From the DSSI Team

Register for Summit 2021 on May 11! We're excited to share that registration for Summit will open next Tuesday. We will kick-off registration by sharing a link with CIOs at Workshop 5. CIO Workshop 5: Chief Innovation Officers will gather for our fifth Workshop on May 11th and 13th to reflect on the 2020-21 school year, finalize campus pre-opening monitoring plans, and discuss key milestones for the next 3 - 5 years.

ESSER III: Two-thirds of ESSER III funds ($8.3b) were released April 27. Amounts by district available here. We are excited that SGS Network districts  - through QSAs and portfolio planning - are uniquely situated to strategically invest funds to maximize their benefit on students' learning acceleration. The ESSER III funding period is effectively Mar. 13, 2020 through Sept. 30 2024, but district leaders can execute longer-term learning acceleration. The TEA has posted an FAQ that is being updated in real time to answer questions and provide guidance. Do you want to dig deeper? TEA is hosting two Statewide Trainings and four Q&A sessions. Details here. Registration links available below, in Dates & Deadlines.

Updated Newsletter Schedule: The SGS Newsletter will now be published on the first Thursday of each month rather than biweekly. As news articles featuring the great work of district leaders are published, we will begin posting them on the News & Updates page of the SGS website.

Updates & Opportunities

NACSA is hosting three events this May in its Unchartered Waters series to discuss planning and launching new schools. These events will be hosted in the form of a community conversation, an expert roundtable, and a peer review of a new school application. Register here.

The District Charter Alliance is hosting a networking event on July 27 - 28 for district, charter, non-profit, and university leaders to meet and learn more about 1882 parnterships in Texas. Register here.

Grants & Resources

The following grant opportunities may help districts provide the schools that students and families want and need. For more details on state grants, see the TEA Grant Opportunities Page.

School Action Fund applications due May 13! School Actions are bold strategies districts can take to create, redesign, or restart schools that meet the unique needs of their communities. Summary info., including an overview of models and the timeline, is available at CenterforSchoolActions.org. Detailed info. is posted on the TEA Grant Website. Due dates are linked below:

• 2021-22 SAF Planning Grant, and
• 2021-23 SAF Implementation Grant.

The Texas Education for Homeless Children & Youth Grant is a competitive grant awarded every three years to promote school stability and improve enrollment, identification, attendance, and academic outcomes for homeless children. Projected grant amounts by district available here.

Network News

Garland ISD's board expanded the inter-district transfer policy to allow open enrollment from surrounding communities.

San Antonio ISD launched its Master Teacher Initiative 2.0 to increase pay for great teachers, esp. at highest-needs schools. Supt. Martinez hosted town halls at eight campuses to update the community on the state of the district.

PSJA ISD is adding 30 instructional days to the 21-22 school year to help students recover from learning loss.

Beaumont ISD hosted a CCMR Virtual Fair to help students shine a light to their future.

The Holdsworth Center invited Garland & Victoria ISDs to join their next cohort. Districts will receive 5-years of classroom, campus, and district leadership development.

A Longview ISD 1882 Partner, ETAA, is using the Character Counts counseling program to proactively meet their students' needs.

Aldine ISD Supt. Dr. Goffney reflected on the 20-21 school year with Texas Tribune's Evan Smith.

Midland ISD's Supt. Dr. Ramsey provided an update on her visits to all MISD campuses and stakeholder meetings.