Fund the Frontlines
Invest in the people closest to our students.
If we want every kid to be seen and every family to be heard, we have to invest in the people who make that possible every day.
Teachers. Instructional assistants. Counselors. Social workers. Bus drivers. Custodians. Cafeteria staff. Special education staff. Administrators. And every other person who keeps our schools running and supports our students.
Funding the frontlines means making sure the people closest to our students have the compensation, staffing, resources, and support they need to do their jobs well.
People Are the Investment
My work as a social worker, therapist, peer counselor, and community aid worker has taught me something I come back to again and again:
You cannot build a strong support system without investing in the people providing the support.
I've seen this directly in my work with families and community members. When people are stretched too thin, when resources are difficult to access, or when the people doing the work don't have the support they need, eventually someone falls through the cracks.
Our schools are no different.
We can invest in curriculum, technology, buildings, and programs, but those investments only go so far if we don't have the people and capacity to make them work.
What This Could Look Like
Pay & Retain Good People
Fair wages matter, but so do workload, support, and working conditions.
I want to look at compensation, vacancies, and turnover across our workforce and understand why good people stay, why they leave, and what we can realistically do to retain them.
Recruiting people is only part of the solution. We have to give them reasons to stay.
Listen to the People Doing the Work
Our educators and staff experience our schools every day. They often know where things are working, where students are falling through the cracks, and what resources would actually make a difference.
I want to create meaningful ways for staff voices to reach district leadership and the board and for that feedback to inform decisions.
Listening should be the starting point for better solutions.
Make Every Dollar Count
Funding the frontlines does not mean spending without limits. It means understanding where our money goes and being intentional about where it can have the greatest impact.
I want to examine administrative and operational spending alongside classroom and student-support needs, while recognizing that some costs are fixed, restricted, or already committed.
I don't want to cut just to cut. I want every dollar to have a purpose.
Ideas
Worth
Exploring
Invest in Retention
Explore targeted retention incentives, “Grow Your Own” educator pathways, tuition support, and opportunities for staff to grow without having to leave the classroom.
Give Staff a Seat at the Table
Create meaningful staff advisory structures and regular feedback opportunities so the people doing the work can help shape the decisions that affect them.
Example: San Diego Unified Schools
Make the Job Sustainable
Look beyond pay to workload, planning time, mentorship, professional growth, and unnecessary administrative tasks. Keeping good people starts with making it possible for them to stay.
Example: Institute of Education Sciences