Volume 16, Issue 17

April 26, 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.

Public Comment Period: ESSA State Plan COVID Addendum

Audience: All
The Agency of Education (AOE) is requesting public comments on the proposed “Vermont ESSA State Plan Addendum”. The plan was developed by the AOE to reflect proposed changes to the original Vermont ESSA State Plan brought about as a result of pandemic interruptions to schooling. Comments will be used to inform modifications to the plan which will then be considered for adoption by the AOE. Commenters are directed to the Vermont ESSA State Plan Addendum Form to submit comments. The comment period is open from April 27, 2022, to May 13, 2022.
Contact: Patrick Halladay at patrick.halladay@vermont.gov

School Record Retention and Records Management

Audience: Superintendents, Principals, IT Managers, Records Custodians, Education Technology Directors
The Agency of Education has updated an advisory on school record retention and records management. While retention standards are set by the State Archivist within the Office of the Secretary of State, this advisory is intended to quickly connect supervisory unions and school districts with those standards. If you have questions on records retention, please contact the Vermont State Archives and Records Administration for assistance.
Contact: Lisa Helme at lisa.helme@vermont.gov

Dialogue on Schools and Vaping in Vermont

Audience: Superintendents, Principals, Counselors, Educators, Nurses
With many schools and communities reporting issues related to vaping, representatives from the Agency of Education, Prevention Works VT and the Division of Alcohol Drug Abuse Programs are hosting the first of several discussions to share concerns, resources and possible solutions on May 11, 2022, at 10 a.m. Please come prepared to briefly share what your schools/students/staff are experiencing related to vaping, possible solutions you are utilizing and ideas you might have to create short and long-term outcomes to increase safety and well-being in our schools. Seating will be limited; please register in advance by contacting Jessica at jessica@preventionworksvermont.org.
Contact: Beth Keister at beth.keister@vermont.gov

Overview of Substance Misuse Prevention in Schools

Audience: Any school staff who support substance misuse prevention
On Tuesday, May 10, 2022, at 10 a.m., Beth Keister, the Vermont Tobacco and Substance Use Prevention Coordinator, will provide an overview of the facets of substance misuse prevention in the school setting along with Sarah Roy from the Department of Health’s Division of Alcohol Drug Abuse Programs. We’ll go over where to find resources such as curricula, what kinds of existing funding can be leveraged for this purpose, community people and organizations that can support school-based prevention, and more. This is ideal for those who don’t currently have a prevention program and/or funding for one, and need basic information as to how to get started. For meeting details, please email Beth Keister at beth.keister@vermont.gov.
Contact: Beth Keister at beth.keister@vermont.gov

Safety Instruction and Credentialing in Career Technical Education Programs

Audience: CTE Directors, CTE Program Instructors, Superintendents
As of FY 23, Career Technical Education (CTE) program safety credentials cannot be paid for using Perkins V grant funds. CTE programs of study, however, remain legally obligated to provide safety instruction and credentialing. More information is available in the Safety Instruction and Credentialing Requirements for CTE Programs of Study Memorandum.
Contact: Ruth Durkee at ruth.durkee@vermont.gov or (518) 321-6238

May is National Asthma Month, Nominate Your School Now

Audience: All
Many schools have already taken actions to address COVID challenges and satisfy policy requirements may make your school eligible to be recognized at bronze, silver and gold levels through the Vermont Department of Health’s Asthma Friendly Schools Program. Asthma-friendly strategies are simple to implement, low cost and help students and staff with asthma avoid triggers, better manage their symptoms, avoid missed school days and prevent asthma-related emergencies. Any student, parent, staff and school friend can nominate their school; it takes only 10 minutes! The deadline is May 31, 2022.
Contact: Karen Casper at karen.casper@vermont.gov

Provisional License Reports

Audience: Superintendents and Designees
Please submit your Provisional License Reports to Lisa Pierson by Friday, May 20, 2022. More detailed directions on how to create and complete the report using the ALiS online licensing system are posted on our website. Creating the Provisional Licensing Report includes a link to our video tutorial which demonstrates how to complete the report using your online ALiS account.
Contact: Amy Scalabrini at amy.scalabrini@vermont.gov

Vermont PBS: April Resources to Celebrate the Earth

Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, PreK-12 Teachers
The Vermont Agency of Education has updated our Vermont PBS webpage for April 2022. Celebrate Earth Day and being outside with resources from PBS Learning Media and VPR. Other topics of interest include supporting conversations about Ukraine, upcycled art and helping kids become “citizen scientists.” 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 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.

Registration Reminder for the 2022 Transition and Career Planning Conference

The 17th Annual Transition and Career Professional Development Opportunity “Deliberately Developmental” features Dr. Mandy Savitz-Romer as the keynote speaker. Dr. Savitz-Romer, author and Harvard University lecturer, will present live via Zoom on May 12, 2022. Visit the conference event page for additional information.
Contact: Cathy Printon at printon@vsac.org

All Learners Network: Math For All Learners

Math For All Learners is a 3-credit course on July 11-14, 2022, with two follow-up dates in the fall. The course will be in-person at the All Learners Network Learning Center in Burlington. This 3-credit graduate course focuses on the principles of teaching for equity and the closing of instructional gaps. The All Learners Network uses five key components to help math leaders and, ultimately, teachers, support all students to be successful in mathematics.
Contact: TJ Jemison at communicationsdirector@alllearnersnetwork.com

Vermont Energy Education Program Updates: Summer Institute

The Vermont Energy Education Program (VEEP) is excited to announce this year's Summer Institute theme, Jumping from Joy to Action: Empowering Energy and Climate Changemakers Through Play, Hope, and Wonder. We are inviting all educators to join VEEP as we inspire change through play, wonder and joy. Learn more and register on our information session webpage.
Contact: Maria Smith at maria@veep.org

Forest and Garden: Plant Literacy for the Nature Based Classroom

Join other PreK-9 grade educators in this week-long nature immersion plant literacy course offered by The Tea Project, this July 25-29, 2022 (please note the date change from April 13, 2022, courtesy posting). Explore plant habitats and classroom implementations for best practices in plant literacy, mindfulness and nature immersion. Establish practices for cultivating coregulation with your students to enhance the learning experience. Curriculum based in mindfulness practices, sensory awareness, self-care, perennial herb gardening for tea, plant ID in the forest, field, marsh and garden and herbal recipe-making skills. Course enrollment is limited to create a small, dynamic group. Next Generation Science Standards and Social, Emotional Learning standards will be addressed. Register now on the Forest & Garden: Plant Literacy for the Nature Based Classroom registration form.
Contact: Angie Barger at angie5lunaroot@gmail.com or (802) 595-2512

Vita-Learn Dynamic Landscapes Conference

Vita-Learn welcomes registrants for its annual Dynamic Landscapes conference at Champlain College on May 23-24, 2022. Innovation and education technology remains the focus with extra attention paid to Digital Citizenship and Robotics. More information, including online registration, may be found on the Dynamic Landscapes 2022 conference website.
Contact: Jeff Mao at jeff@vita-learn.org or (207) 798-2460

Cybersecurity High School Professional Development Opportunity: Norwich University GenCyber “Teach the Teacher”

Norwich University has four open spots available for local high school teachers for a Cybersecurity ‘Teach the Teacher’ opportunity that will be hosted in a hybrid format, both on campus and virtually, in June 2022. Teachers will be paired with Norwich professors who will provide training in cybersecurity and digital forensics using GenCyber curriculum. This curriculum will be applied in a GenCyber student camp held virtually during this period. Teachers will be given the curriculum to bring back to their schools to share and implement. This opportunity has a 10-day time commitment: June 15-17, June 20-24, and June 27-28, 2022. Selected teachers will receive a stipend for their time.
Contact: Kristin Hayes at khayes1@norwich.edu

Vermont Destination Imagination Tournament

The Vermont Destination Imagination Tournament will be held on Saturday, April 30, 2022. This creative, problem-solving tournament will be in-person for the first time since 2019, and the first time at Main St. Landing Performing Arts Center in Burlington. The event is free and open to a public audience. Come watch Vermont elementary and middle-level teams present their solutions to scientific, technical, engineering and early learning challenges in a series of eight-minute performances. Get a glimpse of what Destination Imagination is all about. Extra benefit: tournament attendees can go to ECHO, a short walk away, free for the rest of the day until closing time. Main St. Landing requires masks for everyone and proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours is required for adults.
Contact: Jane Youngbaer at vtdicreativity@gmail.com or (802) 272-2766

Professional Learning: Aspiring and New Curriculum Leaders

Registration is open for the fourth cohort of the Curriculum Leadership Academy: Leading a Leading Organization. This academy is designed to meet the learning needs of both current and aspiring curriculum directors. The major work of the course will be the development of a continuous improvement plan for an individual, grade band or school/supervisory union, as this work is the keystone of learning organizations. The course will be held at Champlain Valley Educator Development Center in South Burlington on Oct. 10 and Nov. 11, 2022, and Jan. 20, March 31 and May 31, 2023, from 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. This course includes the book by Michael Fullan, Joanne Quinn and Joanne McEachen, Deep Learning: Engage the World, Change the World. Optional three graduate credits.
Contact: Lauren Wooden at lauren@cvedcvt.org or (802) 497-1642

Computer Science Courses For Educators at the University of Vermont

The Departments of Education and Computer Science at the University of Vermont will offer two computer science courses for educators that fulfill Vermont Agency of Education endorsement standards for Computer Science Licensure in Grades 7-12. The courses will be EDCI 380 OL2 Interactive Web Design for Educators – three credits - May 23-July 1, 2022, by Robert Erickson – Robert.Erickson@uvm.edu and EDCI 380 OL3 Python Programming for Educators – three credits – June 20–July 1, 2022, by Jackie Horton – Jackie.Horton@uvm.edu. For more information about the computer science courses and registration requirements, please see our Computer Science Courses for Educators informational flyer and register by May 6, 2022.
Contact: Regina Toolin at rtoolin@uvm.edu