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.
Arts Teachers Mentor Mini-Pilot Program
Audience: Visual and Performing Arts Educators
Any visual or performing arts teacher new to the profession (i.e., with 0-3 years of experience) or new to a Vermont SU/SD can volunteer to participate in the Arts Teachers Mentor Mini-Pilot Program and work with an Arts Teacher Mentor. School or SU/SD mentor/onboarding program leads can request an Arts Teacher Mentor for their new arts teacher. Program information can be found in the document Arts Teacher Mentor Program: Structure and Guidelines. Once registered, the Arts Specialist will collaborate with the teachers identified as mentors and pair with the new teacher. Please register on the Mentee Sign-Up form.
Contact: Contact: Lisa Bresler at lisa.bresler@vermont.gov
School Year 2022-2023 Child Count Collection
Audience: Special Education Administrators, Special Education Data Personnel
The School Year 2022-2023 Child Count Data Collection is now open. Submitted data must be accurate as of Dec. 1, 2022, and you may submit your SU/SD's data from Dec. 1, 2022, until the end of the day on Dec. 15, 2022. SU/SD personnel in charge of special education data reporting can find collection materials and updated 2022-2023 Child Count Reporting Instructions by logging into the secure AOE file transfer website. If you have questions or are having difficulty accessing collection materials, please contact the AOE Child Count team.
Contact: Cassidy Canzani at AOE.ChildCountInfo@vermont.gov
Peer Review Panelists Wanted
Audience: Currently Licensed Vermont Educators
The Agency of Education’s Peer Review program needs licensed educators to serve as panelists. Panelists receive $175.00 per interview. The work of a panelist involves evaluating a candidate’s portfolio (approximately 2 - 4 hours) and participating in the interview process (approximately 1 - 2 hours). Interviews are online and scheduled based on your convenience. If you are interested, complete the online Small Scale Education Contract Survey by Dec. 15, 2022. The areas of greatest need for panelists are theatre arts and driver education, but all are welcome to submit if interested.
Contact: Ryan McCormick at ryan.mccormick@vermont.gov
Vermont Public: November Resources to Celebrate Native American 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. Celebrate Native American Heritage Month with Molly of Denali by Incorporating Molly of Denali into Your Classroom – access resources and episode-specific activities along with indigenous cultural and informational text resources. For PreK/K students, use these conversation starters during family celebrations or watch as Mister Chris and Friends celebrate friends and tradition. For grades K-5, enjoy playful learning with Gratitude BINGO or listen to But Why Podcast and learn about dictionaries. For older students, check out Vermont Public and MusicComp’s Student Composer Showcase or learn about sports and protest and why it matters. For a local connection, check out resources from the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association and the Abenaki Arts & Education Center. 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
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. Positions are: Director of Education Finance - Contact: Bill Bates at bill.bates@vermont.gov, Early Education Programs Manager - Contact: Chris Case at chris.case@vermont.gov and State Director of Special Education - Contact: Chris Case at chris.case@vermont.gov.
Contact: AOE Info at aoe.edinfo@vermont.gov
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.
Vermont Child Psychiatry Access Program
The Vermont Child Psychiatry Access Program (VTCPAP) aims to help mental healthcare providers care for children and adolescents with developmental, behavioral or mental health complaints as quickly and comprehensively as possible. VTCPAP provides a freely accessible phone line available daily for registered primary care providers to seek clinical advice and care coordination support. Most calls involve a direct conversation between the calling primary health care provider and a VTCPAP Liaison Coordinator and/or the Child Psychiatrist. If your school/school district might benefit from working together to pilot this expansion, please contact Dr. Margaret Spottswood, Medical Program Director of VTCPAP, for more information.
Contact: Dr. Margaret Spottswood at mspottswood@chcb.org
New Online Special Education Additional Endorsement Program
Saint Michael’s College now offers a fully online program for licensed teachers seeking to add an endorsement in Special Education. This competitively-priced program can be completed in four semesters (Spring - Summer - Fall - Spring). This program offers evening classes and a job-embedded practicum and is ideal for educators on provisional special education licenses. Those interested in completing the program by May 2024 should apply by Dec. 1, 2022. Spring classes begin Jan. 16, 2023.
Contact: Amy Knight at aknight@smcvt.edu
Vermont Higher Education Collaborative Spring Catalog - Registration is Open
Registration is open for Vermont Higher Education Collaborative's (VT-HEC) winter/spring semester with graduate-level courses, plus in-person workshops, webinars and recordings. Topics include neurodiversity, resilience and well-being, executive function and coping skills, math for all learners and more. There is also a full lineup of graduate courses in the areas of early education, early childhood special education, health education and work-based learning. VT-HEC is also now approved by the Vermont Standards Board to recommend candidates for their initial teaching license or endorsement in special education, early education and early childhood special education. View the VT-HEC Spring Catalog.
Contact: Julie Medose: info@vthec.org or (802) 498-3350
Vermont Family Network Free Workshop: Regulating at Home
The workshop, Regulating at Home, will be held on Dec. 7, 2022, from 10-11 a.m. Regulating at home can be tricky, especially after a day of school and activities. Learn about what dysregulation is from a brainstem "inside-out" perspective, figure out what a child's regulation pattern is, talk about how a custom home program can support this and start to create a regulation-supporting routine that makes sense for the caregiver and their child. This presentation is most applicable for children under age twelve, but the concepts are helpful for children, teenagers and young adults of any age. Presenter: Natalie Mannherz, pediatric occupational therapist.
Contact: Rachel Boyers at rachel.boyers@vtfn.org
Rowland Fellowship Grant Opportunity
The Rowland Foundation is now accepting fellowship applications from Vermont teachers working in the secondary or middle grades. The Rowland Foundation’s mission is to invest directly in Vermont teachers to positively change the culture and climate of schools. The Rowland approach to school change is based on shared leadership, innovation and collaboration. Teachers interested in this unique professional development opportunity can learn more about it on the The Rowland Fellowship webpage and access the Rowland Fellowship Application. The deadline to apply for the 2023 Cohort of Rowland Fellows is Dec. 31, 2022.
Contact: Abby Paige at info@therowlandfoundation.org or (802) 230-7879
Umatter Training of Trainers
Join the Center for Health and Learning for a Umatter Training of Trainers on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., at the Capital Plaza in Montpelier. Participants engage in a full day of training to develop their skills and confidence to bring Umatter Suicide Prevention Awareness workshops to one's community or workplace. Register online on the training registration page.
Contact: Karen Carreira at karen@healthandlearning.org
Waterford – Upstart Program for PreK Students
Waterford can help you prepare PreK students(at no cost to you) for their upcoming school years. We are offering our award-winning Upstart program to all PreK children in Vermont (for students born between Sept. 2, 2016 - Dec. 31, 2018). Children will receive access to our online adaptive learning program, along with a Dell laptop and internet access if needed. Thanks to philanthropic funding, it costs you nothing. The deadline is Jan. 15, 2023. Register on the Waterford - Upstart webpage. Spots are limited.
Contact: Heba Abdella at registration@waterford.org or (888) 982-9898
Registration Open: Norwich University GenCyber Teacher Training Camp
Norwich University’s Center for Cybersecurity and Forensics Education and Research (CyFER) will host its first-ever GenCyber Teacher Training Camp from June 26 to Friday, June 30, 2023. Our aim is to support the teaching and learning of cybersecurity principles and best practices by enabling teachers to engage in hands-on activities focused on the practical application of a diverse range of cyber specializations including digital forensics, cryptography, information assurance, networking, programming and penetration testing. This activity is free to all participants – additional details and registration can be found on the CyFER website.
Contact: Megan Liptak at gencyber@norwich.edu
All Learners Network Math Professional Development
Getting Started with Math Menu is a three-hour workshop offered virtually on Zoom on Nov. 28, 2022, from noon-3 p.m. This workshop focuses on building teacher pedagogical knowledge about effective practices for mathematics teaching and learning using the Math Menu framework as an effective practice for differentiating and enhancing mathematics instruction to meet the needs of all learners. During the Math Menu components, students work in small groups or independently on tasks targeted to their specific needs. This workshop supports teachers in getting started with this framework.
Contact: TJ Jemison at communicationsdirector@alllearnersnetwork.com