Leveraging the CARES Act and the American Rescue Plan Act

June 2, 2020

By: Susan Gentz

Now more than ever as schools across the country are opening or planning on opening, schools desperately need capable, visionary, and thoughtful administrators to lead increasingly diverse schools in our ever-changing, increasingly challenging world. School and school district leaders have extraordinary responsibilities to satisfy multiple and distinct stakeholders while they constantly face new challenges. Furthermore, the past year has increased the feelings of isolation felt by many school leaders as the physical separation was added to the potential decision-making isolation. One way to be prepared for these challenges is by incorporating the use of the SchoolSims Simulation Library into your professional development programs.

View our recent webinar slide deck here.

SchoolSims Simulation Library into your professional development programs. SchoolSims simulations provide an opportunity for current and aspiring school leaders to gain virtual experience dealing with situations before facing those same issues in real-life. School Leaders also have the opportunity to enhance their peer-to-peer and collaborative decision-making skills to help reduce the feelings of isolation and through shared simulated experiences increase communications.

The new era of, at a minimum, blended and hybrid learning requires visionary leadership more than ever. SchoolSims is equipped and ready to serve districts by providing personalized virtual professional development – and the stimulus funds & waivers provide both funding and flexibility for your district to participate in high-quality PD to truly prepare your educators for this new normal.

Learn more about how to leverage these resources to ensure your leaders and leadership pipeline only grow stronger in challenging times from our expert partners at K20Connect – specifically how to provide high-quality PD opportunities to your current and aspiring school leaders through the CARES Act and the current American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and waivers. Click here to learn more

When confronted with challenging situations, school leaders sift through their past experiences searching for relevant instances from which to draw knowledge. Furthermore, as we have seen this past year, when challenges are totally new, leaders and decision-makers need to draw on critical thinking and judgment skills that enable them to quickly identify and weigh different trade-offs and make the best decisions they can as they leap into the unknown. If learning from one’s mistakes is the best way to experience growth, however painful, how do we provide these learning experiences and opportunities to practice exercising judgment to current and aspiring leaders with a minimum of ‘pain’?

At SchoolSims, we have created the solution by providing manufactured experiences through online, software simulations that assist in growing current and aspiring school leaders. Simulations can be facilitated in-person or through any online meeting service. When gathering in groups is discouraged or not possible, online simulation training can be safely and effectively deployed.