The U.S. Department of Education announced on Wednesday that 11 states will be receiving approximately $180 million in grant funding for “rethinking education to better serve students during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The Rethink K-12 Education Models Grant supports states’ efforts to find new and innovative ways for students to continue learning and meet changing needs. The Department of Education announced a competition for the grant money back in April, inviting any state education department to apply. Winning states received awards ranging from $6 million to $20 million.
Georgia will receive nearly $18.6 million via the funding. The money will go towards improving professional learning for leaders and educators, expanding student connectivity and improve the infrastructure and accessibility of the Georgia Virtual School.
“In Georgia, we are committed to building a more personalized and connected educational system, and continuing to leverage virtual learning more effectively, both during the COVID-19 pandemic and long-term,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “These funds will help us build that system and expand personalized learning opportunities for our students.”
There were some guidelines or goals for the grants from the federal department. It called for projects to include:
Microgrants to ensure families have access to technology and services for remote learning;
Statewide virtual learning and course access programs; and,
New, “field-initiated models for providing remote education not yet imagined, to ensure that every child is learning and preparing for successful careers and lives.”
“While Georgia educators have been amazing as they quickly pivoted to respond to the situation in March, we want to grow our ability to engage students using a personalized approach to learning,” said Dr. Caitlin McMunn Dooley, GaDOE’s Deputy Superintendent of Teaching & Learning. “This three-year grant will ensure long-term vision, leadership, and success using research-informed strategies for personalized learning.”
The announcement comes the same day that Governor Brian Kemp joined Superintendent Woods to announce $6 million to help schools connect students to the internet. Lack of connectivity for rural Georgia has been in the news a lot lately but for metro Atlanta readers, it may still be an easy thing to forget. To get a better picture of what much of the state is dealing with, see here: https://broadband.georgia.gov/maps/gbdi-unserved-georgia
“While the internet access gap has come into sharper focus during the COVID-19 pandemic, securing connectivity for all of Georgia’s students is a long-term need,” said Governor Kemp. “This is a major step to address the gap for this school year so that all Georgia’s children have access to learning opportunities in and out of school.”
The funding will go towards the purchase of a number of connectivity solutions, including WiFi transmitters on school buses and other options as needed. Some districts can use the money to install WiFi transmitters on residential buildings where a number of students live, like apartments or multifamily housing.
“This initiative will ensure schools and districts are prepared if distance/virtual learning is needed in the future, but will also expand the horizons of thousands of students long after the pandemic ends,” said Superintendent Woods.
