Federal ESSER Funds dictate local covid school policies nationwide

In this episode of Serious Shot, Heather and Julie talk to AJ DePriest from Tennessee Liberty Network, a think tank make up of volunteers who are studying a variety of topics related to current issues. AJ is a proposal developer, tech writer, and compliance auditor for federal contractors, although she put her business on pause last May. AJ and her team at TLN have looked deep into the ESSER funding that schools have received and they have developed an understanding of how these funds are driving policy in our schools. If you want to understand why the schools are continuing to push Covid policies such as testing, vaccine clinics, social distancing, and contact tracing despite parents speaking out and children being harmed, this episode is a must listen. The knowledge you will gain from listening to AJ will arm you with the information you need to communicate effectively about these funds and the policies they are creating as you continue to stand up for your kids. AJ tells us that the latest installment of the ESSER funds is not the last, so we must get better informed to stop future funding from holding our kids hostage to more harmful interventions. Message @AJDePriest on Telegram to request a link to your state ESSER fund Telegram channel. Here is a link to the Approval Letter from Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona, stating "Colorado's plan is consistent with all ARP ESSER statutory and regulatory requirements and addresses all of the ARP ESSER State plan elements." https://oese.ed.gov/files/2021/11/Colorado-ARP-ESSER-State-Plan-Approval-Letter11421.pdf 0 - Introduction 2:57 - What are ESSER Funds and how are they allocated. 7:35 - How relief funds are tied to school policies 10:54 - Stakeholder engagement in policy related to ESSER Funds (Warning: There isn’t any.) 15:18 - Strategies to effectively expose and eliminate the policies. Can schools keep the money without the Federal based mitigation strategies? 23:04 - Do schools have to implement covid strategies? How many? 29:25 - Living document as district plan: Safe Return to In-person Instruction and Continuity Plan, Use of Funds Plan 35:56 - How long are ESSER Funds going to be in place? 38:54 - How to deal with ESSER Funds in your district 46:04 - How ESSER Funds are spent and what they are spent on: Social Emotional Learning (CRT) and mental health services in schools 1:01:00 - How to access state information via Telegram 1:03:00 - Is hospital covid funding killing people?