- 2018-2019 Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Survey Open
- Endorsement Revision Focus Groups
- Student Member Sought for the State Board of Education
- Get the Facts About Vaping - Posters Shipped
- Courtesy Posts
2018-2019 Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Survey Open
Audience: Superintendents and Principals
Available: May 1, 2019
Deadline: June 3, 2019
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 2018-2019 Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Survey is available now. Please complete this survey online before the June 3, 2019, deadline. The data collected from the 2017-2018 MTSS Survey was used to inform professional learning, guide technical assistance and respond to legislative requests. Additionally, a copy of the 2017-2018 MTSS Summary Report is available on the MTSS webpage. The window for completing the survey is May 1, 2019, through June 3, 2019.
Contact: Nancy Hellen at (802) 479-1399 or nancy.hellen@vermont.gov
Endorsement Revision Focus Groups
Audience: Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood Special Education Teachers, College Education Faculty, other stakeholders in the field
The Professional Standards Team is revising the competency standards for licensure in the Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education endorsement areas. Sometime soon in the upcoming months, the team will convene a day-long focus group for the Early Childhood Education endorsement. The same group will reconvene in the early fall to continue it’s work and revise the Early Childhood Special Education endorsement. At these focus groups, we will review the current endorsement standards, and then gather the collected expertise of the participating practitioners, policymakers and researchers to guide the revision. Space is limited; if you are interested in participating in this two-session focus group, please contact Terry Reilly.
Contact: Terry Reilly at (802) 479-1315 or terry.reilly@vermont.gov
Student Member Sought for the State Board of Education
Audience: Vermont secondary students graduating 2021 or later
The Governor’s Office is seeking a candidate to serve on the State Board of Education as one of its two student representatives. The State Board of Education usually meets on the third Wednesday of every month and establishes policies, regulations and rules related to education in Vermont and in keeping with statutes passed by the Legislature. Candidates may apply using the Application for Gubernatorial Appointment. The deadline for applications is May 10, 2019.
Contact: Maureen Gaidys at maureen.gaidys@vermont.gov
Get the Facts About Vaping - Posters Shipped
In March, the Health Department’s Tobacco Control Program launched Unhyped, a youth e-cigarette education campaign to expose the harms of vaping and discourage use among youth ages 13-18. To support educators and administrators in addressing this health concern and communicating the facts about vaping, the program has shipped 20 Unhyped Gruesome Truth posters, 11”X17”, to Vermont middle and high schools. The posters can be displayed throughout the school to increase knowledge and engage students with the Unhyped brand on Facebook, Instagram and the Web.
Contact: Lisa Osbahr at lisa.osbahr@vermont.gov or (802) 863-7513
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.
Presenting Abenaki Culture in the Classroom
Through lectures and experiential learning, Vermont Abenaki Artists Association scholars, historians and culture bearers present this vibrant regional culture that reaches back nearly 13,000 years and continues today. In its third year, this course is designed to provide teachers with a deeper understanding of how indigenous culture continues into the 21st century and how to support Abenaki and Native students while presenting American history. Graduate credit available through Castleton University. Visit the LCMM website for more information and registration.
Contact: Eloise Bell at eloiseb@lcmm.org or (802) 475-2022 x107
1st Annual Youth Summit: May 30, 2019, at Vermont Technical College from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
This event is organized by the Youth Advocacy Council, a group comprised of youth and young adults who educate and empower individuals with differing abilities. EDUCATE – ELEVATE – EMPOWER. This is an event FOR youth BY youth. The Keynote presentation is by Matthew Shapiro, and workshops are focused on the areas of self-advocacy, employment/careers, bullying/harassment, and transition to adulthood. There are Umatter activities for participating schools will be occurring during scheduled workshops. It is a packed agenda dedicated to youth who are engaged in advocacy and leadership activities. Space is limited—there is availability for 150 youth and young adults, and 50 adults who are actively supporting attendees and the intention of the day. Register by May 10, 2019.
Contact: Nichole Jolly at nichole.jolly@vermont.gov
VSA/VCSEA Annual Spring Conference
Join us Thursday and Friday, May 16-17, 2019, for the annual Spring Conference co-hosted by Vermont Council of Special Education Administrators and Vermont Superintendents Association. This year's conference will focus on implementing the core tenets of Act 173 of 2018. Act 173 will change the way that education is delivered and financed for struggling students in Vermont. The conference serves as an opportunity for district and school teams to come together, learn more about the law, gather tools for successful implementation and walk away with a solid action plan that will address at least one component of the law. We encourage you to bring central office leadership as well as building leaders from your systems. The cost is $250. Registration ends May 10, 2019.
Contact: Chelsea Myers at cmyers@vtvsa.org
Principals and Superintendents: Remember National School Nurse Day
Since 1972, National School Nurse Day has been set aside to recognize school nurses. National School Nurse Day was established to foster a better understanding of the role of school nurses in the educational setting. National School Nurse Day is celebrated on the Wednesday within National Nurse Week. This year, School Nurse Day is May 8, 2019.
Contact: Claire Molner at claire.molner@rcsu.org
Vermont Principals' Association Equity Summit III
Summit III is May 24, 2019, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at SIT in Brattleboro. It is one in a series of "pop-up" summits hosted by the Vermont Principals' Association, and we invite school leaders, students, educational partners and more to take a dive deep into understanding and addressing bias and inequity. The summits are part of the VPA's larger plan to build equity literacy through professional learning and training, creating an education equity consultation team, offering financial support to schools and districts to access that team and strengthening our statewide partnerships in the work.
Contact: Linda Wheatley at lwheatley@vpaonline
May 8 Info Session on TAP's 8-month Path to Licensure at Champlain College
Champlain College's Teacher Apprenticeship Program supports career changers and those already working in the education field to earn a Level I Vermont teaching license for $12,000. We will hold our next info session on Wednesday, May 8, 2019 from 6 - 7 p.m. at 175 Lakeside Ave, Burlington. Visit tapvt.org to RSVP and to access the TAP application and FAQ's. A new cohort will begin in August 2019 with seminars, followed by full-time student teaching through the fall 2019 semester.
Contact: Caitlin Hollister at chollister@champlain.edu or (802) 383-6657
Professional Learning: Learning Cohorts for Leaders
2019-20 Cohorts with graduate credit are open for registration. Each of these cohorts will be in a yearlong collaborative group, learning together and being supported with great resources and with experts in the field. Leading Vermont Schools - a Principal cohort led by Jay Nichols, Curriculum Leadership Academy led by Megan Grube and Instructional Coaches Academy, led by Ellen Dorsey.
Contact: Lauren Wooden at lauren@cvedcvt.org or (802) 497-1642
Summer Professional Development: Oral and Written Language Course
Registration is open for the Stern Center for Language and Learning’s Connecting Oral and Written Language course. This course focuses on a range of oral and written connections that impact literacy. It will enable participants to understand normal language development in order to use that knowledge to develop case studies and plan instruction. This course is available for three graduate credits. Registration due Thursday, June 20, 2019, at 5 p.m. Grant funding towards tuition is available.
Contact: SJ White at swhite@sterncenter.org
M3: Mastermind Guides for Middle School and 9th Grade
The M3 Mastermind Guides Middle School curriculum supports youth as peer-to-peer messengers to empower each other to influence and affect their learning. During advisory sessions, youth facilitators teach their peers how, why and when our brains learn. Knowing how to drive their own learning instills students with confidence and competence. The Mastermind Guides 9th Grade curriculum fosters a successful transition to high school by harnessing elements of the experiential learning cycle to increase relevance, relationships, rigor and shared responsibility in the learning process. Self-awareness, empowerment and empathy-building are primary goals of both of these advisory programs. 2019-2020 planning is underway - please contact us for more information.
Contact: Bruce Perlow at bruce@upforlearning.org or (802) 552-8140
Flynn Free Family Saturday Series: A Family Rave Dance Party
Join the Flynn for new, free family musical programs held in the Flynn's lobby and experience a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere with families encouraged to choose how they engage in the activity, whether they use the available headphones for persons with sensitivities to sound, or they dance with their whole selves, every family belongs. The second event, A Family Rave Dance Party, on May 11, 2019, from 10 to 11 a.m., transforms the Flynn lobby info a lively, beats-filled, disco space. Free, pre-registration required.
Contact: Sarah at flynnarts@flynncenter.org or (802) 652-4537
FDA Science and Food Workshop
On Friday, May 10, 2019, join colleagues in Winooski for a free professional development workshop using the US FDA Science and Food Supply Curriculum for Middle and High School. The workshop provides six hours of CE credits, is great for biology, health, culinary arts and science teachers, and will feature experience with hands-on labs and activities. End the year with a few extra hours and some ideas for next years’ classes.
Contact: David McNally at dmcnally@winooski.k12.vt.us
Webinar: Helping Youth Succeed - What Can VT Learn from Iceland's Approach to Prevention?
In Iceland, teenage smoking, drinking and drug use have been radically reduced in the past 20 years. In March a delegation from Vermont traveled to Iceland to learn about the model and will share what they learned during this 90 minute webinar on May 15, 2019, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. There is no cost to attend. Registration for this webinar is required to receive log-on instructions.
Contact: Catherine Diduk at info@healthandlearning.org or (802) 254-6590
Way to Go! School Challenge
The May 6 – 17, 2019, Way to Go! School Challenge is right around the corner. This two-week statewide event is for all K-12 schools to encourage green travel choices. Seventy-four schools are already signed-up and are making a difference reducing single car trips to school. The Challenge is to encourage students, staff and faculty to battle carbon pollution head-on for at least one day. Select from the Way to Go! list of suggested activities and have fun biking, ridesharing, walking or taking the bus, all or part of your trip, between May 6-17, 2019. School coordinators may register their school and log any school activity through May 22, 2019, to be eligible to win great prizes and awards at the Way to Go! Awards Party on June 5, 2019, at the Statehouse.
Contact: Debra Sachs at (802) 238-9807