BetterLesson Distributes $300,000 in Grants Among K-12 Districts

• By Matt Jones
• 04/12/21

K-12 professional learning provider BetterLesson announced that it will distribute $300,000 in grant money for professional development services among six K-12 school districts around the country. According to a press release, the goal of the grant program is to focus on “improving the continuity of teaching and learning across all environments and addressing issues of equity in education.” The matching grant program launched in 2020, and this year’s winners are the first batch of educational institutions to receive it.

“It’s incredibly heartening to see that despite an ongoing pandemic and social and political unrest, schools and districts across the U.S. are motivated to improve teaching and learning in new environments and adopt strategies that promote social justice,” said BetterLesson CEO Matt Kennard. “Our team enjoyed reading through each and every grant application – the awarded services are well deserved, and we look forward to supporting recipients in achieving their goals.”

This year’s recipients of the grant, as well as their plans for the funding, include:

• Lyons Township High School District 204 (LTHS), Illinois: Promote student-centered teaching practices through a group-based training model. The training will encourage educators to focus on engagement, personalization, and relevance in both hybrid and remote learning situations.
• Methuen Public Schools (MPS), Massachusetts: Pursue a long-term goal of promoting student-centered, equitable, responsive educating and learning. They plan to increase the use of student data to determine the best instructional practices.
• Norwalk Public Schools, Connecticut: NPS plans to advance student-centered STEM education, student engagement, inclusive and responsive educational methods, and meeting students’ needs.
• Provo City School District, Utah: PCSD plans to devote its funds to literacy outcomes in grades K-3. It will provide one-on-one coaching for teachers at four elementary schools, as well as social-emotional learning (SEL) training workshops and coaching for district teachers and social workers.
• Tomkins-Seneca-Tioga Board of Cooperative Educational Services (TST BOCES), New York: TST BOCES plans to solve problems related to curriculum, instruction, and assessment. “This is likely the most challenging time any of us has experienced as educators,” said Nicole Eschler, Executive Director of Regional School Success at TST BOCES, “but the dedication, creativity and care shown by our educators is off the charts – we’re eager to build staff capacity and create sustained, systemic change.”
• Yeshivat Darche Eres (YDE), New York: It will fund training programs for best educational practices related to blended learning, and it will introduce a one-to-one technology initiative.

Future rounds of grants will help educators address student and teacher needs that emerge after the pandemic, using lessons and strategies learned to further student growth. More information about the matching grant program is available here.