Greetings-
This week the UW Board of Trustees announced and celebrated a $5 million gift from the Daniels Fund for the UW College of Education initiative.
The gift comes after a year of planning to bring the College of Ed to preeminent status in the nation. Here is a link to the UW Board of Trustees resolution: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1c-4yp1OT0Cs8HCsz2N13v2G3H1uvBrkj9xe9ZLKyCcM/edit
Shortly after the gift was announced, an advocacy group comprised of trustees, interested UW partners, and K12 educators was passed by the UW Board of Trustees. I have been involved with the planning and work from the beginning and am optimistic about the opportunities, collaboration, and work ahead. This is definitely an effort all in Wyoming will want to actively follow for years to come.
Link to video with comments from trustees about the Initiative:
with former U.S. Senator Hank Brown and Daniels Fund CEO Linda Childers
The Joint Appropriations Committee is in the budget mark-up phase of their work in preparation for the upcoming legislative session. Yesterday, they proposed cuts to education including the school foundation. Here are a couple of breaking articles on the proposed cuts:
My key message around the proposed cuts is to not panic and to remember that the full legislature, partners in education, advocates and the public will have opportunities to debate, weigh in, and advocate. Given the revenue forecast and cuts in other areas of the state budget, I am not surprised by the proposed changes to education funding.
Here are the memos slated for release on Monday, January 25, 2016:
- Memo 2016-008: Homeless Education Competitive Grant
- Memo 2016-009: PD Opportunity: Project-Based Learning
- Memo 2016-010: WDE949 Verification: 9th Grade Credits Earned
My Best,
Jillian
