Presented by Kevin Walters, Supervisor, Grants Contracts and School Support, Michigan Department of Education; Mark Whelton, Superintendent, Bridgeport-Spaulding Community School District (MI); and Marilyn Powell-Barnes, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Lincoln Elementary School District 156 (IL)

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What’s the most effective way to spend ESSER funding? What decision-making processes are educators following? How is ESSER being utilized to implement PBL + STEM programs? In this session, viewers hear from a panel of educational peers on their processes and strategies for accessing and utilizing ESSER funding for their schools and districts, including:

• What were the districts’ objectives and decision-making processes?
• Who were the stakeholders and how were they engaged?
• How was ESSER funding aligned with key PBL + STEM initiatives?
• What were the challenges?
• What is the expected student impact?

This recorded edLeader Panel is of interest to K-12 teachers, school and district leaders, education technology leaders, curriculum and instruction coordinators and directors, and STEM/STEAM coordinators.

About the Presenters

Kevin Walters joined the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) in 2015, after spending 25 years as an educator in Michigan. He supervises the Grants, Contracts, and School Support Unit at the MDE, where duties include state/federal grant funding acquisition and management. During his time as an educator, Kevin gained valuable experience as a teacher, elementary/high school principal, and school superintendent.

Mark Whelton is Superintendent of Bridgeport-Spaulding Community School District in Bridgeport, Michigan. Mark is a fifth-year superintendent and leader of a dynamic group of educators. He is a sports enthusiast who lives a vision of “No Barriers, Just Possibilities,” which requires a student’s first focus and an understanding that you can lead a horse to water. Still, you can’t make it drink UNLESS you add salt to its food. So, what is your salt?

Mark holds degrees from Central Michigan University, Marygrove College, and the University of Michigan. Over the past 21 years, he has been a teacher, principal, intervention specialist, data and PLC coach at The Institute for Excellence in Education, and an integral part of the Financial Independence Team at the Michigan Department of Education.

Marilyn Powell-Barnes is the director of Curriculum and Assessment at Lincoln Elementary School District 156 in Calumet City, Illinois. Marilyn holds degrees from Eastern Illinois University and Governors State University. She began as a teacher in her hometown of Ford Heights, IL, and over the past 28 years, she has held positions as a teacher to at-risk youth at Medgar Evers Primary Academic Center, an Assistant Principal, and then Principal at Medgar Evers PAC, and a Director of Curriculum and Assessment at Lincoln Elementary.

When Marilyn is not doing the important work of educating and mentoring young people, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Marilyn has been the proud wife of Daron Barnes for the last 26 years, and mother to Imani Barnes who is in her senior year at DePaul University. Marilyn’s greatest hope is that she will be able to leave behind a legacy that will inspire others.

Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.

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Created by educators, SmartLab Learning develops comprehensive K–12 project-based learning, STEM-focused solutions. Whether whole classroom SmartLab HQ environments or our SmartLab Rover that brings in-depth learning into individual classrooms, our research-based solutions keep your learners engaged in hands-on, minds-on activities that reinforce science, technology, engineering, and math concepts.