainable. They hired full-time roaming substitutes who are regular employees of the district. The roaming substitutes participate fully in all training, they are familiar with the curriculum and they are a familiar face to students. "Stability for the student experience was very important to us coming out of the pandemic. We wanted students to feel safe and supported in school, and having a consistent workforce ready to serve them was essential," said Sipe. The District also invested in a paraprofessional training program that involves an intensive professional development program and monthly trainings for continued growth, as well as monitoring from a professional development coach. This program provided high-quality paraprofessionals for the classrooms but also became a strong grow-your-own effort for the district. As paraprofessionals grow in their skills, they are sponsored by the district for a substitute teaching license, allowing them to cover for the teachers they support when they are absent.
The experimental piece of the first two parts was the cost associated with thinking differently. Fortunately, the district has found the model to be sustainable as staff are using less leave time and can now leave for just the time needed for a medical appointment instead of needing to take the entire day for such an appointment. Further, the district only needs to pay the difference between the paraprofessional's wage and that of the substitute teacher's wage, so the costs of absences are reduced. This creative solution not only earned the district an invitation to present at the Congressional briefing but also earned recognition as an "Innovative District" by the Model Schools Conference. District and school administrators presented the model at the Model Schools Conference in June.
In addition to the substitute restructuring, Umatilla Schools were asked to share about the new building that was completed to replace the 50-year-old modular building. After getting bids for multiple options that were all outside of the district's price range, they turned to another creative solution and worked with the City of Umatilla and Hermiston Home Center to utilize a triple-wide for the space needs of the district's alternative education classroom and daycare center. "We knew we had a limited pool of Federal funding, and we knew we wanted to invest it in long-range impact items, and the new Alternative Education and Daycare space has surpassed our expectations. It was a great exercise in creativity and collaboration, with a lot of stress thrown in for good measure, but it turned out great, and it serves students well," said Sipe.
When reflecting on the briefing, Sipe stated, "It was an incredible honor to represent Umatilla School District at the Congressional briefing. While I hope we never again face a pandemic, the lessons learned from the American Rescue Plan funds for guiding future investments are sound and worth sharing. I appreciate the experiences shared in the report and am thankful for the opportunity to share the way in which we invested the funds for the benefit of Umatilla students."
To review the full report, visit: