- Act 173: AOE Technical Guidance Document Released
- Lead in School Drinking Water Testing Schedule: Group 2
- What-if Wednesday: School Emergency Preparedness
- Peer Review Panelists Wanted
- Personalized Learning Plans: A Learning Series for Vermont Educators
- Save the Date: Inclusive Pedagogy and Practices for All Mathematics Learning
- School Maker Day
- Special Education Team Needs Small Scale Contractors
- Teaching Strategies GOLD for the 2019-2020 School Year
- Courtesy Posts
Act 173: AOE Technical Guidance Document Released
Audience: Superintendents and SU/SD leadership teams
The Agency of Education has released Developing Systems to Support the Success of All Students, a technical guidance document outlining the major areas of work and responsibility for SU/SDs in supporting student success. The document outlines future areas of AOE technical assistance in response to Act 173.
Contact: Meg Porcella at meg.porcella@vermont.gov
Lead in School Drinking Water Testing Schedule: Group 2
Audience: Superintendents, Principals, Facilities Managers
The Vermont Department of Health has published a schedule of sampling and sample pick-up dates for the first two groups of schools to have their water tested for lead under Act 66 of 2019. You can access the testing schedule online on the Vermont Department of Health website. Superintendents (public schools) and heads of school (independent schools) will receive an email from the Health Department when they have been scheduled. For more information, visit Lead Testing in Drinking Water: What Schools Need to Do, or dial 2-1-1 or (802) 652-4636.
Contact: Michelle Thompson at leadschool@vermont.gov
What-if Wednesday: School Emergency Preparedness
Audience: Superintendents, Principals and School Crisis Planning Team Members
The What if Wednesday for Aug. 29, 2019, is designed for Superintendents, Principals and School Crisis Planning Team Members to facilitate a conversation about school emergency preparedness. Please complete the exercise and share with your faculty and staff as appropriate.
Contact: Robert L. Evans at revans@margolishealy.com or (802) 839-0448
Peer Review Panelists Wanted
Audience: Licensed Vermont Educators, Administrators
The AOE’s Peer Review Program needs licensed, level 2 educators to serve as panelists. Areas of greatest need: Art, Design and Technology, Computer Science, Theatre, Music, Early Childhood, Science, and all Middle Grades endorsements. Panelists receive $125 per interview plus (58 cents per mile) roundtrip mileage. The work of a panelist involves evaluating a candidate’s portfolio (2-4 hours) and participating in the interview process (2 hours). Interviews are from 4 p.m.- 6 p.m. weekdays and are held at the Vermont Agency of Education in Barre (Montpelier as of Fall 2019). Interested educators please complete the online Small Scale Education Contract Survey.
Contact: Wendy Scott at Wendy.Scott@vermont.gov
Personalized Learning Plans: A Learning Series for Vermont Educators
Audience: Teachers, School Counselors, Principals, Curriculum Directors, PLP and/or Flexible Pathway Coordinators
This free series is open to educators who are interested in creating or refining their personalized learning planning process, and will foster a deeper understanding of the critical elements of a Personalized Learning Plan (PLP) by 1) promoting the concept of a PLP as a cross-disciplinary tool that integrates evidence-based instructional practices; 2) aligning these practices to proficiencies; and 3) providing tools, resources and examples for classroom teachers and administrators. More information and registration online.
Contact: Sigrid Olson at sigrid.olson@vermont.gov or (802) 479-1156.
Save the Date: Inclusive Pedagogy and Practices for All Mathematics Learning
Audience: Curriculum Coordinators, Principals, Special Education Administrators, Special Educators
The Agency of Education presents a series of learning opportunities in the EdCamp format. This year's focus is on the integration of social, emotional and academic development, and specifically mathematics. EdCamp participants will have opportunities to collaborate with other educators from around the state, develop and plan of action with teammates, and interact with recent research and resources. These opportunities will be available in both Northern (Oct. 15, 2019, Jan. 22, 2020 and March 23, 2020) and Southern (Oct. 17, 2019, Jan. 24, 2020 and March 25, 2020) locations. Specific locations TBD.
Contact: Chris Kane at christopher.kane@vermont.gov
School Maker Day
Audience: K-12 Teachers, PLP coordinators, Principals, Curriculum Directors, CTE educators and leaders, student teams are especially encouraged
This year, the Champlain Maker Faire is hosting the School Maker Day on Friday, Sept. 27, 2019 from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. at the Shelburne Farms Coach Barn, Shelburne, VT. Students will have the opportunity to explore and engage in experiments and projects around electronics, coding, robots, 3D printing, drones and music. Featured will be the new electric powered plane by Beta Technologies made here in Vermont by Vermont makers. Educators will be able to gather and share ideas on how to utilize a school Makerspace, inspire students, and tackle local and global issues with the Maker movement. School groups are invited to attend and participate in “Scrounge-a-thon” challenges, with prize money and support for best project pitches. Sign up via the Champlain Maker Faire website.
Contact: Greg Young at greg.young@vermont.gov.
Special Education Team Needs Small Scale Contractors
Audience: Educators, Special Education Directors, Curriculum Leaders, Community Partners, Parents
The Special Education Team anticipates a need for small scale contractors to assist in our SY 19-20 monitoring efforts and professional development offerings (panelist, conference presenter, etc.). We hope you will consider this opportunity to serve the field and share your expertise as potential Small Scale Education Contract vendors for the Special Education team while we grow our system of continuous improvement and support. The Small Scale Education Contract Survey will be open until Sept. 15, 2019, (and it will open again each quarter of the fiscal year). All potential small scale contractors must complete the survey each year, even if they have completed the survey in previous years.
Contact: Jacqui Kelleher at jacqui.kelleher@vermont.gov or (802) 479-1432
Teaching Strategies GOLD for the 2019-2020 School Year
Audience: Universal PreK Administrators, Educators, Support Personnel
The Agency of Education Early Learning team has updated the My Teaching Strategies GOLD® Requirements and Guidelines and the Teaching Strategies GOLD® Transfer Request for the 2019-2020 school year. Please visit the Early Childhood Education Assessment page for more information about Teaching Strategies Gold (TS Gold).
Contact: Leslie Freedman at leslie.freedman@vermont.gov
Courtesy Posts
Fall Field Trips Available at State Parks for All Grades
Supplement your curriculum with a field trip to a state park near you. Field trips are available at: Jamaica, Mt Ascutney, Coolidge, Quechee, Gifford Woods, Waterbury Center, Little River and Elmore State Parks. Field trips are also available in a variety of locations in Groton State Forest. Outdoor learning and service learning experiences are tailored to your needs by a park interpreter. Topics are up to you and range from geology, Vermont wildlife, plant and tree identification, forest study, aquatic ecology, habitats, math in nature, Civilian Conservation Corps history, reading the forested landscape, and more. Entrance fees for school groups booking ahead of time is 50 cents per person. Educational programming is free. Contact Rebecca Roy to plan your field trip today.
Contact: Rebecca Roy at rebecca.roy@vermont.gov or (802) 52-0780
2019 3SquaresVT Statewide Outreach and Policy Conference
Hunger Free Vermont is hosting a statewide conference on Oct. 10, 2019, offering various trainings, skills and outreach strategies around 3SquaresVT. For more information, visit the event registration website.
Contact: Phil Morin at pmorin@hungerfreevt.org
A Few Spots Remain for Transforming School Culture through Restorative Practices
We can accommodate a couple more schools in Transforming School Culture through Restorative Practices (TSCRP): Youth-adult teams partner in creating a school culture that realizes greater equity in education, nurtures relationships in learning and decision-making, builds empathy, bridges differences, and strengthens means to work through, resolve and transform conflicts. Register for TSCRP online.
Contact: Lindsey Halman at lindsey@upforleaning.org or (802) 598-3445
Middlebury Math Teachers’ Circle: Space Available
In a Math Teachers’ Circle, teachers experience open-ended problem solving firsthand in lively discussion sessions facilitated by mathematicians and local teachers. The Middlebury Math Teachers’ Circle will meet monthly during the school year at Middlebury College. Teachers and administrators can find more information, including how to apply, on the Middlebury Math Teachers’ Circle website. Why should kids have all the fun?
Contact: Priscilla Bremser at bremser@middlebury.edu
Professional Development: Supporting Children through Trauma, Poverty and Adversity
Registration is open for Supporting Children through Trauma, Poverty and Adversity, a professional development course by the Stern Center for Language and Learning. In this 45-hour course, participants will gain an understanding of adverse childhood experiences and their impact on physical, emotional, and cognitive development. Participants will establish a framework for developing social and emotional learning competencies in their students. Registration due by Sept. 30, 2019.
Contact: SJ White at swhite@sterncenter.org or (802)-878-2332 ext. 320