Volume 16, Issue 21

May 25, 2022

Agency of Education, State of Vermont and Federal Updates
Courtesy Posts

Agency of Education, State of Vermont and Federal Updates

This section of the Weekly Field Memo contains posts from the Agency of Education, other State of Vermont agencies, federal agencies or Vermont's congressional delegation.

Statement by Secretary French: Shooting at Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District

Audience: All
This morning, Secretary of Education Dan French issued a statement on the shooting in Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Along with this statement, the AOE wants to remind everyone about the school safety resources that are coordinated through the Vermont School Safety Center. There is also an anonymous School Safety Tipline: Call (844) 723-3488 or TEXT 274637, type in keyword SAFE4VT and then your tip.
Contact: Robert Evans at revans@margolishealy.com or (802) 839-0448

Vermont Agency of Education is Seeking Proposals for Coaches to Support State Systemic Improvement Plan

Audience: Specialists in Systems Change, Consultants, Retired Administrators
The Vermont Agency of Education is seeking proposals from qualified individuals or organizations (contractors) that can support the AOE by providing one-to-one coaching to leadership teams from Vermont Supervisory Unions/Districts who are participating in the State Systemic Improvement Plan. Proposals are due on June 1, 2022, by 4:30 p.m. For more information, see the Vermont Business Registry.
Contact: Betty Roy at betty.roy@vermont.gov

Announcing Parent Engagement Surveys Arriving Soon

Audience: Families of students with disabilities, Special Education Directors, Special Educators, SU/SD and School-based Administrators, Mental Health Care Personnel
The Agency of Education wants to announce that the annual Parent Engagement Surveys are arriving around June 10, 2022, by mail. This survey is our way of measuring the percent of parents (and adult students) who report that their school facilitated parent involvement as a means of improving services and results for students with disabilities and of making improvements state-wide for better collaboration. Parents should receive a survey for each student and fill one out for each. If you do not receive surveys by June 17, 2022, please contact Betty Roy.   
Contact: Betty Roy at betty.roy@vermont.gov

School Recipients of Lottery Award Announced

Audience: Educators, Principals, Superintendents, Education Technology Directors
Through a partnership with the Vermont Lottery, the AOE supports a competitive award program that seeks to further school education technology programs. The two applicants receiving awards in the 2022 Educate Innovate Program are Swanton Elementary School and Winooski Middle and High School. Each school receives a $15,000 award. The funding for this initiative comes directly from lottery program funds, not from lottery proceeds. There’s more information on the work these schools are proposing to do on the AOE’s Education Technology webpage. Congratulations to both of these schools. Applications for the 2023 award will open after the first of the year.  
Contact: Lisa Helme at lisa.helme@vermont.gov or (802) 828-6956

Joint Cybersecurity Advisory from CISA and the FBI

Audience: IT managers, Education Technology Directors, Principals, Superintendents
The threat of cyber attacks on school networks remains a concern. CISA, the FBI and other governmental agencies have issued a joint cybersecurity advisory. The advisory includes technical detail links to specific descriptions of threats. For schools and districts working on cybersecurity planning, the advisory also contains mitigation steps useful for plans. In March, the AOE issued two cybersecurity advisories. It is recommended that school leaders review those documents.
Contact: Lisa Helme at lisa.helme@vermont.gov or (802) 828-6956

2021-2022 Vermont Multi-Tiered System of Supports Survey Closes Soon - May 31, 2022  

Audience: Superintendents and Principals   
Thank you to the principals who have already completed the Vermont Multi-Tiered System of Supports survey. Please ensure it is completed by the May 31, 2022 deadline, as the Vermont Agency of Education aims to receive 100% of surveys from all Vermont principals. If a respondent has already started the survey, but cannot locate the link to resume, or if you cannot locate the original link, please contact Caitlin Chisholm.
Contact: Caitlin Chisholm at caitlin.chisholm@vermont.gov

Vermont PBS: May Resources to Celebrate Storytelling and Poetry

Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, PreK-12 Teachers
The Vermont Agency of Education has updated our Vermont PBS webpage for May 2022. Celebrate the art of storytelling and the power of poetry with resources from PBS Learning Media as well as local connections such as Clemmons Family Farm Storytelling Room. Other topics of interest include social emotional learning, music, STEAM and the Summer of Possibilities. We will continue to update this webpage monthly, so check back often to find new featured resources related to monthly themes and organized by grade band and subject area. Also, visit the Vermont PBS Kids and Education page to find more online and printable resources. To share resources and network with colleagues, join the Vermont PBS Educational Resources group on Edmodo. Activate your Edmodo account and join the VTED Learns community by filling out the VTED Learns Network form.
Contacts: Emily Leute at emily.leute@vermont.gov or Heather Duhamel at hduhamel@vermontpbs.org

Courtesy Posts

The views, opinions and resources shared in this section of the WFM are solely those of the original contributors. The Agency of Education does not endorse the views expressed by these contributors and reserves the right to refuse submissions. Questions related to any of these resources should be directed to the organizations, people and opportunities as shared. Please refer to the Weekly Field Memo submission guidelines for additional information.

United Planet’s Fully Funded Summer 2022 Climate Change Virtual Exchange for High School Students

Applications are available for junior and senior high school students to participate in United Planet’s fully funded Summer 2022 Climate Change Virtual Exchange Program between the US and Iraq. This unique opportunity includes 32 teams of US-Iraqi high school students, led by Iraqi and US university students, in activities addressing global climate change and its impact on human health. The fully-virtual program runs for seven weeks beginning with orientation between June 24 and June 28, 2022. The official program begins on July 5, 2022. For more information and an online application, visit the Summer 2022 Climate Change program webpage.
Contact: Professor Donna Lubrano at donna@unitedplanet.org

There Is Still Time to Submit Nominations to the Governor Phil Hoff Vermont Honor Scholarship

The Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) Scholarships Program is currently seeking nominations for The Governor Phil Hoff Vermont Honor Scholarship. Schools that have not submitted students for nominations can find the scholarship description and nomination form on the VSAC-assisted Scholarships tab of VSAC’s Financial Aid Professionals page.
Contact: Serena Peck at scholarships@vsac.org or (888) 253-4819

Menu Differentiation: An All Learners Approach

Menu Differentiation is a three-credit course on Aug 17-19, 2022, from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., in-person at the All Learners Network Learning Center in Burlington with three follow-up dates in the fall of 2022. This course explores an All Learners Main Lesson/ Menu model for differentiation, reframing layers of math instruction in order to meet the ongoing range of instructional needs. Learn how to manage a ‘menu’ approach to your teaching and restructure your math block to allow for higher levels of inclusion and access.
Contact: TJ Jemison at communicationsdirector@alllearnersnetwork.com

Vermont Higher Education Collaborative Summer Catalog - Registration is Open

Vermont Higher Education Collaborative's summer registration is now open, with a full line-up of workshops and graduate courses. Topics include Trauma-Informed Practices with Dave Melnick, Pro-Equity Classrooms with Zac Key, Experiential Education with Luke Foley, Technology Integration with Chris CichoskiKelly and Colleen Williams and PreK - 6 Literacy with Amy Knight. Also offered are graduate courses to gain endorsements in the areas of special education, early education, early childhood special education, health education and work-based learning. See the entire list of offerings on the 2022 Summer Catalog Workshops and Courses webpage.
Contact Julie Medose at info@vthec.org or (802) 498-3350

Youth Leadership and Science Opportunities

University of Vermont Extension 4-H has a variety of programs for youth this summer and next school year. Check out the following opportunities on the 4-H Announcements page. 4-H is seeking teen leaders and youth presenters for the Youth Environmental Summit and we are also looking for students who want to serve as Science Ambassadors to lead our teen science cafe program and science fun days. Lastly, our Summer of Science program still has some spots available, especially the Natural Resources Management Academy.
Contact: Lauren Traister at Lauren.Traister@uvm.edu or 802-888-4972 x 402

Middle Grades Literature: Bringing Relevant Texts Into Our Classrooms

Partnerships for Literacy and Learning (PLL) is offering a new three-credit graduate course, June 22 - Aug. 3, 2022. Participants will read and analyze current, relevant texts for middle grade readers along with the soon-to-be-released The Joy of Reading from Miller and Lesene. There will be an emphasis on practical applications of book clubs, discussion protocols and familiarity with current literature. Teachers of grades 5-8 are encouraged to find registration and more details on the PLL Professional Learning Courses website.
Contact: Mary Grace at info@pllvt.org or (802) 828-0521

Engage Youth with Health Data and Community in 2022- 2023

There is a wealth of information in the biennial Youth Risk Behavior Survey report on the wellness of young people in Vermont. What the report does not include is a thoughtful and informed analysis of the why (‘Y’) behind the statistics and what might change them for the better. Getting to ‘Y’: Youth Bring Meaning to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey provides youth with skills and opportunities to analyze local data, explore root causes and develop action plans. Getting to “Y” increases youth engagement with data and their communities to improve youth health, well-being and connection. Register for Getting to ‘Y’ 2022-2023 or find out more on the Getting to ‘Y’ website.
Contact: Hans Cabra at hans@upforlearning.org or (802) 391-6187

Vermont Association of Career and Technical Education Directors Professional Development Request for Proposal

The Vermont Association of Career and Technical Education Directors (VACTED) is composed of administrators from 17 different career technical education (CTE) centers in the state of Vermont. Each year administrators from the 17 CTE centers pool money from their Perkins V Grants to fund professional development, including the operation of the Teacher Education Collaboration. VACTED is sending out a request for proposal (RFP) for a facilitator for professional development in 2022-23. Questions and the RFP can be accessed by contacting Jason Gingold.
Contact: Jason Gingold at jgingold@bsdvt.org

Professional Learning: Fundations Levels K-3 Workshops

Wilson Fundations® Workshops are being offered this July through the Stern Center for Language and Learning. Fundations is a multi-sensory and structured reading and spelling curriculum that benefits all K–3 students. It makes learning to read fun while building a foundation for lifelong literacy. The program addresses all five pillars of literacy instruction with an emphasis on systematic phonics and word structure. Each Fundations® level-specific launch workshop provides the practice and guidance you need to effectively begin teaching the Fundations curriculum. Generous grant funding is available through the Application for Grant Funding.
Contact: SJ Larkspur at slarkspur@sterncenter.org

Professional Learning: Yearlong Cohorts for Leaders

Registration is open for Champlain Valley Educator Development Center's leadership cohorts for next fall. For new/newer principals we have Leading Vermont Schools - Principal Cohort #9 with Jay Nichols facilitating. For curriculum leaders, there is Curriculum Academy - Cohort # 4 led by Megan Grube and Violet Nichols, and for Vermont Instructional Coaches, we have two Instructional Coaching cohorts 4 & 5- facilitated by Ellen Dorsey and Alysia Backman, one virtual and one in-person. All cohorts have optional graduate credits, including texts and options for virtual attendance in most cases.
Contact: Lauren Wooden at lauren@cvedcvt.org or (802) 497-1642