For The Love of Money! Challenging the Underfunded Narrative: $122B Unspent Funds

Some people got to have it| Some people really need it|Listen to me why'all, do things, do things, do bad things with it| You want to do things, do things, do things, good things with it|Talk about cash money, money| Talk about cash money- dollar bills, why'all- For The Love of Money - The O'Jays?

California voters just approved $1B of new investment in arts education across the state’s public school system. This is small progress that should be recognized – arts education is a critical input in developing holistic learning for our youth.?

The Challenge! Mo Money Mo Problems - Queue Biggie Smalls!? Even though we are getting some of the funding we need for the first time in a long time, we are not spending it as we need to! An analysis by the Washington Post found that our public schools received $122B of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) funding in 2021 and most of it hasn’t been used. These funds were issued to help public schools address the impact of COVID-19 on students. There are several obstacles preventing school districts across the USA from allocating and spending these funds: state-level approval of plans, staffing shortages, and supply chain disruptions. Let’s also not forget that these are temporary funds which means there are some limitations to long-term commitments that can be made.

Here’s the thing: this is the moment to kickstart a much-needed revolution in the US education system.?

Currently, 90% of federal education funding goes toward programming during the school day. But, students only spend 20% of their waking hours in school. Yes, a helpful and necessary use of these funds is to support learning in traditional spaces by upgrading infrastructure, like ensuring wireless internet access throughout school buildings.?

This Is How We Do It- Queue Montell Jordan What if we use an appropriate portion of these billions of dollars to provide intentional care, attention, and guidance through after-school programming??

• We could increase the number of field trips students take which means broadening their exposure to different experiences and learning opportunities.?
• We could expand our students’ horizons and strengthen their sense of self by bringing in more BIPOC-owned brands, companies, and initiatives.?
• We could start to embed whole-self mental health tools and practices into the everyday learning experience.?

To start, students, parents, educators, and community members must come together as a community coalition. With the voices of the community at large, this coalition guides the investment strategy of currently available funds and future budgeting activities to ensure the unique needs of the community are being met. Let’s use this moment - and these funds - to affect real change in the everyday lives of our youth. As you think about the change we have given you a short playlist to prod your thoughts!