What is Budget Hold'em for Resource Equity
Budget Hold’em for Resource Equity is more than a card game. It’s an interactive experience that builds on the ARE toolkit to help educational leaders and advocates consider realistic resource shifts across the Dimensions of Resource Equity with a strategic mindset. Playing Budget Hold’em for Resource Equity teaches players about actions to help create more equitable student and teacher outcomes and experiences and the associated trade-offs. Typically played in groups of 4-5 players, the game encourages participants to step outside of their day-to-day decision-making to consider their choices in an equity-centered and more integrated way. Each card in the game uses real district data and scenarios crafted based on our more than 20 years working with districts nationwide. The impact of Budget Hold’em for Resource Equity knows no bounds – district and school leaders, school boards, state leaders, unions, advocacy groups, aspiring leaders, and more will all find helpful takeaways to fuel action!
Why Play Budget Hold'em for Resource Equity?
The time to play is now. Across the country, compared to their peers, students with higher needs, and students of color are consistently and systematically denied access to the resources that research tells us matter the most. But districts are facing significant resource constraints that impede their ability to address these needs. This work requires leaders to take a hard look at the underlying structures that currently underpin their schooling models and strategically innovate for a better future. We can’t afford to simply cut budgets or layer new money onto old investments. To truly unlock opportunities for all students, especially students with higher needs and students of color, education leaders must think differently about how they balance reductions and investments. Hold’em can help.
Budget Hold’em for Resource Equity Volume 1 game is for players who want to learn about resource shifts that help to cultivate a high-quality, diverse teacher and school leader workforce, and create equitable access to high-quality curricula and instructional time. This game aligns with the Alliance for Resource Equity Dimensions of Equity and features the following dimensions:
- Dimension 2 (Teaching Quality & Diversity)
- Dimension 3 (School Leadership Quality & Diversity)
- Dimension 4 (Empowering, Rigorous Content)
- Dimension 5 (Instructional Time & Attention)
Budget Hold’em for Resource Equity Volume 2 game is for players who want to learn about resource shifts that improve the holistic student and educator experiences, focusing on factors outside the academic classroom like school culture, mental health supports, and access to safe and well-maintained facilities. This game aligns with the Alliance for Resource Equity Dimensions of Equity and features dimensions:
- Dimension 6 (Positive & Inviting School Climate)
- Dimension 7 (Student Supports & Intervention)
- Dimension 9 (Learning-Ready Facilities)
- Dimension 10 (Diverse Classrooms & Schools)