Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1472975
Interested in learning more about your district's ARP spending plan? Reach out to your local president to learn more! 11 environment for our kids. It's always really critical to get everybody's perspective when you're trying to solve a problem and figure out how to move forward effectively," she says. "I would encourage districts across the state to really reach out in multiple ways and have lots of conversations and modes of input for staff, and for families, to help really identify what those priority needs are and make sure that we're using ARP funds where appropriate to address those." Gambler says her local served an important role in helping members feel like they could comfortably speak up about needs and priorities brought on by COVID-19. "It's always worth the chance to collaborate," she says. "Yes, it can feel intimidating at times, especially because priorities might not line up. But we are the ones in classrooms, and if we can't share our ideas to help everybody, then we are not doing our job as educators to ensure that our students' needs are being met." Superintendent Flanagan welcomed input and feedback from the Riverton Education Association on the district's plan for ARP spending. "We've tried to be really, really thoughtful about identifying where the gaps are for our kids, what the needs are for our staff when it comes to addressing those gaps, and looking at the needs of our families as a whole," she says. "As a district our staff just really does a phenomenal job of putting the kids in the center of the table and making decisions based on what they need. You know, my hope is that we're leveraging these funds in a way that is going to have some long- lasting positive impact for our students, for our staff, for our families, and for our community." Gambler shares her Superintendent's optimism about the potential for ARP dollars to make a lasting, positive impact. "We are all in this together," she says. "Our job is to create environments in which our students can receive a successful education that pushes them to great heights so that they are the contributing members of society that we would like them to be. I believe that the ARP funds have the potential to make a positive impact. That will all come down to the programs and the initiatives that we put in place with these funds." Students T E R of the table to Allocating Funds From the American Rescue Plan Our staff just really does a phenomenal job of putting the kids in the center of the table and making decisions based on what they need.