Volume 16, Issue 34

August 24, 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.

Dual Enrollment, Fast Forward and Early College Partnership Agreements

Audience: Superintendents, Principals, CTE Directors, High School and CTE Voucher Coordinators
Under the Flexible Pathways Initiative, the Vermont Dual Enrollment Program, 16 V.S.A. § 944, provides eligible Vermont high school students access to two college courses. The Fast Forward Program provides up to two credit bearing courses per semester taught at Career and Technical Education (CTE) centers by CTE Teachers. The Early College Program simultaneously serves as a student’s senior year of high school and one academic year of college. Each of these programs are tuition free to the student. The FY23 Partnership Agreement Memos and Forms are now available for each of these programs and can be found on the AOE Dual Enrollment webpage and/or the AOE Early College webpage. Please read the appropriate memo for each program and submit the accompanying form by Sept. 15, 2022. Links to the necessary forms are contained within the memos.
Contact: Ryan Parkman at AOE.DualEnrollment@vermont.gov

Deadline Sept. 1 for Annual Education Technology Survey

Audience: Education Technology Directors, Superintendents, IT Managers
The Annual Technology Survey is required of all Vermont schools in order to collect important data about many aspects of the education technology landscape in our schools. The survey is open and the deadline to respond is Sept. 1, 2022. The AOE requests that the survey be answered to the best of the ability by the district for each school. The survey is structured to enable a supervisory union or school district representative to complete data for multiple schools in one form. This information is used by legislators, as well as state and local policymakers, and may be referenced in both state and national press with regards to Vermont’s status around education technology. Please complete the Annual Technology Survey, through a link located on the AOE Education Technology webpage.
Contact: Lisa Helme at lisa.helme@vermont.gov

Professional Learning & Coaching Opportunity: Early Learning Networked Improvement Community to Accelerate Learning and Recovery

Audience: Superintendents, Curriculum Directors, Principals, Teachers
To support your system in connecting and acting on current legislative and policy initiatives and to support accelerated learning and recovery, we invite SU/SD teams to join an Early Learning Networked Improvement Community (ELNIC) to improve instruction in foundational skills and formative assessment practices in PreK-3rd grade math and literacy. The ELNIC is a unique, job-embedded professional learning opportunity where participants engage in collective problem-solving—using formative data and evidence-based practices—to support equitable, high-quality instruction. If you are interested in assembling an SU/SD team to take advantage of this opportunity, further details and a link to join our August 31, 2022, informational webinar can be found on the Networked Improvement Community to Accelerate Learning and Recovery document.
Contact: Lori Dolezal at aoe.elnichubgroup@vermont.gov

Office Hours: The 8 Elements of Indicator 13

Audience: Special Ed Directors, High School Special Educators
The Agency of Education will be hosting the Office Hours: The 8 Elements of Indicator 13 on Jan. 10, 2023, from 3-4 p.m. All elements of Indicator 13 (Transition Plan in the IEP) will be discussed, including compliant examples and best practices for all aspects of the transition plan in the IEP. As part of this session please review Comprehensive Overview of Indicator 13 Covering All 8 Elements of the Transition Plan in the IEP webinar prior to attendance.
Contact: John Spinney at john.spinney@vermont.gov

Office Hours: Transition Goals

Audience: Special Ed Directors, High School Special Educators
The Agency of Education is hosting the Office Hours: Transition Goals on Nov. 15, 2022, from 3-4 p.m. This training covers postsecondary goals, annual IEP Transition Goals and transition services. Examples will be given for each so the participant can make distinctions between these three items. As part of this session, please review Transition Goals Training (Annual and Postsecondary) webinar prior to attendance.
Contact: John Spinney at john.spinney@vermont.gov

Office Hours: Transition Assessments

Audience: Special Ed Directors, High School Special Educators
The Agency of Education is hosting the Office Hours: Transition Assessments virtual meeting on Oct. 4, 2022, from 3-4 p.m. This session goes in depth into Transition Assessments and covers the many different types available for measuring a student's strengths, needs, preferences and interests in order to create a legitimate transition plan. As part of this session, please review Transition Assessments Training webinar prior to attendance.
Contact: John Spinney at john.spinney@vermont.gov

Indicator 13 Training: Self-Assessment

Audience: Special Ed Directors, High School Special Educators
The Agency of Education will be hosting the Indicator 13 Training: Self-Assessment on Oct. 11, 2022, from 3-4 p.m. This session delves into a capacity-building tool developed from systemic best practices for Indicator 13. The self-assessment will allow districts to review their system and give possible next steps for action planning to improve their Indicator 13 compliance.
Contact: John Spinney at john.spinney@vermont.gov

Indicator 13 Training: Course of Study

Audience: Special Ed Directors, High School Special Educators
The Indicator 13 Training: Course of Study session will cover all aspects of the course of study, including the rationale for why IDEA requires this in the IEP. The Special Education Team will go over some common compliance issues and show compliant examples. As part of this session, please review the Comprehensive Overview of Indicator 13 Covering All 8 Elements of the Transition Plan in the IEP webinar prior to attendance. Join in the virtual meeting on Sept. 20, 2022, from 3-4 p.m.
Contact: John Spinney at john.spinney@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

Vermont Public: Back to School

Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, PreK-12 Teachers
The Vermont Agency of Education and Vermont Public (formerly Vermont PBS and VPR) continue our partnership to meet the anywhere, anytime, educational, social and emotional needs of Vermont students. As the summer winds down, visit the Vermont Public Kids and Education page to find online and printable resources to help students and teachers prepare for Back to School.
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.

Youth & Peace in Action: Interactive Student Online Course

Youth & Peace in Action is offering the My Peacebuilder Foundations interactive online course for peacebuilder student certification. Modules leverage the NewGen Peacebuilders 7H Framework (Hello, Hope, Harm, Healing, Heart, Head, Hands) which supports social and emotional learning objectives as students explore aspects of peace within the community, nation and world. For a $100 school registration fee, all 9-12 students will have access to these modules, a teacher toolkit for in-class dialogue and instructional opportunities provided. Registration extends the work to club/school groups to participate in live, virtual, facilitated Leading Peace Project Teams experiences ($500 per project team).
Contact Deb Semmler at dsemmler@newgenpeace.org

New Online Math Opportunity Available for Vermont High School Students

The Essential Math for College and Careers (EMC2) course is now available online through Vermont Virtual Learning Cooperative. EMC2 is a year-long, one-credit high school math course taught by a highly qualified Vermont high school math teacher trained through the EMC2 Teacher Professional Development program. Enrollment is free to any Vermont high school student who is appropriate for the course through the support of Vermont Student Assistance Corporation’s GEAR UP grant. Register now using course code 02003AFY23 Essential Math for College and Careers.
Contact: Anita Long at long@vsac.org

September Umatter Suicide Prevention Awareness Training

Join the Center for Health and Learning for a no-cost Suicide Awareness training on Sept.13, 2022, from 10-11:30 a.m. Enhance knowledge, comfort and skills to identify those at risk for suicide in your organization or community, including resources. Register online today on the Umatter Suicide Prevention Awareness Training registration page.
Contact: Karen Carreira at karen@healthandlearning.org

Vermont Family Network Free Workshop: “Psychoeducational Evaluations: How Do They Fit Within the Special Education Evaluation Process?”

Psychoeducational Evaluations: How do they fit within the special education evaluation process?, will be held on Sept. 1, 2022, from 1-2 p.m. This workshop will help to demystify psychoeducational evaluations: When and why are they conducted? What questions are they intended to answer? Who is qualified to assess different disability categories? It will also cover questions parents should ask during the evaluation planning process and suggest ways to effectively advocate so that children receive a quality comprehensive special education evaluation. Presenter: Shannon Newell, PhD NCSP, Associate Professor of Psychological Science at Castleton University and School Psychology Graduate Program Coordinator.
Contact: Rachel Boyers at rachel.boyers@vtfn.org

All Learners Network Math Professional Development

Coaching with Equity in Mind is a three-hour workshop offered in person on Sept. 26, 2022, from 8:30-11:30 a.m., at the All Learners Network Learning Center in Burlington. As part of our series on supporting your coaching culture, this workshop is based on Elena Aguilar's book, Coaching for Equity: Conversations that Change Practice. This workshop offers teachers, coaches and school leaders support in setting up a learning culture that gives people what they need in order to be successful and thrive.
Contact: TJ Jemison at communicationsdirector@alllearnersnetwork.com

Professional Learning: Beginning Teacher Cohort Virtual Series 2022-23

Registration is open for Dr. Tina Boogren: Embarking on Your First Years. It meets after school from 3:15-4:45 p.m., once monthly (no substitutes needed). Dr. Boogren believes that supporting beginning teachers is crucial for both retention and for developing expertise in relation to student achievement. In these interactive virtual sessions, participants discover practical strategies to manage classrooms, increase student achievement, build strong relationships and how to tend to their own wellness and self-care needs to avoid burnout and early career attrition. Her book The Beginning Teacher's Field Guide: Embarking on Your First Years is included.
Contact: Lauren Wooden at lauren@cvedcvt.org or (802) 497-1642

Place-based Education with Ozion Adventures: Tuesdays Throughout the Fall

Ozion Adventures offers educators an opportunity to take their students, juniors and seniors, on a Story Quest adventure to a hilltop in Corinth, Vermont. The Story Quest seeks to connect students to nature through a wagon ride and hiking adventure where the history of Corinth, Vermont (first Corinth of North America) and some of the history of ancient Corinth, Greece, is told by select features in the landscape. After the hiking adventure, students gather on the hilltop to begin writing their own story about who they could be in the future and what that might look like.
Contact: David Ozahowski at ozionadventures@protonmail.com or (802) 486-9466

Final Call for Social Studies Workshop Proposals

The Vermont Alliance for the Social Studies (VASS) will host its 2022-23 conference on Wednesday, Dec 7. 2022, at the Capitol Plaza and Vermont Historical Society in Montpelier, Vermont. VASS is soliciting proposals for the numerous breakout sessions which will be held throughout the day. Teachers are especially encouraged to submit a workshop proposal. For more information visit the VASS website or Facebook page.
Contact: Ron Eisenman at VTAllianceSS@gmail.com

Nutrition and Food Education Course

The Vermont Higher Education Collaborative (VTHEC) is offering Nutrition and Food Education, a graduate-level three-credit course starting Sept. 12, 2022. A comprehensive approach to develop nutrition and health literacy among youth is needed in our schools; this course is designed for professionals to learn how to teach nutrition education while working collaboratively across school and local communities to establish healthful, sustainable, food systems for schools. To learn more visit the Nutrition and Food Education course description and registration webpage.
Contact: Susan Yesalonia at susan.yesolina@vthec.org

Partnerships for Literacy and Learning Has Support for New Teachers of Literacy

Partnerships for Literacy and Learning has a great line-up for the fall with one you'll be especially interested in, as it is for new or “new-ish” elementary teachers of literacy. This cohort will meet seven times from September 2022 until March 2023, creating a strong support network for this critical time in a teacher’s career. Find more details and registration on the Supporting Literacy Instruction for New Teachers webpage.
Contact: Mary Grace at info@pllvt.org or (802) 828-0521

Professional Learning: Fundations Levels K-3 Workshops

Registration is now open for Fundations Workshops offered this fall. These professional learning courses are offered through the Stern Center for Language and Learning. Fundations teaches the foundational skills, and significantly supports reading, writing, speaking and language standards found in states’ rigorous college- and career-ready standards. The program addresses all five areas of reading instruction with an emphasis on systematic phonics and word structure. Visit the Fundations Levels K-3 Virtual Launch Workshops course page to register. Grant funding is available through the Application for Grant Funding form.
Contact: Peter McDonald at pmcdonald@sterncenter.org

There’s Still Time to Register for Fall Graduate Courses at Saint Michael’s College

Fall Graduate Courses at Saint Michael’s College start August 29, 2022. (Re-)Ignite your passion for teaching with our online, hybrid and in-person offerings designed to meet educators where they are on their professional trajectory. New online courses in Racial Equity and Educational Justice and Holistic Restorative Education are available. Visit the Graduate Education Courses webpage to view all our fall offerings. Please register ASAP to ensure your spot.
Contact: Amy Saks Pavese at asakspavese@smcvt.edu or (802) 654-2826

Artists in Schools Grants – Vermont Arts Council

The Artists in Schools grant program supports artist residencies in schools. Applicants may apply for up to $3,000 to support multi-day artist residencies and arts-integrated projects in Vermont schools. The application is currently open and will close when the funds are exhausted. Eligible schools, school districts and arts organizations may apply to the Vermont Arts Council grant program.
Contact: Troy Hickman at thickman@vermontartscouncil.org or (802) 402-4496

Mercury-Containing Fluorescent Lightbulbs Banned From Sale For Vermont Schools Starting Jan. 2024

Facility Managers – Starting Jan. 2024, you will no longer be able to purchase mercury-containing four foot (4’) general purpose fluorescent replacement bulbs as they will be banned from being sold in Vermont. In addition, starting Feb. 2023, screw-based compact fluorescent lightbulbs also can no longer be sold into the state. If you have questions on the sales ban please refer to the Environmental Fact Sheet provided by the Department of Environmental Conservation. If you have fluorescent lighting products in your home or business, Efficiency Vermont is currently offering a variety of rebates on LEDs to replace them. To learn more about Efficiency Vermont’s lighting offers, visit the Efficiency Vermont Rebate page. For commercial lighting, visit the Efficency Vermont Discounts on Commercial Lighting page for a more detailed list of how Efficiency Vermont can support your lighting projects.
Contact: Colin Santee at csantee@veic.org

Taking Applications for Teen Health Ambassadors

The University of Vermont (UVM) 4-H Health HEROES (Health Education Resources for Outreach, Engagement and Service) program is recruiting teens to become Health and Wellness Ambassadors focused on building and sharing a toolkit of techniques for enhancing mental and physical health. Free required trainings on Sept. 24 and Oct. 15, 2022, from 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at UVM. Ongoing mentoring will be provided and applications are due Sept. 9, 2022. Visit the Teen Health and Wellness Ambassador Application to apply.
Contact: Margaret Coan at mcoan@uvm.edu