Welcome to Playground Post, a bi-weekly newsletter that keeps education innovators ahead of what’s next.

Here’s what we have on deck for today…

1. School rebuilding costs exceed available funding

2. Platform connects early centers with substitute teachers

3. Gaming program benefits special education

School rebuilding costs exceed available funding

Los Angeles schools face a $150M+ funding gap for critical repairs after recent fires destroyed five schools and damaged seven others.

While Proposition 2 provides $10 billion for school construction, existing repair backlogs mean many schools won't receive adequate funding.

And the challenges don’t stop at rebuilding…

The disaster has created unprecedented demand for mental health services, with thousands of students and staff needing support to cope with trauma and loss. The problem? Districts are struggling to provide adequate counseling support.

These challenges point to two critical opportunities for education innovators:

1. Developing cost-effective temporary classrooms to get students back to learning quickly.

2. Building scalable mental health support systems that can serve entire school communities efficiently.

Platform connects early centers with substitute teachers

Wonderschool's SubPool is filling a gap in early childhood education, where centers traditionally lack substitute teacher infrastructure.

Since launching in Mississippi, the platform has connected centers with substitutes for 5,800 teaching shifts, totaling 40,000 classroom hours.

"As soon as I put it out, I can hear my phone: 'beep, beep, beep,'" says Nancy Sylvester, a center director in Jackson.

The platform maintains 450 active substitutes who undergo screening before entering classrooms.

Following its success in Mississippi, Wonderschool is now discussing similar programs with other states looking to build reliable substitute teacher networks.

Gaming program benefits special education

A New Jersey school district transformed a $50K grant into an adaptive esports arena that's changing how students with cognitive challenges connect with peers and siblings.

During the opening ceremony, something unexpected happened: Neurotypical siblings began playing alongside students, many for the first time.

"We knew from that point on that we had built a bridge," says tech director Evan Abramson.

With 225 students already benefiting from this model, the project reveals a growing demand for adaptive gaming technology in special education.

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