How to Request School Funds for your Professional Development
Educators are always looking for ways to strengthen their craft. Requesting school funds is one way educators can continue to grow their instructional and leadership capacity. This post will walk educators through what school funds are, how to request them, and what they can even be used for.
What are school funds?
Schools have money allocated for professional development [PD]. These funds can only be used for educators’ learning. If these funds aren’t used up by the end of the year, they disappear and cannot roll over to the next year. This means schools need to prioritize PD needs so educators can benefit from additional learning opportunities.
Educators do not need to wait to be told what PD opportunities are available. They can advocate for opportunities they desire. Then, administrators can approve PD and pay for them with school funds at no cost to the educators participating.
How do I request school funds?
- Brainstorm learning opportunities– Research PD experiences or materials you are interested in and make a list that you can share with administration
- Grab colleagues to come along– Poll colleagues to find out what they are interested in and see if you can get a group together to learn and grow as this would be more advantageous to the school as a whole versus one educator with one request
- Start the conversation– Meet with your administrator to find out when requests have to submitted, what types of learning opportunities are covered, and share what you’re interested in attending
- Follow the protocol– Be sure to submit your request by the deadline and via the proper avenue so that you can have your request approved
What do I request school funds for?
School funds can be used for instructional materials or PD experiences. Be sure to ask your administrator for the exhaustive list of what is covered. Here are a few examples:
- Books for colleague book study
- PD in a Box materials for staff ongoing learning
- Educator conferences
- Classroom materials
- In-school PD presenter or speaker
- Visit state or district schools for learning walks
- Printable PD resources
- Staff t-shirts
- New teacher mentorship materials
There’s no reason to wait for learning opportunities to come along. Decide what you want and use school funds to get it.
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GO BE GREAT!
What PD opportunities or materials have you used school funds for?
About the author, Gretchen
I am a teacher trainer and coach. Working elbow to elbow with teachers and teacher leaders to ensure instructional proficiency and student achievement soar lights me up. We have a real need in our nation for strong educators to remain in the field. My blog, book, podcast, courses and instructional materials are geared towards empowering teachers (and those that lead them) to receive the support needed to grow and thrive today, tomorrow and always.