CFDA#
84.425C
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Funder Type
State Government
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IT Classification
B - Readily funds technology as part of an award
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Authority
Tennessee Department of Education
Summary
This emergency block grant empowers Governors to decide how best to meet the current needs of students, schools (including charter schools and non-public schools), postsecondary institutions, and other education-related organizations in their State so that faculty continue to teach and students continue to learn. Governors are encouraged to focus these resources on ensuring that all students continue to learn most likely through some form of remote learning. Grant funds awarded under the Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund may be used to—
- provide emergency support through grants to local educational agencies that the State educational agency deems have been most significantly impacted by coronavirus to support the ability of such local educational agencies to continue to provide educational services to their students and to support the on-going functionality of the local educational agency;
- provide emergency support through grants to institutions of higher education serving students within the State that the Governor determines have been most significantly impacted by coronavirus to support the ability of such institutions to continue to provide educational services and support the on-going functionality of the institution; and
- provide support to any other institution of higher education, local educational agency, or education-related entity within the State that the Governor deems essential for carrying out emergency educational services to students for authorized activities described in section 18003(d)(1) of the CARES Act or the Higher Education Act, the provision of child care and early childhood education, social and emotional support, and the protection of education-related jobs.
A Governor must award funds to eligible entities (i.e., LEAs, IHEs, and education-related entities) within one year of receiving the State's GEER Fund allocation from the Department, although the Governor should use every effort to award funds to eligible entities on an expedited basis to address student needs. Subgrants should be prioritized for LEAs and IHEs within the State that have been most significantly impacted by coronavirus in order to support their ability to continue to provide educational services to students and to support their on-going functionality.
- In providing support to IHEs, the Governor determines those IHEs that are most significantly impacted by coronavirus.
- In providing support to LEAs, the State educational agency (SEA) determines those LEAs that are most significantly impacted by coronavirus. The Department encourages SEAs to consult with the Governor when making this determination.
A Governor may also award funds to any other LEA, IHE, or education-related entity within the State that the Governor deems essential to carry out emergency educational services to students, provide childcare and early childhood education, provide social and emotional support, and protect education-related jobs.
History of Funding
The state's GEER funding was allocated to the following purposes at these amounts:
- Literacy Coaches - $10,000,000
- Literacy - $20,000,000
- Online Academic Tool & PBS - $4,500,000
- Child Well-Being Supports - $1,000,000
- Mental Health - $1,750,000
- Child Well-Being Regional Supports - $800,000
- Charter School Grants - $10,000,000
- Educator Pipeline - $2,000,000
- EPP Literacy Design Grants - $2,000,000
- District Instructional Innovation Grants - $2,000,000
- Civics Seal - $500,000
- Ayers Foundation - $4,000,000
- Jobs for Tennessee Graduates - $750,000
- Niswonger Foundation - $700,000
- Save the Children - $700,000
- Teach for America - $1,800,000
- TN Caps - $500,000
- YMCA - $200,000
Additional Information
Governor Bill Lee will be awarding GEER funds to LEAs, IHEs, charter schools, and non-profit entities across the state to support initiatives and programs identified as priorities prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic: literacy, whole child supports, educator preparation and development, CTE and postsecondary, and other initiatives. Funding will be allocated towards the following initiatives.
Literacy Coaches - To provide support for literacy practices both in-person and via distance learning. Implementation support will be provided cyclically in three-year, staggered terms for all participating schools in the state; this will allow for in-school support from locally-selected providers as well as additional capacity through CORE offices. Funding will be made available for 2 or 3 service contracts. Districts will then "opt-in" to the implementation support networks for teachers and school leaders. Rural and at-risk schools will be prioritized in year one.
Literacy - Literacy training for all K-3 teachers statewide (offered in-person and virtual); the department will issue an RFP to procure a provider to develop materials and develop training in the simple view of reading; all teachers completing the training will receive instructional resources for their classrooms, as well as a stipend via subgrants awarded to districts. Funding will be made available via grants to LEAs.
Online Academic Tool & PBS - These funds would support the build-out for full systems integration and access. Funding will be awarded as a direct services contract. More information is available at https://www.tn.gov/education/news/2020/11/17/tdoe-announces-new-pbs-content--winter-foundations-bootcamp.html and https://www.tn.gov/education/news/2021/1/8/tn-department-of-education-awards--1m-to-tennessee-s-pbs-stations.html
Child Well-Being Supports - Funding to provide additional support for child well-being checks and to implement other recommendations from the state's Child Wellbeing Task Force. Funding will be used by this state-administered program, and leverage nonprofit and other partners via grant contracts.
Mental Health - Mental health and whole child supports were identified by districts as major needs for students; this funding would be utilized to support the infrastructure for students with disabilities, as well as community mapping and whole child supports. Funding will be used by this state-administered program, and leverage nonprofit and other partners via grant contracts.
Child Well-Being Regional Supports - For health and wellness planning. Eight regional supports to supplement supports currently provided to districts by the state's regional offices; these positions would support strong planning practices, including the support of district action teams, as well as providing resources for child wellness, during and post COVID. Funding will be used to hire and place positions at the eight centers of regional excellence (CORE) offices.
Charter School Grants - Continuation of the charter school grant program disbursed on a formula based on performance or achievement. Funding will be awarded as subgrants to previous awardees of the program. More information is available at https://www.tn.gov/education/news/2020/11/4/governor-lee--tdoe-announce--5-million-in-charter-school-support-grants.html.
Educator Pipeline - Funding to support local districts in strengthening their teacher pipelines through local partnerships with institutions of higher education. Funding will be awarded for contract/interagency agreements with IHEs.
EPP Literacy Design Grants - Up to 10 EPPs over the life of the program to develop /revise EPP programs to focus on foundational literacy skills, HQIM, databased decision making, and developmentally appropriate literacy practices. Funding will be awarded as Grant Contracts.
District Instructional Innovation Grants - Competitive grants for districts supporting the innovation of new instructional models; the state anticipates awarding funds to 1 to 3 districts who are serving the state's disadvantaged populations.
Civics Seal - Development of resources and materials for districts to endorse in Civics Education. Funds will be awarded for a contract position.
Ayers Foundation - Funds to support career development and postsecondary accelerator opportunities for students. Funds will be awarded as a Grant Contract.
Jobs for Tennessee Graduates - Program to support job training for at-risk students to reach graduation and find employment through a variety of methods. Funding will be awarded as a service contract to a nonprofit.
Niswonger Foundation - Funds to support career development and accelerator for students in College/Career Technical Education. Funding will be awarded as a Grant Contract.
Save the Children - Additional funds to support remedial instruction for students during summer and afterschool programs as a result of COVID. Funding will be awarded as a grant contract to a nonprofit partner.
Teach for America - To support pipeline development in hard to staff schools in high-need areas. Funding will be awarded for a direct service contract.
TN Caps - Career awareness and outreach for rural communities to address postsecondary enrollment drops as a result of COVID-19. Funding will be awarded for a direct service contract.
YMCA - Funding to support after-school and other programming for students (academic and nonacademic supports), including support for lost learning during school closures. Funding will be awarded as a Grant Contract.
Eligibility Details
State Governors may apply on behalf of their State Education Agency. It is expected that State Education Agencies will then redistribute or regrant awarded funds to Local Education Agencies, Institutions of Higher Education, or other education service providers.
In Tennessee, GEER funding was distributed through direct allocations and/or service contracts.
NOTE: A local educational agency receiving funds shall provide equitable services in the same manner as provided under section 1117 of the ESEA of 1965 to students and teachers in non-public schools, as determined in consultation with representatives of non-public schools. However, the control of funds for the services and assistance provided to a non-public school, and title to materials, equipment, and property purchased with such funds, shall be in a public agency, and a public agency shall administer such funds, materials, equipment, and property and shall provide such services (or may contract for the provision of such services with a public or private entity).
Deadline Details
In Tennessee, GEER funding was distributed through a mixture of direct allocations and competitive grants. The timeline for each initiative is as follows:
- Literacy Coaches - RFP fall 2020, cohort 1 Spring 2021, cohort 2 fall 2021, cohort 3 spring/fall 2022
- Literacy - RFP issued January 2021
- Online Academic Tool & PBS - RFP issued late 2020, awarded in 2021
- Child Well-Being Supports - January or February 2021
- Mental Health - ongoing fall 2020 through spring 2021
- Child Well-Being Regional Supports - Fall 2020/winter 2021
- Charter School Grants - Fall/early winter 2020 distribution
- Educator Pipeline - Winter 2020
- EPP Literacy Design Grants - Rollout Fall 2020
- District Instructional Innovation Grants - January 2021 competition to be awarded Spring 2021
- Civics Seal - Fall 2020 through Fall 2023
- Ayers Foundation - Fall/early winter 2020
- Jobs for Tennessee Graduates - Late 2020
- Niswonger Foundation - Late 2020/early 2021
- Save the Children - Fall 2020
- Teach for America - Late 2020
- TN Caps - Fall 2020
- YMCA - Fall 2020
This is a one-time emergency funding opportunity. Future deadlines are not anticipated.
Award Details
A total of $2,953,230,000 has been allocated for the Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund. Funds under this program remain available for obligation through September 30, 2022.
The amount of each grant shall be allocated to each State based on the following formula:
- 60% on the basis of their relative population of individuals aged 5 through 24 as of 2018 census data.
- 40% on the basis of their relative number of children counted for FY20 under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (referred to under this heading as ‘‘ESEA'').
Tennessee was awarded $63,582,031 on May 28. 2020. Governors shall return to the Secretary any funds that the Governor does not regrant within one year of receiving such funds and the Secretary shall reallocate such funds. Regranted funds under this program remain available for obligation through September 30, 2022.
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