- Educator License Renewals
- School Safety Infrastructure Grants
- 2018 Multi-Tiered System of Supports Survey
- April-May Edition of Linking Health and Learning
- Courtesy Posts
Educator License Renewals
Audience: Licensed Vermont Educators
We are now T-Minus two months until 3,414 Vermont educator licenses expire. As of April 30, 2018, there have been 1,883 applications submitted or 55 percent of expiring licenses. If your license is set to expire in June, visit our licensing page to start your renewal application today. Per previous communications, educators submitting applications after April 1, 2018 may not have their licenses renewed prior to expiration. If your renewal application has been approved by your local or regional standards board, please submit quickly to the agency so your license does not expire. Have questions? You can read or watch our online licensing tutorials, or get in touch with us.
Contact: AOE Licensing Help Line at (802) 479-1700 or aoe.licensinginfo@vermont.gov
Memo to Schools Re: School Safety Infrastructure Grants
Audience: Superintendents, Principals, CTE Directors, Independent School Headmasters, School Board Members and School Crisis Planning Team Members
This week Thomas Anderson, Commissioner of Public Safety and Acting Secretary Heather Bouchey jointly issued a memo to education leadership outlining the timeline for awarding School Safety Grants. Contingent on legislative approval, a RFP will be delivered to schools by June 1, 2018, with proposals due to the Department of Public Safety by July 1, 2018. The grant process is expected to be competitive, with a maximum grant award of $25,000 per school. In preparation for the RFP release, schools are strongly advised to review their responses to the statewide assessment, review the statewide assessment report and begin meeting with relevant stakeholders regarding the anticipated application. For more details, read the full memo from Commissioner Anderson and Acting Secretary Bouchey.
Contact: Mark Bosma at mark.bosma@vermont.gov
2018 Multi-Tiered System of Supports Survey
Audience: Superintendents and Principals
As required by Act 117 - VSA Title 16, Section 2904, each superintendent shall annually provide to the Vermont Secretary of Education the status of the tiered system of supports in each school in the supervisory union or school district. The link to the 2018 Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Survey is available now. Please complete this survey online before the June 1, 2018 deadline. The data collected from the 2017 MTSS Survey was used to inform professional learning, guide technical assistance, and respond to legislative requests. Additionally, a copy of the 2017 MTSS Summary Report is available on the MTSS webpage. The window for completing the survey is May 1, 2018 through June 1, 2018.
Contact: Emma Louie at (802) 479-1336 or emma.louie@vermont.gov
Linking Health and Learning April-May, 2018 Newsletter
Audience: Health Educators, Physical Educators, Curriculum Directors, Principals, Superintendents, Higher Education
The April-May, 2018 Linking Health and Learning newsletter is now posted on the Vermont Agency of Education Health and Physical Education webpages. This newsletter communicates pertinent updates about the Vermont P.E. Assessment, news from around the state, as well as professional learning events and resources to support Vermont’s health and physical educators.
Contact: Susan Yesalonia, Ed.D., at susan.yesalonia@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.
EPA Diesel Emissions Reduction Grants Available for School Busses and Vehicles
The US Environmental Protection Agency has issued a Request for Proposals under the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) for projects to significantly reduce diesel emissions. Schools in communities that are significantly impacted by transportation-related air quality issues are encouraged to apply for this grant, due June 12, 2018. More information about the EPA’s clean diesel emissions reduction program can be found at epa.gov.
Contact: cleandiesel@epa.gov or call 1(877) 623-2322
Applications Open for US Department of Education Innovation and Research Grants
Applications are open for FY 18 US Department of Education Innovation Research Grants for innovative evidence-based, field-initiated projects to improve student achievement. Grants are available in three categories: “early-phase”, “mid-phase” and “expansion”, designed to allow applicants to design, evaluate, or scale up projects. For more information about this grant opportunity, visit the US Department of Education Website.
Contact: Kelly Terpak at eir@ed.gov or (202) 453-7122
Summer Institutes on Energy and Climate
There are a few spaces still available in the Vermont Energy Education Program's five-day professional learning institutes, June 25 to 29, 2018 and August 6 to 10, 2018, held at Lake Morey Resort, Fairlee, VT. Participants will deepen their skills and understanding around Next Generation Science Standards, energy, and climate through hands-on exploration, discussions with experts, field trips, and collaboration time for unit creation.
Contact: Cara Robechek at cara@veep.org or (802) 552-8674
Nerdcamp comes to Vermont
The first ever "nErDcampVT" is scheduled for Sunday, May 20, 2018 at Burlington High School. Educators will spend the day in workshop sessions related to literacy topics. As part of this FREE literacy conference for Vermont educators, over 20 regional authors of children’s and young adult books will be offering sessions and/or panel discussions. There is no charge for this event, but registration is required for planning purposes. A certificate of attendance will be available at the close of the day. nErDcampVT is organized by a group of Vermont educators with assistance from the Vermont School Library Association, the Vermont Council on Reading and the Vermont Department of Libraries.
Contact: Donna Sullivan-Macdonald at dmacdonald@sbschools.net or (802) 652-7329
The Emerging Leaders Forum
Registration is open for the 2018 Emerging Leaders Forum. Participants will join a network of young people who are emerging as leaders, and their adult partners, to develop skills as change agents, leading oneself, leading others, and changing the world. Youth-adult teams from high schools around the state that have a clear project for the coming year will convene throughout the year to build capacity to do this work. There is no cost to participate and funds are available to support youth who have not previously joined in other structured leadership opportunities, including those who face resource barriers such as work responsibilities and transportation. The Emerging Leaders Forum is a collaboration of UP for Learning and The Center for Creative Leadership.
Contact: Harry Frank at harry@upforlearning.org or (802) 989-4913 and Helen Beattie at helen@upforlearning.org or (802) 917-4490
Hunger Free Vermont: 3SquaresVT Basic Trainings
Hunger Free Vermont is hosting free trainings across the state this May and June on 3SquaresVT, Vermont's nutrition benefit program supporting nearly 75,000 Vermonters. Attendees will learn about program regulations and recent policy changes, and will have the opportunity to enhance outreach skills.
Contact: Phil Morin at pmorin@hungerfreevt.org or (802) 266-0665
Professional Development Opportunity: Special Topics in Lake Champlain Natural History
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum will host Special Topics in Lake Champlain Natural History August 6 to 10, 2018. This course examines five topics (one each day): Geology, Diatoms, Zooplankton, Freshwater Mussels and Fishes. Participants can choose 1, 2, 3, 4 or all days. Mornings will be spent on and in the water, focused on background content, study methods and policy issues relating to each topic. Afternoons will be spent at LCMM diving more deeply into current research, advanced methods and lesson planning. Join Elizabeth Lee and Matthew Witten, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum’s lead ecology educators, as we dive into our favorite topics with guest instructors and regional experts. Graduate credit available through Castleton University.
Contact: Elizabeth Lee at elizabethl@lcmm.org or (802) 475-2022, ext. 102
Webinar on Tyranny in the 21st Century
Registration is now open for "On: Tyranny in the 21st Century", held by Snowy Owl Tutoring on May 9, 2018 from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Join local journalists, Vermont policymakers, professors and others for an online, interactive, and spirited discussion on the "tyranny" of yesterday and the "tyranny" of today. Guaranteed to be both educational and entertaining.
Contact: Thomas Loudon at tom@snowyowltutoring.com or (802) 299-9642
Coder Camp for Girls
Girls ages 11 to 17 can join this fun, experiential hands-on day camp July 16 to July 20, 2018 at Vermont Technical College, Williston Campus. The Camp offers participants the chance to translate their creativity into a computer program using SCRATCH and other software programs and visit innovative software development companies. The Camp costs $150, several full and partial scholarships are available.
Contact: Laurel Butler at laurel.butler@vtc.vsc.edu or (802) 922-3692
Workshop with George Couros: The Innovator's Mindset
On September 26, 2018, George Couros is coming to Vermont at Trader Duke's Hotel in South Burlington for a dynamic one-day workshop for principals and other leaders who want to not only accept change, but embrace it. He will discuss the idea and characteristics of "The Innovator's Mindset" (book of the same title included) and share powerful examples on why this is so crucial for all educators. This workshop is a collaborative effort of the Champlain Valley Educator Development Center, the Vermont Principals Association and the Vermont Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Contact: Lauren Wooden at lauren@cvedcvt.org or (802) 497-1642
Professional Development Opportunity: Social Cognition I
This graduate-level course is designed to provide participants with a conceptual understanding of the theoretical frameworks underlying social cognition assessment and intervention for individuals presenting with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and related socio-cognitive deficits. This course is an introduction to functional and everyday application of interventions, strategies and supports for improving social understanding and implementing social cognition groups.
Contact: Caitlin Niland at cniland@sterncenter.org or (802) 878-2332, ext. 320