- Agency of Education, State of Vermont and Federal Updates
- Family Engagement Networking Series
- Student-Centered Mathematics Networked Improvement Community
- Social-emotional Learning and Mental Health: Making Connections with VTmtss Act 173 Needs Assessment
- Independent Reviewers of Harassment Determinations
- Vermont Public: Celebrate the 100th Day of School and Number Fun
- Agency of Education Open Positions
- 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 (AOE), other State of Vermont agencies, federal agencies or Vermont's congressional delegation.
Family Engagement Networking Series
Audience: Family Engagement Personnel, Administrators
Please join the Agency of Education’s Vermont Multi-tiered System of Supports (VTmtss) Team for a monthly Family Engagement Networking Series. The next Family Engagement Networking Session will be held on Feb. 16, 2023, from 1-2 p.m. Feedback and Data Collection to Inform Family Engagement Practices will be the focus. We will be joined by Amy Wheeler-Sutton and Cassandra Townshend of Vermont BEST/PBIS. These are informal monthly, one-hour virtual sessions for family engagement colleagues to connect, hear updates and discuss problems of practice regarding family engagement. Save the dates for future Family Engagement Networking Sessions which will be held every third Thursday from 1-2 p.m.
Contact: Nancy Hellen at nancy.hellen@vermont.gov
Student-Centered Mathematics Networked Improvement Community
Audience: Educators, Principals, and Systems-level Leaders
To empower math educators in accelerated learning and recovery, we are inviting educator teams to join a unique professional learning opportunity. In the Networked Improvement Community (NIC), participants use a collaborative model for improvement in which participants partner with math experts/researchers to improve instruction, using formative data and cycles of learning. Participants will receive a certificate for professional learning credit hours and possibly an option for graduate credit. This NIC will run through the remainder of this school year and through the 2023-2024 school year. If you are interested in this unique, professional learning opportunity, contact aoe.mhshubgroup@vermont.gov.
Contact: Lori Dolezal at aoe.mhshubgroup@vermont.gov
Social-Emotional Learning and Mental Health: Making Connections with VTmtss Act 173 Needs Assessment
Audience: SU/SD Leadership Teams
The Making Connections with VTmtss Act 173 Needs Assessment series consists of documents in a common format for evaluating current practice in a district and its schools. We now offer a tool for addressing Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and Mental Health: Making Connections with VTmtss. These tools are designed to be used in conjunction with the VTmtss Systems Screener, the VTmtss Framework, the VTmtss Driver Diagram and continuous improvement goal setting. Facilitation support by the Agency of Education’s VTmtss Team is available upon request using the technical assistant request form.
Contact: Tracy Watterson at tracy.watterson@vermont.gov
Independent Reviewers of Harassment Determinations
Audience: Superintendents, Administration
The AOE has posted an updated list of Independent Reviewers of Harassment Determinations. An Independent Reviewer is a neutral person who reviews a school's final determination as to whether harassment occurred and/or the adequacy of a school's response to correct the problem, pursuant to 16 V.S.A. 570a(b). Additional resources harassment, hazing and bullying prevention resources are available on the AOE School Climate webpage.
Contact: Nancy Hellen at nancy.hellen@vermont.gov
Vermont Public: Celebrate the 100th Day of School and Number Fun
Audience: Curriculum Directors, Principals, PreK-12 Teachers
For students in grades PreK-3, check out these playful math-focused PBS KIDS series, which include interactive games and activities! Incorporate Odd Squad into Your Classroom with the Agency of Education’s Resources and Episode-Specific Activities. Investigate numbers, patterns, shapes and more using Incorporating Peg + Cat into Your Classroom and Pet + Cat Resources and Episode-Specific Activities. Think local with this But Why Podcast for Curious Kids about numbers. For older students, Math at the Core is a culturally responsive collection on PBS LearningMedia. Visit the Vermont Public Kids and Education page for more recommendations.
Contacts: Emily Leute at emily.leute@vermont.gov or Heather Duhamel at hduhamel@vermontpublic.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: School Facilities Program Manager - Contact: Bill Bates at bill.bates@vermont.gov and Education Data Analyst II - Temporary - Contact: David Kelley at david.kelley@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 Family Network Free Workshop: Hireability Vermont's Summer Career Exploration Program
The workshop, Hireability Vermont’s Summer Career Exploration Program, will be held on Feb. 15, 2023, from 10-11 a.m. The audience will get to learn about this summer program that provides work experience and job readiness skills training to students with disabilities. We will share information about who is involved, the impact, and hear directly from a parent and student about their experience with the program.
Contact: Sienna Tuinei at sienna.tuinei@vtfn.org
Students Find Their Community at The Governor’s Institutes of Vermont
The Governor’s Institutes of Vermont (GIV) has opened applications for their 2023 summer programs, welcoming passionate Vermont high school students to take part in the adventure of a lifetime. GIV Institutes take place on Vermont college campuses and give attendees the opportunity to dive deep into a topic of interest for an intensive 1-2 weeks of learning. Topics include arts, engineering, entrepreneurship, environmental science and technology, global issues and youth action, health and medicine, mathematical sciences, technology and design. Students can attend for as little as $10.
Contact: Matthew Binginot at hello@giv.org
Senior Survey Data Exploration for High School Educators
The Vermont Student Assistance Corporation’s (VSAC) Senior Survey workshop provides "real-time" feedback on the student experience at individual schools as well as data on the student experience across Vermont. Space is still available at this free, in-person workshop being offered on Thursday, April 6, 2023, at Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, VT. Visit the VSAC calendar of events for details and registration information.
Contact: Ellen Bagnato at bagnato@vsac.org
All Learners Network Math Professional Development: Universal Design for Learning and Math
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Math is a free six-hour workshop offered virtually on March 6, 2023, from 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. UDL posits flexible pathways with firm goals. As math educators, we need to consider the universal accommodations and tools we are providing for students to learn mathematics and demonstrate their understanding. We also need to consider the high-priority math concept a student needs from previous grades to accurately scaffold new learning so that all students can experience affirming math learning at their grade level.
Contact: TJ Jemison at communicationsdirector@alllearnersnetwork.com
Umatter For Schools: Suicide Prevention Awareness Training
The Umatter for Schools Suicide Prevention national best practice program for suicide prevention is supported by funding from the Vermont Department of Mental Health. This newly designed four-week course, beginning in March, consists of asynchronous, self-paced work and virtual live zoom sessions. All four modules will include content presentation in multiple formats, self-reflection through discussion, activities designed for team engagement and learning assessments at the end of each module. Register online today, at least one week before the program start date.
Contact: Karen Carreira at karen@healthandlearning.org
Professional Learning - Consolidated Grants: Developing Your CFP
Registration is open for Consolidated Grants: Developing Your CFP (Consolidated Federal Programs) facilitated by veteran curriculum director, Gwen Carmolli. Join Gwen and her expert panel (Megan Grube, Paul Smith, Jeff Evans and Nicole Bell) at the Hampton Inn, Colchester on March 15, 2023. In this workshop, you will get a chance to preview the grant application, learn about different requirements of the grant, ask questions and hear from the panel, develop a planning timeline and have some time to practice filling in or writing parts of the grant.
Contact: Lauren Wooden at lauren@cvedcvt.org or (802) 497-1642
Accepting Registrations: Two-day Mental Health and Trauma Informed Care Training
The Mental Health and Trauma Informed Care Training is free of charge thanks to the generosity of the Free Masons of Vermont and the Grand Lodge of Vermont. The program is designed to help educators become more effective in recognizing and understanding mental health and trauma concerns present in their students. This interactive training is March 14 and 15, 2023, at the Burlington Elks Lodge located at 925 North Avenue, Burlington, VT 05408. To register please submit your name, school or organization, job title and your email and send it to Casey Boyle-Eldridge at casey@cbeeducationalservices.org.
Contact: Casey Boyle-Eldridge at casey@cbeeducationalservices.org
Graduate Leadership Course Starts Feb. 11, 2023
Registration is still open for a new Castleton University Center for Schools’ online course titled Leadership that Supports a Guaranteed, Viable Curriculum Aligned with VT Standards and Proficiencies with Skyler LaBombard, M.Ed., on Feb. 11 – April 8, 2023. This course is appropriate for teacher leaders and administrators seeking to increase their understanding of skills and dispositions necessary to assure that curriculum, instruction and assessments are guaranteed, viable and aligned to standards and proficiencies. View the full course description and register on Castleton's Continuing Education and Graduate Courses webpage.
Contact: Tara Lidstone at cfs@castleton.edu or (802) 345-0092
Professional Learning: Wilson Reading System Introductory Course
The Wilson Reading System (WRS) is an intensive intervention program for students in grades 2–12 who are reading and spelling below grade level and those diagnosed with a language-based learning disability. Registration is open for the WRS Introductory Course, which begins April 18, 2023. Offered by the Stern Center for Language and Learning, this course addresses the teaching of phonemic awareness, word identification, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. It provides participants with an overview of the WRS 4th Edition curriculum and serves as the prerequisite for WRS Level I Certification. Visit the course page to learn more.
Contact: Julia Caminiti at news@sterncenter.org