Dear Superintendents,

WDE stood up an exciting website this week called Wyoming Measures Up.  It can be found at wyomingmeasuresup.com or via link on the WDE website. This site tracks our progress toward ensuring that significantly more students are ready for post-secondary success in college, a career, and/or military service.  Please take a few moments to look at how education in Wyoming and our work is represented.  Thank you, once again, for your effort and input in bringing a vision for Wyoming education to life.  The website and metrics are the culmination of over a year of strategic planning, analyses, and statewide stakeholder input.  For years educators, parents, citizens, and policymakers have asked that we define success and share a vision.  It’s exciting to deliver Wyoming Measures Up.

WDE and Wyoming education were well represented at meetings across the state and nation.  Here are a few meetings that took place this week:

• WAEMSP met in Thermopolis with a full agenda including ESSA updates from WDE senior leadership
• At the Wyoming Transportation Summit (hosted by WHSAA) educators discussed ways to be more efficient with travel
• The Select Committee for Tribal Relations heard from WDE and others about the importance of legislation that creates a structure to support tribal learners and the culture of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho tribes
• Google training was hosted and organized by Fremont 25
• WDE staff and I traveled to Phoenix to participate in two meetings: Indian Education and ESSA, and Accountability and ESSA

Next week, I will testify in front of the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee on a bill co-sponsored by Congressman Lummis.  The bill will reconstitute the Royalty Policy Committee that would provide advice to the Secretary of the Interior regarding royalty rates.  This is an important bill for many reasons, not the least of which is Wyoming education.  The Committee has not had a “seat at the table” for several years and it has caused hasty and one-sided decision making. The bill helps reestablish proper checks and balances.  Several weeks ago, I testified at a U.S. Department of the Interior listening session in Casper and spoke at a Wyoming coal rally.  It is imperative that we all help educators and community members understand how education in Wyoming is funded and how the mineral industry contributes to our excellent quality of life.

Memos to be released on Monday, June 13, 2016:

• Memo 2016-084: Public Comment on Chapter 3 Rules of Practice and Procedure
  • Memo 2016-084-attachment: Chapter 3 Rules of Practice and Procedure
• Memo 2016-085: School Technology and Connectivity Infrastructure Survey

Jillian