Wyoming Department of Education
122 W. 25th St, Ste E200
Cheyenne, WY 82002
307-777-7675
Dear Superintendents,
Kari Eakins here, sending this update on behalf of Superintendent Balow, who is traveling today.
Memos to be released on Monday, December 11:
CHEYENNE – Governor Matt Mead will sign a proclamation on Tuesday declaring December 4-10 Computer Science Education Week. Wyoming schools have been encouraged to celebrate by participating in Hour of Code, a one-hour introduction to computer science.
“Last year we celebrated our first ever Computer Science Education Week in Wyoming and we’re hoping to build on its success this year,” said State Superintendent Jillian Balow. “We know this is something that students, parents, and communities are interested in, and are happy to have partners participating this year as well.”
Google and the energy infrastructure company, Williams, donated funds to incentivize school to participate in Hour of Code. Each school that accomplishes 100% student participation will be entered to receive a $500 award to be used to purchase materials or necessary technology and equipment for their classrooms. All schools that participate in Hour of Code will receive a signed certificate from Superintendent Balow. A map of Hour of Code events in Wyoming is available here.
The proclamation signing will be streamed live on YouTube at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 5, 2017.
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Media Contact:
Kari Eakins, Communications Director
kari.eakins@wyo.gov
307-777-2053
Dear Superintendents,
I am excited about the quickly approaching 2018 Superintendent’s Summit (S5S) and I hope every district in the state will be represented. During year one we heard from Senator Enzi, Governor Mead, and experts from across the state. Last year leaders from the legislature spoke candidly and UW President Nichols underscored her commitment to Wyoming students in a wonderful keynote speech.
Information for the upcoming S5S is updated at edu.wyoming.gov/S5S, including the registration link. Here is the direct registration link: https://edu.wyoming.gov/
As a reminder, I invite every Wyoming school district to send their superintendent, board chair, outstanding principal, and teacher of the year to join the WDE team for critical conversations about education from national, state, and local perspectives.
Here are highlights for this year:
Social Media
The WDE is moving more and more to social media. Please send articles, events notices, and photos from your school district to thom.gabrukiewicz@wyo.gov and we will help get the word out. Use the links below to stay connected to our website and social media accounts. I also tweet about education in Wyoming regularly and my handle is @jillian4supt.
Memos to be released on Monday, December 4:
Jillian
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CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Department of Education announced the participating Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) organizations in the State of Wyoming today. The program reimburses participating organizations for nutritious meals and snacks served to eligible children in child care centers and family day care homes, as well as eligible adults in adult care centers. The program teaches good eating habits and assures that well-balanced, nourishing meals are served in these participating centers.
Organizations are reimbursed for meals provided to children who are up to 12 years of age. The same meals must be made available to all enrolled children at no separate charge regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age. There is no discrimination in the course of the meal service.
All children receive free meals from their centers through this program. Centers are reimbursed for each meal by the USDA, and meals provided to some children qualify for larger reimbursements than others. Knowing your child’s eligibility will help your center. Eligible meals include those served to children who are in a household enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or the the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), foster children, and to children enrolled in Head Start. In addition, meals served to participants in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and those income applications based on household income qualify for reimbursements as defined by the Eligibility Guidelines below.
| FREE MEALS – 130% | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household Size | Annually | Monthly | Weekly | Every Two Weeks | Twice a Month |
| 1 | $15,678 | $1,307 | $302 | $603 | $654 |
| 2 | $21,112 | $1,760 | $406 | $812 | $880 |
| 3 | $26,546 | $2,213 | $511 | $1,021 | $1,107 |
| 4 | $31,980 | $2,665 | $615 | $1,230 | $1,333 |
| 5 | $37,414 | $3,118 | $720 | $1,439 | $1,559 |
| 6 | $42,848 | $3,571 | $824 | $1,648 | $1,786 |
| 7 | $48,282 | $4,024 | $929 | $1,857 | $2,012 |
| 8 | $53,716 | $4,477 | $1,033 | $2,066 | $2,239 |
| For each additional family member, ADD |
$5,434 | $453 | $105 | $209 | $227 |
| REDUCED PRICE MEALS – 185% | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household Size | Annually | Monthly | Weekly | Every Two Weeks | Twice a Month |
| 1 | $22,311 | $1,860 | $430 | $859 | $930 |
| 2 | $30,044 | $2,504 | $578 | $1,156 | $1,252 |
| 3 | $37,777 | $3,149 | $727 | $1,453 | $1,575 |
| 4 | $45,510 | $3,793 | $876 | $1,751 | $1,897 |
| 5 | $53,243 | $4,437 | $1,024 | $2,048 | $2,219 |
| 6 | $60,976 | $5,082 | $1,173 | $2,346 | $2,541 |
| 7 | $68,709 | $5,726 | $1,322 | $2,643 | $2,863 |
| 8 | $76,442 | $6,371 | $1,471 | $2,941 | $3,186 |
| For each additional family member, ADD |
$7,733 | $645 | $149 | $298 | $323 |
List of Program Participants by County
Albany
Big Horn
Campbell
Carbon
Converse
Crook
Fremont
Goshen
Hot Springs
Johnson
Laramie
Lincoln
Natrona
Niobrara
Park
Platte
Sheridan
Sublette
Sweetwater
Teton
Uinta
Washakie
Weston
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In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
(1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
(2) Fax: (202) 690-7442; or
(3) Email: program.intake@usda.gov.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Dear Superintendents,
Because of the Thanksgiving holiday there will not be an update from me next week. If there are memos, they will be sent to superintendents on Wednesday, November 22 and publicly released the following Monday.
It was great to see many of you this week in Casper at various education events. Thank you, Kevin Mitchell, for the time during your business meeting to update superintendents on various topics.
A special thank you to Converse County #1 Superintendent Fenton-Hughes, the local board of trustees, and Nutrition Director Monty Gilbreath for taking advantage of the local producer cost share program to bring local beef and pork to students. It was a privilege to be part of your celebration of local producers. I hope many other districts take advantage of this new grant program to bring local meat to schools and to promote agriculture in our schools.
On Monday, Governor Mead signed two education proclamations–Hathaway Day (November 16 was the official day) and Homeless Children and Youth Awareness Month. We hope many communities found ways to recognize these occasions in schools.
Memos to be released on Monday, November 20:
Jillian
Dear Superintendents,
On Monday, I experienced one of the greatest privileges of my tenure as State Superintendent. I was the speaker at the naturalization ceremony for ten new United States citizens who reside in Wyoming. It was held at Meadowlark Elementary School in Cheyenne and the entire student body of 5th and 6th graders attended. Meadowlark’s choir sang and the band and orchestra performed (good job Jack Balow). It was moving for everyone and I am grateful to the Honorable Judge Nancy Freudenthal for asking me to speak and to Principal Jim Fraley for including the students. It was a moving experience for all.
WY-TOPP Interim Assessment
The WY-TOPP interim assessment window opened on October 23. To date 40 of 48 districts have accessed the interim assessment. The feedback has been positive and we have resolved tech and other issues within one day. The only way we are able to achieve success with WY-TOPP is through the ongoing collaboration between districts and the WDE. Your tech and assessment coordinators have been engaged with this process worked in partnership with WDE from the beginning and it is deeply appreciated!
Accreditation
Many educators expressed an interest in participating on the accreditation task force. Your willingness to serve strengthens our ability to ensure that the new accreditation structure reflects both the needs of school districts and the requirements in statute. Thank you. We have selected the accreditation task force and will set up meeting dates soon. As a reminder, Wyoming will change the process for accrediting schools beginning SY18-19. This is based on financial constraints as well as feedback from school districts. Click here for the recent accreditation memo.
Next Week
I look forward to seeing many of you next week at your meeting held in conjunction with the WSBA conference and JEIC. Additionally, I’ll attend UW Board of Trustees and State Board meetings and speak at the Casper Chamber of Commerce luncheon. It will also be an honor to help the Casper Rotary pass out dictionaries to students. My Chief of Staff, Dicky Shanor, will update the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees on computer science and Chief Academic Officer, Brent Bacon, will attend the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) in St. Louis on my behalf. Indeed, it’s a busy week. Representing the great work in classrooms across the state is my most important responsibility no matter the event.
Memos to be released on Monday, November 13:
Jillian
Dear Superintendents,
It was great to see some of you at the Innovations conference held this week in Laramie. Previously the community colleges and the university held separate events to highlight technology and digital learning. K12 incorporated the information into other, various events. This year we joined forces and the feedback was excellent–I predict this event will grow each year. Participants heard from state and national speakers, learned how to better leverage Canvas, our statewide Learning Management System (LMS), discussed teacher certification, talked about reporting dashboards, and much more. We all benefit from the strong partnership between K12 and higher education.
For the first year ever Wyoming K12 innovation leaders were recognized for their efforts. This year Erin Moore of Gannett Peak Technology was awarded the partnership award. To accept the award was her colleague, Tighe Fagan. Erin and Tighe have helped bring “Coders of the West” from vision to reality. They are excellent partners in education.
Cameron Kukuchka is an innovator in Johnson County. He was recognized for his leadership as an administrator and technology pioneer at Johnson County School District. Cameron embraces his unique role of leading both staff and students to better utilize new technologies.
Library/Media Specialist Julie Weitz works at Sheridan Junior High School. She has fostered a love for reading and technology that extends far beyond the walls of her library.
CONGRATULATIONS
INAUGURAL K12 DIGITAL LEARNING INNOVATIONS AWARD WINNERS!
Cheyenne will be a busy city next week with a Revenue Committee meeting, the Governor’s Business Forum, and a special event, the Tech Jobs Tour.
Brief Article about Tech Jobs Tour
Another week to note is December 4-10–Computer Science Education Week. For the second year, we are asking all schools and all grades to consider participating in at least one hour of coding. Governor Mead will once again sign a proclamation. This year, I intend to visit schools again as well as “makerspaces.” If you have a school or makerspace in your community that you’d like me to visit, please reach out (especially if it’s a space where students and adults are working together). I am really looking forward to the week!
School Visits
Lastly, I have an opportunity to travel next week to rural New York toward the end of next week to visit a unique community school model. This is an exciting and challenging time for all of us to rethink how to enable students to learn and thrive. This community school model in rural NY in focused on family and community engagement for student success. I’ll visit university-assisted community schools where university administration, faculty and students support the development, implementation and evaluation of community schools as an economic and community development strategy and civic engagement initiative. I look forward to sharing what I observed during my visit.
Memos to be released on Monday, November 6:
Jillian
Dear Superintendents,
This week I was humbled to accept the SETDA State Policy Maker of the Year award in Washington, D.C. SETDA is focused on expanding learning opportunities through technology. Together our work to increase access to quality and relevant learning opportunities is making a difference for students. Here are a few of our accomplishments:
Hathaway Scholarship
Included with this week’s memos is our second annual Hathaway toolkit. Increasing the number of students eligible for the Hathaway Scholarship is one of five focus areas in our statewide vision for education (see http://wyomingmeasuresup.
There will be a proclamation signing for Hathaway Scholarship Day on November 13, 2017 in Governor Mead’s office.
Upcoming Event
One more time, the Governor’s Business Forum will be held in Cheyenne November 7-9 at Little America. There are multiple conversations that directly and indirectly impact education. Education funding, computer science, academic standards, and CTE are on the minds of many as we discuss the strength and future of our state. It is vital that educators are talking to and partnering with business now and going forward. Leaders from WDE, K12, and higher education are slated to speak at the conference. There is a special government rate that educators qualify for and the deadline to register is November 1. Here is a link to the registration site and agenda:
http://www.
Memos to be released:
Jillian
Dear Superintendents,
Since 2015, the WDE has worked strategically and diligently to strengthen professional development offerings. So far in 2017, over 1,500 Wyoming educators have attended conferences and trainings sponsored by the WDE. To meet the demand for quality professional development we have:
Our marquee conferences are in the works for 2018, including S5S. Training opportunities continue throughout the school year with smaller cohorts of teachers, leaders, and other education professionals. Also, there are many opportunities to be involved on task forces, committees, and ad-hoc policy groups. We welcome new teachers, leaders, superintendents, and others to the conversation.
I firmly believe the the greatest wisdom and expertise about education in Wyoming comes from within our communities and schools. Whether we are learning from one another or making policy decisions collaboratively, the students of Wyoming benefit the most when we work together.
Wyoming Teacher of the Year (WTOY)
It is a privilege to announce Sara Reed as Wyoming’s 2018 Teacher of the Year. She teaches Kindergarten at Hillcrest Elementary School in Gillette. We’ve built the WTOY program over the past several years even with reduced fiscal resources. In addition to utilizing the WTOY to provide input on policy and to advocate for the teaching profession, we have asked past and present teachers of the year to weigh in on policy decisions, standards, budgets, and more. I look forward to continuing to showcase this program through Sara’s leadership and advocacy in 2018.
Memos to be released on Monday, October 23:
Jillian
CHEYENNE – Sara Reed, a kindergarten teacher at Hillcrest Elementary School in Campbell County School District #1, has been named Wyoming’s 2018 Teacher of the Year.
State Superintendent Jillian Balow says Mrs. Reed is the kind of teacher that every parent hopes is in their child’s classroom, “Mrs. Reed is a selfless teacher that puts her students first at every turn. She embraces the joys and challenges of teaching our youngest learners and understands that her impact reaches far beyond the classroom or a single school year.”
Mrs. Reed was raised in a family of educators in Gillette, and has taught at Hillcrest for 12 years. She is known for making every effort to get to know each student and their families so she can tailor her teaching to their needs. She also incorporates “movement with a purpose” into her classroom to help her students improve in their reading and writing, and have far fewer behavior problems.
Hillcrest Elementary School Principal Brad Winter says Mrs. Reed gives her students a great start to their educational career by ensuring that they have a positive experience in her classroom and is especially skilled at working with students with challenging behaviors: “She actually requests to have students with known behavioral challenges in her homeroom because she is confident in her ability to help them learn to manage their behaviors and have a positive experience in kindergarten.”
Mrs. Reed successfully developed the Kindergarten Mentor Program at Hillcrest, which pairs each kindergartener with a 6th grader at the beginning of the school year to ease the transition into school. Mrs. Reed matches students based on interest, gender, and culture, making sure ELL students have a 6th grader that can speak their home language to them. The buddies eat lunch together every day for the first month of school, and then the last Friday of every month. The kindergarten and 6th grade teachers work together to coordinate times for the buddies to do STEM projects, holiday projects, reading, writing letters, and educational games throughout the whole year. Principal Winter says the mentor program is one of the most positive and successful thing’s done at Hillcrest, and has helped ease the stress of starting kindergarten for many of the students and their families.
“Sara Reed is one of those outstanding individuals whose personal mission fits their professional mission,” says Campbell County School District #1 Superintendent Boyd Brown. “During her 12 years as a kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Reed has taken every student in her class and worked to meet their needs no matter what learning style they may have or other hardship they may be dealing with outside of school. She develops a personal relationship with each student and family and meets the learning needs of each student on a daily basis to create confident and successful students. Sara is a leader in her school, the district, and will be a great role model as the Wyoming State Teacher of the Year.”
As the 2018 Wyoming Teacher of the Year, Mrs. Reed will serve as an education ambassador for the state. Wyoming’s Teacher of the Year automatically becomes the nominee for the National Teacher of the Year Program, which is a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers, sponsored by Voya Financial, Inc.
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Media Contact:
Kari Eakins, Communications Director
kari.eakins@wyo.gov
307-777-2053