The Funding is Already There: Why Schools Can’t Wait Any Longer for Behavior + SEL Support

Kim Gameroz
4 days ago
3 min read

Every week, my inbox fills with messages from principals, district leaders, and teachers who say the same thing:

“We need support. Our teachers are exhausted. Behaviors are out of control. But we just don’t have the budget.”

I hear it over and over again.

Click HERE for my Quick Guide to Funding Behavior + SEL Support.

And every time, my heart drops a little. Because when schools don’t follow through, it doesn’t just hurt them as leaders. It hurts their teachers. It hurts their students. It hurts families.

What Happens When Schools Don’t Invest

Right now, teachers are dealing with:

Students eloping from classrooms.
Major disruptive behaviors that derail learning for everyone.
Discipline referrals piling up on principals’ desks.
Consequences that aren’t working, leaving staff feeling powerless.
PBIS and MTSS systems stretched thin, not solving the root issues.

I’ve even heard of schools scrambling to hire paraprofessionals or classified staff “off the street” just to have another adult in the room.

But here’s the truth: more bodies in classrooms isn’t the answer.

The answer is a system that helps teachers feel confident, calm, and equipped, and gives students the social-emotional tools they actually need to succeed.

What Happens When Schools Do Invest

The schools that take the leap, the ones who commit to real behavior and SEL support — they feel the difference almost immediately.

Teachers tell me:

“I finally feel lighter.”
“Class doesn’t feel like constant chaos anymore.”
“I actually want to come to work again.”

And leaders notice:

Fewer office referrals.
Staff that feels supported instead of abandoned.
Students who are calmer, more engaged, and more connected.

This isn’t wishful thinking. This is what happens when support systems are put in place.

The Money is Already There

Here’s the thing: it’s not really about money.

Funding for this work already exists — districts just need to know where to look:

Title I: for improving outcomes of struggling learners and creating safer school climates.
Title II: for teacher PD, coaching, and retention.
ESSER/CARES funds: earmarked for SEL, mental health, and learning recovery.
Local Education Foundations: specifically designed to fund teacher and student support.

Click HERE for my Quick Guide to Funding Behavior + SEL Support.

Schools all over the country are using these funds to pay for exactly this kind of work.

Your district doesn’t need a new budget. It needs a new plan.

Why This Matters Right Now

Every MONTH that passes without a system in place is ANOTHER MONTH of:

Teachers burning out.
Students missing out on learning.
Families feeling the ripple effects at home.

We can’t keep patching holes with bandaids. We can’t keep waiting for “next year.”

Because the ones who do invest in their teachers and students? They’re already seeing the transformation.

The Next Step

If your school or district has been saying, “We need this, but we don’t have the budget,” I want you to know: the money is there.

I'll help you map out how to use it. I'll show you what works. And I'll run right into the storm with you.

Ready to stop putting out fires and start building a system that lasts?

Click HERE for my Quick Guide to Funding Behavior + SEL Support.

Your teachers deserve it. Your students deserve it.

Take a peek at what it could FEEL like across your site. You all can start speaking the same language, creating common systems, and building sustainable PBIS and SEL from a foundational level THIS school year...immediately.