Dear District Administrator,
This email provides updates from the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) on the services and supports the department is providing under the Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) set-aside funds in the CARES Act, as well as updates on new guidance issued by the agency on special education, English learners, and Education Forward.
ESSER
The DPI was authorized by the Joint Committee on Finance (see plan from DPI and approval letter) to use set-aside funds under the ESSER to provide services and supports to public and private schools in the areas of:
- Building capacity for, and expanding access to, high quality online instructional resources;
- Providing training for educators in the provision of online and remote instruction; and
- Expanding and building capacity of school staff to provide mental health services, to better support students.
What follows is the list of resources, services, and supports the DPI will be making available. A description of each can be found at the link below and accessible through the ESSER web page.
Updated Guidance
The DPI has updated special education (08/06) and English learner (08/04) guidance on serving students during COVID-19. These updates are also reflected in the links contained in Education Forward. The Education Forward guidance document has been updated and transitioned to a web-based resource focused on operating schools during the pandemic at https://dpi.wi.gov/education-forward.
Please continue to use the COVID-19 web page as the central hub for COVID-19 information and the COVID-19 email address at COVID-19questions@dpi.wi.gov to send your COVID-19 inquiries to the department so the appropriate staff are able to respond to you as quickly as possible.