Dear Superintendents,

It’s moving day at the WDE! We are now located at 122 West 25th Street. This is the newly re-constructed east wing of the Herschler Building. WDE occupies the 2nd floor. Please stop by to see us, say hello, and take a tour!

NOTE our new letterhead design and address beginning with this week’s memos.

Rita Watson sits at her workstation in the Hathaway Building surrounded by packed boxes with moving labels.

Rita Watson was the last holdout at the Hathaway on Thursday before the move to Herschler

RECOGNITION OF MILITARY FAMILIES IN APRIL AND MAY

Even though there are only a few days left in the month of April, many of us took the opportunity to recognize and appreciate military children for their service and sacrifice during April, the Month of the Military Child. Military children live with on-going challenges presented by frequent moves, family separations, and life transitions. They move 6-9 times during their K-12 years. In their own way, military-connected children serve, too.

May is Military Appreciation Month and another opportunity to recognize families and children connected to the military, including the National Guard members in our communities across Wyoming. The well-being of all military-connected children and youth depends on a strong, consistent network of supportive adults. Parents, teachers, mentors, and role models play a pivotal role in the life of a military child. Here is a toolkit with resources to learn how to help support all military children  http://www.militarychild.org/momc-tool-kit.

FEDERAL UPDATES

In March, The White House school safety commission chaired by  Education Secretary Betsy DeVos held its first meeting. The U.S. Dept. of Ed has told advocates it plans to reach out to the education community and hold forums around the country in the future. You can learn more in this fact sheet, released by the White House in March.

One more update on federal funding for education:

Congress passed and the President signed the Fiscal Year 2018 omnibus through September 30.  The omnibus includes $70.9 billion for the Department of Education, increasing federal investments in education by $3.9 billion over last fiscal year, or about 6 percent. Importantly, the FY 2018 omnibus includes a $300 million increase for Title I, the most important driver of equity in the federal education budget. Title II funding, which supports states in preparing learner-ready teachers, is preserved at FY 2017 levels. Also, in light of recent tragic violent events in schools across the country, this bill includes $1.1 billion – an increase of $700 million – for Title IV-A to support school climate and safety initiatives. This bill also includes the Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Act, funded at $75 million for the remainder of this fiscal year.

Congress is now working on legislation to fund Fiscal Year 2019. Appropriations requests letters are due to House Appropriators by April 26, and to the Senate by June 1.

Superintendent Balow visits with three high school students in the lobby of the Cheyenne Civic Center, where student art is displayed on the wall.

169 students received a Congressional Award for Youth last Sunday in Cheyenne

Memos to be released on Monday, April 30:

Jillian

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