Florida Department of Education Sends $44 Million In Grants To Improve Low-Performing Schools

Providing students from a young age with a comprehensive education is critical to their success. Properly funding struggling schools helps as the Florida Department of Education has been awarded $44 million in federal Unified School Improvement Grant (UniSIG) funds. These funds will be distributed to 149 schools in 29 school districts. Florida schools in the bottom five percent of performance will receive the funds.

Most of the states with the highest populations in the United States have the highest illiteracy rates. The worst literacy rates are in California, New York, Florida, Texas and New Jersey.

Ensuring that students can achieve a level of functional literacy is key. Reading and writing and doing basic math should be the birthright of every child, but unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way. The United States, one of the most developed countries in the world, has a literacy problem. Many students in states all over the country are functionally illiterate, and that translates into illiterate adults. This could prevent them from reaching their full potential. And while fixing this will take time, states are trying to address this issue. One important way is by properly funding education.

Fund Distribution

• Teachers who teach at these low performing schools and have earned highly effective or effective ratings can receive up to $15,000
• Principals may qualify for up to $45,000 for recruitment/retention and performance
• One assistant principal from each school may qualify for $10,000 for recruitment/retention
• Each school will receive up to $100,000 to fund an Early Literacy Coach to support the 2021-2022 adoption of and professional development for the English Language Arts B.E.S.T. Standards.
• Each school will receive up to $100,000 to fund a school-based Strategic Initiatives Coach to support the B.E.S.T. Standards adoption
• Each school will receive up to $30,000 to fund supplemental teacher professional development and instructional materials to support the B.E.S.T. Standards adoption and implementation

Funding education through these initiatives and retaining the best teachers are critical. Grant funds will support school improvement initiatives.

“Frederick Douglass said it best when he said, ‘It is easier to build strong children than repair broken adults,’ and with these funds, we ensure our students have world-class educators in front of them each and every day,” Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran said. “Our No. 1 goal is to ensure each of Florida’s 2.9 million public school students receive a world-class education and are given the tools to succeed. These funds help accomplish that important work by incentivizing great educators with proven track records of success to come help our most vulnerable students in our most vulnerable schools succeed.”

GrantWatch Notes

Funding education is an essential aspect of student success, and incentivizing both teachers and principals for high performance will help with retention. At GrantWatch, we understand the importance of education which is why we have a category for Education grants. Make sure to sign up for a GrantWatch paid subscription to gain access to all of our grant-seeking resources.