Volume 16, Issue 40

October 5, 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.

SY22-23 Universal Screener, Interim or Benchmark Census

Audience: Superintendents, Curriculum Coordinators, Principals
The Agency of Education is seeking to gather information on the type(s) of assessments Supervisory Union/Districts are using to measure growth for English Language Arts, Math and Next Generation Science Standards throughout the school year. These responses are very important, and the data gathered by this survey will be used to inform decisions regarding resources needed for learning recovery. This survey is designed to record responses at the supervisory union or school district level. If responses vary by school, aggregate to the best of your ability. Please check with your superintendent to determine who is the best person to fill out and submit the survey. The survey, SY22-23 Universal Screener, Interim, or Benchmark Census must be completed by Oct. 28, 2022. 
Contact: Linda Moreno at linda.moreno@vermont.gov

List of Designated Employee Staff who Receive Reports of the Harassment, Hazing, or Bullying of Students

Audience: Superintendents, Principals, Families
Annually, each K-12 school campus must designate two or more staff members to receive reports of the harassment, hazing and bullying of students. The Public School Designated Employees SY22-23 list is now available and will be updated as staff changes.
Contact: Tracy Watterson at tracy.watterson@vermont.gov

Vermont Public: October Resources to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, PreK-12 Teachers
The Vermont Agency of Education and Vermont Public continue our partnership to meet the anywhere, anytime, educational, social and emotional needs of Vermont students. Visit the Vermont Public Kids and Education page to find recommendations for high-quality media and resource collections, including the new PBS Kids C3 connected series, Rosie’s Rules. Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in the classroom with this booklist, or check out the lessons and media gallery for Let’s Go Luna, along with Incorporating Let’s Go Luna into Your Classroom and Let’s Go Luna Resources and Episode Specific Activities. Listen to But Why Podcast talk about Words and Language with linguist guest John McWhorter. Find more Spanish resources for PreK-Grade 3 at PBS Parents. For older students, check out the Timeline Podcast Composer Maria Grever. For a Vermont connection, listen to Brave Little State Podcast’s What Is It Like to Be a Migrant Worker in Vermont? Also, don’t forget to visit the Education Ambassadors page to learn more about how Vermont educators are involved in our partnership.
Contacts: Emily Leute at emily.leute@vermont.gov or Heather Duhamel at hduhamel@vermontpbs.org

Vermont Multi-tiered System of Supports Survey Summary 2021-2022

Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, PreK-12 Teachers
The 2021-2022 Vermont Multi-tiered System of Supports (VTmtss) Survey has been redesigned to measure indicators relating to the VTmtss Framework and Act 173 system levers for enhancing the effectiveness, availability and equity of services provided to all students in Vermont schools. The 2021-2022 VTmtss Survey Summary Report provides an analysis of data reported by 278 Vermont school principals on questions that will inform the Secretary of Education of the status of each school’s incorporation of the VTmtss Framework to enhance academic and social-emotional outcomes for all students. Leadership teams can also use this data for system-improvement prioritization and planning.
Contact: Caitlin Chisholm at caitlin.chisholm@vermont.gov

Agency of Education Open Positions

Audience: All
The Vermont Agency of Education has open positions that are available to both state employees and external applicants. Open positions are: Data Analyst I and Data Analyst II - Contact: David Kelley at david.kelley@vermont.gov, Database Administrator III and Database Administrator IV - Contact: Tracey Delphia at tracey.delphia@vermont.gov, Policy Communications Specialist - Contact: Ted Fisher at ted.fisher@vermont.gov, and Programs Coordinator I -Science Specialist - Contact: Pat Fitzsimmons at pat.fitzsimmons@vermont.gov.
Contact: AOE Info at aoe.edinfo@vermont.gov

Civic Education Opportunity: We the People

Audience: Superintendents, Curriculum Directors, High School Principals, High School Teachers
The Center for Civic Education’s We the People program allows students to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of constitutional principles and have opportunities to evaluate, take and defend positions on relevant historical and contemporary issues as they ‘testify’ in simulated Congressional hearings. If your high school is interested in participating in the program and would like your students to compete at the state, and if selected, the national level, please submit an email to Martha Deiss. The Agency of Education Student Pathways Division is trying to gauge the level of interest and potential capacity to hold a state level competition. Please respond by Oct. 17, 2022. Also, note that the National Finals have returned to the Washington, D.C. area and will be held April 21-24, 2023.
Contact: Martha Deiss at martha.deiss@vermont.gov

Vermont Alliance for Social Studies Annual Conference

Audience: Curriculum Directors, Educators
The Vermont Alliance for the Social Studies will be hosting an in-person conference for Vermont Social Studies educators on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022, at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Montpelier, Vermont. The theme for this year’s 28th Annual Conference is “Imagining the 250th and Beyond.” The Keynote Speaker will be Dr. Ted Johnson, Senior Director of the Fellows Program at the Brennan Center for Justice and author of When the Stars Begin to Fall: Overcoming Racism and Renewing the Promise of America. The keynote will be followed by a diverse selection of breakout sessions which will be of interest to K-16 social studies educators and other professionals. Complimentary walking tours of the Vermont State House and the Vermont History Museum will be available. The conference will provide opportunities to connect with vendors, to network with Vermont Social Studies teachers and to share ideas on the direction of social studies education in the state. Participants will be eligible for 7.5 credit hours of Vermont professional development. Early registration is suggested.
Contact: Martha Deiss at martha.deiss@vermont.gov

Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets Announces 2022 Farm to School and Early Childhood Grant

Audience: Superintendents, Principals, Early Childhood Education Providers
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets’ Farm to School and Early Childhood Grant provides financial and technical assistance to schools and early childhood education providers to help develop or grow their farm to school and early childhood programs. The Farm to School and Early Childhood Grant application deadline is Nov. 3, 2022. Apply for a Farm to School and Early Childhood Grant today!
Contact: Gina Clithero at gina.clithero@vermont.gov or (802) 585-6225

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.

Creativity and Innovation - Professional Development Course for Educators

The Innovation and Creativity retreat-style course for educators will be on Oct, 17-18, 2022, at the Lake Morey Resort. Join the program for either two days for fifteen professional development hours or continue over the next months to earn three graduate credits for follow-ups through early May (two hours each month virtually) to collaborate, explore and generate ideas with like-minded educators from around the state. Come away with a new, inspiring action plan on how to incorporate innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship into your curriculum. Graduate credits are through Castleton University. This course is designed for grade 8-12 Secondary/CTE Educators and workforce/career professionals.
Contact: Laurel Butler at lbutler@vtsbdc.org or (802) 922-3692

Vermont Family Network Free Workshop: “The 988 Crisis Line - What Families Should Know”

The workshop, The 988 Crisis Line – What Families Should Know, will be held on Oct. 13, 2022, from 1-2 p.m. It will focus on the new 988 mental health crisis line that has been launched in Vermont and nationally. It will answer the question of “what exactly is 988 and how might it impact families?” Vermont Family Network will host a team from the Vermont Department of Mental Health to talk about this new crisis line and what it means for Vermont individuals and families. Presenters: Samantha Sweet, DMH Director of Mental Health Services, 988 Program Lead and Amy Guidice, Contractor, 988 Planning Coordinator.
Contact: Rachel Boyers at rachel.boyers@vtfn.org

Partnerships for Literacy and Learning is presenting the NEXIS: “Secondary Literacy Partnerships”

Students in secondary schools often arrive with a complex literacy background and differentiating instruction to meet the needs of these students is essential. Join this Networks for Excellence in Schools (NEXIS) series with Audrey Richardson and work together to support the needs of your learners. Come as a team or literacy partners (interventionist and universal level partners)! This process always works best with different perspectives and a focus on strong universal-level instruction through collaborative practices! Find more details and registration on the NEXIS: Secondary Literacy Partnerships webpage.
Contact: Mary Grace at info@pllvt.org or (802) 828-0521

Senior Survey Data Exploration for High School Educators

The Vermont Student Assistance Corporation’s (VSAC) Senior Survey provides "real-time" feedback on the student experience at individual schools as well as data on the student experience across Vermont. Attend this free, in-person workshop to examine school-specific 2022 data with guidance from experienced VSAC Aspirations School Specialists. This workshop is geared toward individuals or school teams of 2-5 high school leaders and is being offered on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2022. Visit the VSAC calendar of events for details and registration information.
Contact: Ellen Bagnato at bagnato@vsac.org

Vermont Destination Imagination at Museum Event

How does Destination Imagination do Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math? It’s STEAM on a Team! Please join us to find out more in Windsor, Vermont on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022, at the American Precision Museum Model Engineering Show from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Vermont Destination Imagination will have a hands-on workshop at the Windsor Recreation Center at 12:30 p.m., along with an information and activity table throughout the day. Lots of demos and other fun at both the Museum and the Recreation Center.
Contact: Jane Youngbaer at vtdicreativity@gmail.com or (802) 272-2766

Teen Leadership Weekend Open to All in Grades 7-12

VTeen Leadership Weekend is a fun-filled weekend developing important skills and traits that will help you stretch and improve your leadership, communication, problem solving, teamwork and other transferable skills to take back and use in your club work, school and community. The cost of the weekend has been reduced from $340 to only $155 due to generous gifts from the State 4-H Foundation, Vermont Mutual Insurance and the Cordelia Family Foundation. The registration fee includes two nights lodging at the Lake Morey Resort, all meals, snacks and activity supplies. Learn more and register on the 4-H Announcements website by Oct. 31, 2022. We welcome all teens in grades 7-12 but space is limited to 50 youth.
Contact: Lauren Traister at Lauren.Traister@uvm.edu or (802) 888-4972 x 402

Interrupting Inequities in School Communities - Webinar

The Vermont Higher Education Collaborative (VT-HEC) is bringing back Joelle and Gillian for a three-part webinar series on Interrupting Inequities in School Communities. This is a timely offering to nurture a deep awareness of inequitable and unhealthy patterns in order to actively interrupt them. They will discuss how to shift from fearful reaction and power hoarding to proactive response and power sharing in our schools and communities. The series kicks off on Oct. 18, 2022, from 3:15-5 p.m. This session will address the impacts of chronic fear and stress on executive functioning, as well as simple shifts that can reduce these effects.
Contact: Julie Medose at info@vthec.org or (802) 498-3350

All Learners Network Math Professional Development

Interpreting High Leverage Assessment (HLA) Data is a three-hour workshop offered in person on Oct. 24, 2022, from 8:30-11:30 a.m., at the All Learners Network Learning Center in Burlington. This workshop will support educators in accurately identifying student understanding and setting "just right next step" goals for students using the HLAs and High Leverage Progressions documents.
Contact: TJ Jemison at communicationsdirector@alllearnersnetwork.com

Inclusive Education Quality Standards (EQS) in Vermont Info Session - Event Invite

The Act 1 Working Group has finalized their recommended changes to the State Board rule called the Education Quality Standards. These new standards help create inclusive and welcoming schools. Come out to this Info Session to learn about Education Quality Standards and how to take action to support this effort. This virtual event is Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, from 5-6 p.m. Visit the Inclusive Education Quality Standards in Vermont Info Session event page for info and registration.
Contact: Alyssa Chen at alyssa.edjvt@gmail.com or (802) 829-1816

Helping Providers Help Families – Oct. 8 and 9

Training mentors, coaches, teachers, therapists, first responders, clergy and administrators to support stressed families and/or families coping with a loved one’s substance use disorder. Two chances to attend: Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022, at 1:30 p.m. – 3 p.m. at Jenna’s House on 117 Saint Johns Road, Johnson. Snacks provided. Free, registration requested. Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, 4 – 5:30 p.m. at Rock Point Center on 20 Rock Point Road in Burlington. Free, registration requested.
Contact: Physicians for Healthy Communities at info@physiciansforhealthycommunities.org