This is Our Chance to Make a Lasting Impact with Federal Funds

We’re in the midst of a moment we’ve never seen before in education. More than halfway through the spending window of an unprecedented release of federal funding, it’s time to act and make a lasting impact on education. Together, we can build a brighter future for the students of today and tomorrow.  

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) urged bold action to advance educational equity and drive student achievement in their January 25, 2023 “Dear Colleague” letter from the Office of Education Technology. The letter points out that restoring education systems to “pre-pandemic” status isn’t enough. Students require robust support to address opportunity and achievement gaps exacerbated by the global pandemic. At the same time, educational institutions face a troubling increase in cybersecurity attacks. The ED encourages immediately increasing investment in piloting, refining, and scaling technology to advance equity and success while ensuring data security.  

The letter outlines how unprecedented releases of federal funds in the last few years make their recommendations attainable for all school districts. Funding packages like the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) and Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) provide new funding streams totaling more than $190 billion. Long-standing programs like the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) can also support building out technology systems to improve educational equity.  

The ED’s call to action is clear—spending deadlines are approaching, and it’s time to act.  

Maximizing Federal Funds for Our Education System: A Call to Action 

From conversations with our customers, we understand how difficult it can be to leverage one-time federal funds, especially from the newest streams. McKinsey & Company reports districts spent just $45 billion of the $190 billion total ESSER allotment by June of 2022—money which must be committed by September 2024. Over 90% of district administrators say they face challenges deploying stimulus funds in their district. Considering these factors, McKinsey estimates $20 billion in ESSER funding will go unspent.  

Missing out on these funds would represent a tragic loss for students—those in school today and for years to come. We can’t afford to leave money on the table. Now is the time to take advantage of these resources and make a once-in-a-generation impact on our education system.  

Four Reasons to Invest K-12 Relief Funds Now 

Here are the four key areas identified in the “Dear Colleague” letter that federal funds can address, and how PowerSchool can partner with you to find the right solutions: 

• 36,000 teaching jobs remained vacant and 163,000 more positions were held by underqualified teachers at the start of the current school year. Investing in tools for recruiting and staff support can help turn the tide on staffing shortages and retention.  
• Districts modernized learning management systems, parent and family communication, and student data analytics at a higher rate than operational technology since the pandemic began, making it a valuable area to focus remaining funds. 

Hire, Onboard, and Retain Staff with PowerSchool Educator Clouds 

Technology can help you meet staffing goals and improve employee support. The PowerSchool Educator Recruitment Cloud is the only complete K-12 staffing solution that gives you the nation’s most popular K-12 job board along with tools to save time posting jobs, simplify applicant tracking, and stay audit-ready. You can put your job postings in front of more qualified candidates, review applications faster, and extend offers with confidence. 

Click here for tips to secure funding for hiring solutions 

The PowerSchool Educator Effectiveness Cloud is the first solution designed to improve teacher support and retention with our award-winning, talent products. Flexible digital onboarding lets new hires complete the process from anywhere. Clear, transparent evaluation scoring enables growth conversations that focus on support and classroom success. Online access to professional development (PD) content means teachers can build their skills on their own schedules.  

Click here for tips to secure funding for professional learning solutions 

• Math scores in 2022 among 4th and 8th graders saw the biggest decline since testing began in 1990, according to the Nation’s Report Card (also known as the National Assessment of Educational Progress).  
• Teachers and instructional leaders overwhelmingly agree that data helps them identify student needs and take appropriate action, according to our 2022 Education Focus Report: Top District Priorities and Shifts in PK-12 Education. 

Support Every Student with the PowerSchool Personalized Learning Cloud 

With each student at a different place in their learning journey, learning technology needs to help educators adjust and adapt to meet them where they are. The PowerSchool Personalized Learning Cloud is the first all-in-one solution to help teachers personalize instruction and learning support. This complete solution offers a simple, interoperable experience with tools for everything from curriculum management to lesson planning, instructional delivery, and assessment. Built-in communication tools help teachers get families engaged in their child’s education. 

Most recently, we released LearningNav as part of our Personalized Learning Cloud to enable AI and machine learning to generate personalized learning pathways. Educators have a lot on their plates, and LearningNav gives them more time to tailor support to each student along their learning journey.  

Find personalized learning solutions that qualify for relief funds

• 71% of parents reported that the pandemic had “taken a toll on their child’s mental health” according to one study on the effects of the global pandemic 
• A majority of educators and school leaders labeled whole-child education “fundamental” in advancing student learning and development in our own study. 

Provide Whole-Child Support with the PowerSchool Student Success Cloud 

PowerSchool is the first edtech provider to combine behavior, attendance, and multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) in one solution for whole-child support. Educators get the tools and information they need to address chronic absenteeism, promote positive behavior, and implement MTSS. It’s built around the idea that meeting students where they are is the best way for teachers to help them realize their full potential.  

The PowerSchool Student Success Cloud goes beyond traditional MTSS solutions by showing educators the full picture. It gives schools and districts a way to scale the one-on-one attention every student deserves.  

Find a whole-child solution that qualifies for relief funds  

• 45 school districts were impacted by ransomware attacks last year, affecting 1,981 schools. 58 districts were attacked in 2021, but hackers went after larger districts in 2022 which resulted in nearly twice the number of individual schools affected.  
• Data was exfiltrated in at least 58 education sector incidents, and at least three organizations paid a ransom demand. 

Secure Sensitive K-12 Data to Protect Against Increasing Cybersecurity Threats 

Cyberattacks are on the rise in the education world, making them feel much more real than a worst-case scenario. Some schools report paying up to 334% more for cybersecurity insurance this year, indicating the much higher risk of expensive data breaches, like ransomware and phishing attacks. We prioritize data security in every product development and release because we know how vital it is to protecting students and our education system.  

PowerSchool signed the Student Privacy Pledge in 2020, and we hold privacy certifications from industry leaders TrustArc and Privo. We adhere to all applicable state, province, and federal data privacy regulations, including the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA) guidelines.  

This commitment to data security largely drove our investment into building out Connected Intelligence, education’s first data as a service (DaaS) offering. By building on the trusted and proven Snowflake platform, we can provide customers with powerful data management and analytics while ensuring cybersecurity that’s second to none.  

All PowerSchool Clouds feature security as a top priority. For example, the PowerSchool Student Information Cloud builds industry leading security into the heart of your edtech ecosystem. It’s the first complete cloud-hosted student information solution that includes enrollment, data management, and analytics. To help students start building their own futures, the PowerSchool Workforce Development Cloud provides secure, intuitive tools to prepare students for their postsecondary journey.

This is Our Chance to Shape the Future of Education Together 

The needs are real. The funding and resources are there in the form of federal programs and emergency relief funds. Technology is ready to provide solutions. This is our moment to make a profound impact on the future of education. Improvements today can impact student success for years to come. We just need to connect the dots to make it happen. 

Of course, we also understand that emergency relief funds are one-time in nature. This naturally raises concerns about sustaining investments into the future. To make sure our customers can invest in their current systems and pilot new ones while still maintaining a strong budget, we developed guidelines for avoiding a fiscal cliff. Also, collaborate with your state’s federal grants office around new flexibility to leverage ESSER towards multi-year software licenses that continue beyond the end of funding (December 7 FAQ from US Dept. of Education, pg. 69) . The bottom line is that the future of education is too important to leave anything on the table.  

PowerSchool is your partner for improving operational readiness, delivering high-quality personalized instruction, supporting the whole student, and modernizing data security. As the leader in K-12 edtech, we’ll continue to improve, develop and deliver technology that helps districts achieve vital goals and support their community. That’s our promise, and we look forward to partnering with you.