Standards
Rigorous, information-age standards and curricula to support them.
To seize this incredible moment of rapid change to transform the way school districts use resources—people, time, and money—so that every school succeeds for every child.
People
Time
Money
In collaborating with urban districts across the country, Education Resource Strategies (ERS) has identified seven strategies to help you transform your school systems starting with the resources you have today. And we have developed tools and examples to get you started.
From: Inconsistent standards that don’t prepare kids to think critically, creatively, or collaboratively.
To: Rigorous, college-and-career-ready standards with effective curricula, instructional strategies, and assessments to achieve them.
From: Isolated job, limited opportunities for growth or teaming, and career and compensation paths unconnected to performance or contribution.
To: Selective hiring, development, and strategic assignment to schools and teams. Career path and compensation enable growth and reward contribution.
From: A one-size-fits-all learning environment with rigid schedules and class sizes that don’t accommodate different learning needs.
To: Schools with restructured teams and schedules; personalized learning and support that responds to student needs and promotes instructional collaboration.
From: Limited autonomy, flexibility, and support that do little to develop and promote strong leadership.
To: Leadership roles with clear goals, accountability and career paths, and the flexibility and support to achieve results.
From: Central office focused on compliance and oversight rather than productive partnerships with schools.
To: A central office that serves as a strategy partner, leveraging data to increase efficiency and identify best practices.
From: Wide funding variances across schools, even after adjusting for differences in student needs.
To: Systems that allocate resources—people, time, and money—equitably, according to student and school needs.
From: Schools struggling to provide the full range of social, emotional, health, and other services.
To: Partnering with families, community institutions, youth service organizations, and online instructors to serve students’ needs.
Rigorous, information-age standards and curricula to support them.
A new way we hire, assign, support, pay and promote teachers.
A re-imagined school day with new schedules and dynamic groupings.
Clear standards and support for principals and district administrators.
A central office that is a service and strategy partner instead of a compliance watchdog.
Systems that allocate resources equitably and flexibly across schools.
Partnering to create innovative and cost-effective ways to serve students better.
Go to the School System 20/20 section of our website to learn how to make this vision a reality.
Education Resource Strategies (ERS) is a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming how urban school systems organize resources—people, time, technology, and money—so that every school succeeds for every student. ERS is the only organization leveraging more than 15 years of experience working with the largest urban school systems in the country on strategic resource allocation. We have worked hand-in-hand with more than 20 school systems nationwide, including 16 of the 100 largest urban districts, on topics such as teacher compensation and career path, funding equity, school design, central office support, and budget development. We also share research and practical tools based on our extensive dataset, and we collaborate with others to create the conditions for change in education. Find out more about what we do.
We welcome the opportunity to partner with your district and apply the School System 20/20 approach to better align resources and generate a significant impact for your students, your schools, and your communities.
617.607.8000