Use Your ESSER Funding in the Technology Classroom! Are you ESSERIOUS?
Use Your ESSER Funding in the Technology Classroom! Are you ESSERIOUS?
Time is ticking for ESSER grants. There’s lots of information to sift through when deciding how to seek ESSER funding for your school or classroom. Are you going cross-eyed yet? We are! How can you allocate the ESSER funds for your technology classroom? We’re breaking it down for you piece by piece and giving you the best resources you need to cash in on some much-needed funding for typing and digital citizenship as summer winds down and back to school kicks into gear for 2021-2022.
The American Rescue Plan (ARP) requires local districts to release plans for a safe return to in-person instruction within 30 days of receiving funds, so the time to plan for your technology classroom is now!
Read on to combat the substantial learning loss affecting most children from COVID-19.
What are the ESSER funds?
The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund passed Congress in 2020 and 2021. It allocates around 200 billion dollars to K–12 education. Typing.com offers a full typing curriculum for grades K–12+.
Congress set aside approximately $13.2 billion of the $30.75 billion allotted to the Education Stabilization Fund through the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER Fund).
The Department awarded these grants to State Educational Agencies (SEAs) to provide Local Educational Agencies (LEAs)―including charter schools that are LEAs―with emergency relief funds to address the impact COVID-19 continues to have on elementary and secondary schools across the nation.
Who applies to the Department for ESSER formula funds?
Only SEAs in the 50 States, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia can apply directly to the Department for ESSER Funds. You can check your state’s allocation here. And you can apply for funding here.
Why should I use ESSER funding on Typing.com?
Typing.com’s engaging and inclusive typing program is eligible for ESSER funding! Typing.com uses interactive lessons, reporting, cross-curricular reinforcement, and digital citizenship lessons. Find more info about how Typing.com maps to ESSER here.
How can I spend ESSER funds?
Here’s how you can spend your ESSER grant and how you can use it in your technology classroom:
| ESSER I, II, III Allowable Uses
“Activities to address the unique needs of low-income children or students, children with disabilities, English learners, and others.” |
How Typing.com Premium Aligns
All of Typing.com’s accessibility features for the hard of hearing, visually impaired. Typing.com is WCAG 2,0 compliant, dictation, fully customizable for children who learn at different paces so that you can easily implement into IEPs and 504 plans. To support English learners, Typing.com is also available in multiple languages. |
| ESSER III Allowable Uses
“Tracking student attendance and improving student engagement in distance education.” |
How Typing.com Premium Aligns
Teacher and district dashboards allow educators to track progress, monitor usage, and follow assignment activity. With premium, you have access to all your data forever, while gamification and personal goal-setting increase student engagement. Reporting for parents or classroom progress is also available. |
When will the Department of Education make the awards?
ESSER Timeline:
Spring 2020: The Department makes initial awards
Spring 2021: States return funds not awarded
Sept. 30, 2021: Last date the Department can make awards
SEAs make awards as soon as practicable
Spring/ Summer 2021: The Department makes reallocation awards
Sept. 30, 2022: Last date SEA, LEA, or other subgrantees can obligate funds
Download a printable overview of Typing.com’s alignment to ESSER funding.
Want to learn more about how ESSER’s funding can be used for Typing.com? Schedule a call.
More questions about ESSER funding? Looking for the nitty-gritty details? Visit Department of Education ESSER fact sheet.
Apply for ESSER funding here.
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