- Agency of Education, State of Vermont and Federal Updates
- Behavioral Threat Assessment Training
- Field Trips Available at State Parks
- Special Education Monitoring – General Questions and Answers
- Special Education Monitoring – Office Hours by Appointment
- What if Wednesday
- New Federal School Safety Grant Funding
- Options Based Responses to an Active Shooter Training Initiatives
- Summer 2022 Mental Health Minute
- Special Education Timeline and Indicator 11 Resource
- Peer Review Panelists Wanted
- Vermont Public: September Resources for Back to School
- Memo: Fall 2022 Home Study Students
- Agency of Education Open Position
- 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.
Behavioral Threat Assessment Training
Audience: Superintendents, Principals and School Safety Stakeholders
Vermont’s Agency of Education, Department of Public Safety and the Vermont School Safety Center are pleased to announce additional Behavioral Threat Assessment (BTA) training, designed to prevent active shooter incidents, stalking and other targeted violence in our schools and school districts. Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management provides a proactive, evidence-based approach for identifying individuals who may pose a threat and for providing interventions before a violent incident occurs. You can register for the Sept. 27, 2022 training or the Oct. 12, 2022 training, Both trainings will be held from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Prior to this training, we strongly encourage schools and school districts to identify potential members of your BTA teams and attend this training as a team.
Contact: Robert L. Evans at revans@margolishealy.com or (802) 839-0448
Field Trips Available at State Parks
Audience: Prek-Grade 12 Teachers
Guided field trip experiences are available at select state parks across Vermont now through Indigenous Peoples Day. Experienced Park Interpreters will design and deliver fun, hands-on learning experiences aligned to your curriculum. Some available topics include geology, plant identification, migratory birds, reading the forested landscape, Civilian Conservation Corps history and ecosystem studies among many others. Entry fees for school groups during the school year is $0.50 per person. There is no fee for educational programming.
Contact: Rebecca Roy at rebecca.roy@vermont.gov or (802) 522-0780
Special Education Monitoring – General Questions and Answers
Audience: Special Ed Administrators, Superintendents, Designees, and any members of the Special Education field seeking support with monitoring activities
The Special Education team at the AOE is offering an opportunity for members of the field to join an optional group discussion for questions and answers about cyclic and selective monitoring activities. Please see the Special Education Program Monitoring System Guide for more details about monitoring activities. This weekly session will occur every Friday from Sept. 9, 2022 – May 26, 2023, from 9-10 a.m. View the calendar event for meeting details. If you have any questions, please contact the Special Education Program Monitoring Team at AOE.SpecialEdMonitoringGroup@vermont.gov.
Contact: Tristan McNamara at AOE.SpecialEdMonitoringGroup@vermont.gov
Special Education Monitoring – Office Hours by Appointment
Audience: Special Ed Administrators, Superintendents, Designees, and any members of the Special Education field seeking support with monitoring activities
The Special Education team at the AOE is making it easier for members of the field to schedule individual meetings to meet with special education program monitoring for support around various monitoring activities through private meetings between the LEA and the monitoring team. You can schedule to meet with the monitoring team by making an appointment through our office hours appointment scheduling system.
Contact: Tristan McNamara at AOE.SpecialEdMonitoringGroup@vermont.gov
What if Wednesday
Audience: Superintendents, Principals and School Safety Stakeholders
The Vermont School Safety Center is pleased to announce the What if Wednesday, Volume 1, 2022, school safety training initiative. The “What if Wednesday” training program is designed to be shared with all school safety stakeholders and should be used to stimulate a conversation about school emergency preparedness.
Contact: Robert L. Evans at revans@margolishealy.com or (802) 839-0448
New Federal School Safety Grant Funding
Audience: Superintendents, Principals and School Safety Stakeholders
The Vermont School Safety Center is pleased to announce that the US Department of Education has announced new federal school safety grant funding is now available with applications due in early October 2022. Learn more by viewing the US Department of Education's press release: Department Invites Applicants for More Than $6 Million in Project Prevent Grant Program Funds to Support School Safety.
Contact: Robert L. Evans at revans@margolishealy.com or (802) 839-0448
Options Based Responses to an Active Shooter Training Initiatives
Audience: Superintendents, Principals and School Safety Stakeholders
The Vermont School Safety Center is pleased to provide additional resources to assist school administrators and school districts with the implementation of their “Options Based Responses to an Active Shooter” training initiatives. Learn more about these resources by visiting the Vermont School Safety Center’s Online Training website.
Contact: Robert L. Evans at revans@margolishealy.com or (802) 839-0448
Summer 2022 Mental Health Minute
Audience: All
The Summer 2022 Mental Health Minute on the topic of School Engagement is now available. The Mental Health Minute is a brief communication of information on mental health and wellness to raise awareness, identify needs and explore opportunities for improvement for Vermonters. These are a collaborative effort by the Vermont Department of Mental Health Child, Adolescent & Family Unit and the Vermont Child Health Improvement Program, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont. This Mental Health Minute was also coordinated with the Agency of Education. Previous Mental Health Minutes can also be found on the Department of Mental Health - Mental Health Minute website.
Contact: Laurel Omland at Laurel.Omland@vermont.gov
Special Education Timeline and Indicator 11 Resource
Audience: Directors of Special Education, Superintendents, Principals
To provide guidance and support for common areas of noncompliance with special education timelines, a resource is now available on the State Performance Plan Resources by Indicator page under Indicator 11. The document, Common Areas of Noncompliance and Resources Surrounding Timelines and Child Find, is intended to help districts identify areas that impact special education timelines and offer resources to support improvement. Office hours to review this document are scheduled for Sept. 1, 2022, from 11-12 p.m. Join the meeting using this Microsoft Teams link.
Contact: Cassie Santo at cassie.santo@vermont.gov
Peer Review Panelists Wanted
Audience: Peer Review Panelists Wanted
The Agency of Education’s Peer Review Program needs licensed educators to serve as panelists. Panelists receive $175 per interview. The work of a panelist involves evaluating a candidate’s portfolio (approximately 2-4 hours) and participating in the interview process (approximately 1-2 hours). Interviews are online and scheduled based on your convenience. If you are interested, complete the online Small Scale Education Contract Survey by Sept.15, 2022. The areas of greatest need for panelists are Early Childhood Education, Art, Theatre Arts, English, Music and Driver’s Education, but all are welcome to submit if interested.
Contact: Ryan McCormick at Ryan.McCormick@vermont.gov
Vermont Public: September Resources for Back to School
Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, PreK-12 Teachers
The Vermont Agency of Education and Vermont Public continue our partnership to meet the anywhere, anytime, educational, social and emotional needs of Vermont students. As the new school year begins, visit the Vermont Public Kids and Education page to find recommendations for high-quality media and resource collections, including the Teach Your Way collection for PreK-2. For K-2, check out But Why Podcast’s new collection as well as PBS Kids’ new C3 Standards connected series, Rosie’s Rules. For older students, check out the Election Collection and the new U.S. History Collection. For a Vermont connection, listen to Brave Little State Podcast’s Remembering Vermont’s 19th Century Black Communities. Also, don’t forget to visit the Education Ambassadors page to learn more about how Vermont educators are involved in our partnership.
Contacts: Emily Leute at emily.leute@vermont.gov or Heather Duhamel at hduhamel@vermontpbs.org
Memo: Fall 2022 Home Study Students
Audience: Superintendents, Special Education Administrators, Principals
The Agency of Education’s Home Study Team has some recommendations for schools when Home Study students are returning to public/independent schools. Please read the Memo: Fall 2022 Home Study Students for more information.
Contact: Alicia Hanrahan at alicia.hanrahan@vermont.gov
Agency of Education Open Position
Audience: All
The Vermont Agency of Education has an open position that is available to both state employees and external applicants. The open position is an Education Programs Coordinator I - Science Specialist - contact Pat Fitzsimmons at pat.fitzsimmons@vermont.gov.
Contact: AOE Info at aoe.edinfo@vermont.gov
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.
Legal and Safety Issues of Work-Based Learning
The Vermont Higher Education Collaborative course, Legal and Safety Issues of Work-Based Learning, provides a thorough examination of the legal and safety issues that affect work-based and community-based learning programs and experiences. Participants will develop a comprehensive understanding of federal and Vermont labor and safety requirements and be able to provide effective systems that ensure safe and legal student experiences. Course instructor: Ruth Durkee, Esq., is the State Director of Career Technical Education at the Vermont Agency of Education. Dates are Sept. 10-Dec. 10, 2022. All synchronous and asynchronous meetings and work will be online. Visit the course registration page for more information and/or to register.
Contact: Kim McKellar at kim.mckellar@vthec.org
Vermont Family Network Free Workshop: “VFN Back to School Series - What Can the Section 504 Plan Provide for My Child with a Disability?”
The workshop, What Can the Section 504 Plan Provide for My Child with a Disability?, will be held on Sept. 15, 2022, from 10-11 a.m. Under Vermont’s current special education eligibility rules that will remain in effect for another year, some children with disabilities will not qualify for an IEP but will qualify for a Section 504 Plan. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 can be a powerful tool. It requires that students with disabilities receive an education designed to their unique needs and is as adequate as the education provided to children without disabilities. Learn how to use Section 504 to help get the services children need in school. Presenter: Greg Van Buiten, Attorney, EdLaw New England PLLC.
Contact: Rachel Boyers at rachel.boyers@vtfn.org
Creativity & Innovation - Professional Development Course for Educators
The Innovation & Creativity Course for Educators will be on Oct. 17-18, 2022, at the Lake Morey Resort. There will also be two hours, virtually, each month for follow-ups through early May 2023 to collaborate, explore and generate ideas with like-minded educators from around the state. Join this course and come away with a new, inspiring action plan on how to incorporate innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship into your curriculum. You will earn three-graduate or undergraduate credits through Castleton University and/or professional development hours. This course is designed for 8-12 grade Secondary/CTE Educators and workforce/career professionals.
Contact: Laurel Butler at lbutler@vtsbdc.org or (802) 922-3692
Getting to ‘Y’ 2022-2023: Youth Bring Meaning to their Youth Risk Behavior Survey
Getting to ‘Y’ (GTY) is a youth empowerment program whereby students review their local Youth Risk Behavior Survey data to create positive change in their school community. Trainings will be held in Montpelier for middle school teams on Oct. 25, 2022, and for high school teams on Nov. 1, 2022. If interested, fill out the GTY event registration and complete the GTY Program Form.
Contact: Hans Cabra at hans@upforlearning.org or (802) 391-6187
September Umatter For Schools: Suicide Prevention Awareness Training
The Umatter for Schools Suicide Prevention national best practice program for suicide prevention is supported by funding from the Vermont Department of Mental Health. This newly designed four-week course consists of asynchronous, self-paced work and virtual live zoom sessions. All four modules will include the content presentation in multiple formats, self-refection through discussion, activities designed for team engagement and assessments of learning at the end of each module. Register online today on the training webpage.
Contact: Karen Carreira at karen@healthandlearning.org
All Learners Network Coaches Academy
Coaches Academy is a three-credit course offered in person on Oct, 6-7, 2022, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., at the All Learners Network Learning Center in Burlington, with virtual follow-up dates in Dec. 2022, and Jan., March and May 2023. This course is designed for mathematics coaches, math teacher leaders and instructional leaders. This course is based on current research which explores ideas for making change in effective teaching practices. It is intended as a venue to give existing coaches a deeper understanding of the ideas and skills necessary to support classroom teachers and to introduce them to organizational schemes that will help move their schools forward.
Contact: TJ Jemison at communicationsdirector@alllearnersnetwork.com
Vermont Destination Imagination Informational Webinars
Would you like to know more about our program of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM), teamwork and creativity? Destination Imagination is a non-profit educational program that can be part of a school or homeschool curriculum or take place in after-school and community settings. Destination Imagination webinars are designed for parents, teachers, school administrators, after-school providers and potential volunteers who would like to learn more about Destination Imagination. You can also get in touch with us directly at Vermont Destination Imagination.
Contact: Jane Youngbaer at vtdicreativity@gmail.com or (802) 272-2766
Vermont Student Assistance Corporation Senior Survey Data Exploration for High School Educators
The Vermont Student Assistance Corporation’s (VSAC) Senior Survey provides "real-time" feedback on the student experience at individual schools as well as data on the student experience across Vermont. Attend this free, in-person workshop to examine school-specific 2022 data with guidance from experienced VSAC Aspirations School Specialists. Participants will utilize data to identify areas of celebration as well as opportunities to improve the post-high school planning experience for students and families at your school. This workshop is geared toward individuals or school teams of 2-5 high school leaders and is being offered twice in November 2022. Register today on the VSAC Senior Survey Professional Learning webpage for your preferred date and location.
Contact: Ellen Bagnato at bagnato@vsac.org
Implementing VT Multi-tiered System of Support (VTmtss) for Student and School Success
Partnerships for Literacy and Learning (PLL) presents this Network for Excellence in Schools (NEXIS), using Vermont Agency of Education tools and resources. This course will support VTmtss coordinators/teams from across the state as they work to implement the VTmtss framework in their schools and districts. There are eight sessions beginning Sept. 22, 2022, from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Visit the Implementing VTmtss for Student and School Success webpage for more details and registration.
Contact: Mary Grace at info@pllvt.org or (802) 828-0521
Coding, Science Cafes, Youth Environmental Summit and More
University of Vermont Extension has a lot of free programs available to students this fall. Check out our offerings at our 4-H Announcements page. Youth can learn to code, engage with scientists at teen science cafes, explore environmental issues at the Youth Environmental Summit, become a teen teacher with the TRY Program, participate in the Vermont Science Olympiad, attend a teen leadership weekend and so much more!
Contact: Lauren Traister at Lauren.Traister@uvm.edu or (802) 888-4972 x 402
Professional Learning: Wilson Reading System Level 1 Certification
Registration is now open for the Wilson Reading System Level 1 Certification that begins Sept. 26, 2022. This online course with embedded assessments presents the multisensory structured language instruction required to teach students with significant word-level deficits who haven't responded to previous instruction. The course provides practical application of reading research, with particular emphasis on phonological awareness, phonics and spelling at the beginning levels of decoding and encoding. Grant funding is available through the Application for Grant Funding form. You can also browse all upcoming courses and workshops on the Stern Center for Language and Learning webpage.
Contact: Peter McDonald at pmcdonald@sterncenter.org
Call for Award Nominations: The Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children Awards 2022
Submit nominations for the following awards: Distinguished Service Award, Children's Champion, Emerging Leader and Early Childhood Education Student of the Year. Details and nomination forms are found on the Awards Webpage.
Contact: Ann Moore at ann.moore@vtaeyc or (802) 535 8695