Wyoming Department of Education
122 W. 25th St, Ste E200
Cheyenne, WY 82002
307-777-7675
Dear Superintendents,
Wyoming was approved to receive a federal waiver that will provide relief from certain accountability and assessment requirements under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), including the spring assessment of the WY-TOPP. I recognize that there are many unanswered questions at this time. We are evaluating the impacts of the waiver and issue guidance to Wyoming school districts as soon as possible.
Memos:
Thank you for your time on the conference call this morning with me, Governor Gordon, Dr. Alexia Harrist and my staff from the WDE talking through issues associated with school closures. In light of the various questions please read carefully the memos below. Thank you again for your commitment to keeping students and staff safe with preparation and prevention.
Memos to be released:
Dear Superintendents,
As conditions changes rapidly, the WDE will update the website, communicate with superintendents and others, and provide support to school districts. I urge you to use full capacity of resources in your school and community to make proper decisions. It is also imperative that your deliberations on school closures are done in consultation with the Wyoming Department of Health. They will be following the Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidance that was sent out earlier today and exists on WDE’s online repository. Please find the Temporary School Closure Form on our website.
This update and memo is being sent to all subscribers with links:
Infographic from CDC–Guidance for School Settings. Click on image to go to guidance.
Dear Superintendents,
The following memos have been released:
I released the following short statement on COVID-19 on Tuesday, March 3:
Members of the WDE staff and I will continue to update school personnel. Every school and community in Wyoming is equipped with the expertise to maximally prevent and mitigate COVID-19. Please continue to work with local and state health entities, nurses, transportation officials, custodians, and others as you ensure best prevention practices and consider school closure scenarios.
Molly Matthaei of Jackson, a culinary arts instructor at Jackson Hole High School and Summit Innovations School, will be featured on The Food Network’s Spring Baking Championship, Season 6. The show premiers at 7 p.m. MST on March 9.
WDE CTE Supervisor Dr. Michelle Aldrich is in Sheridan for Sheridan College’s Demo Day. This free event gives high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to experience career and technical programs firsthand, with a tour of the Technical Education Center, student and faculty demonstrations, and hands-on activities in welding, diesel technology, machining, construction, computer sciences and culinary arts.
Dear Superintendents,
As of writing this update, Coronavirus has spread to at least 50 countries. In Wyoming, state agency leaders, including myself, are meeting to receive updates, develop response plans, and provide guidance.
Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has detailed information about the Coronavirus, including a page with information specific to schools and communities. At this time, much of the information available is about prevention, including distancing measures and good hygiene practices.
Also, the AASA, the School Superintendents Association, is working closely with the CDC and has information on preventative strategies for districts on their website.
I will share additional resources as they become available.
THE WEEK IN PHOTOS:
District teachers of the year and their principals from across Wyoming gathered for the inaugural meeting of the WDE’s new leadership program – called Level Up – that seeks to elevate Wyoming’s education professionals by providing leadership development to an annual cohort of Wyoming’s leading educators. Upon completion of this program, these educators will be better prepared to tackle the daily challenges of providing an exceptional education to Wyoming students as well as become leaders in their community.
Wyoming First Lady Jennie Gordon, along with WDE Nutrition Supervisor Tamra Jackson, explained the benefits of starting a Breakfast After the Bell program at schools to the 2020 class of Level Up educational leadership members. Students who get breakfast miss fewer days of school and are more likely to graduate high school.
Bill Hardesty, Troops to Teachers Wyoming’s representative, met with Superintendent Jillian Balow Wednesday about the national organization. Troops to Teachers was established in 1993 to assist transitioning Service members and veterans in beginning new careers as K-12 school teachers in public, charter, and Bureau of Indian Affairs schools. While at the Capitol, Hardesty was fortunate to meet Wyoming Service members.
Wyoming’s Teacher of the Year, Dane Weaver, gave an inspirational speech to the Wyoming Senate.
Memos to be released on Monday, March 2:
Dear Superintendents,
What a great Random Acts of Kindness Week! Thank you for sending stories and photos – we loved sharing them on social media.
On Thursday, Governor Gordon signed a proclamation recognizing February as Career and Technical Education (CTE) month. The room was full for the signing – students, teachers, government leaders, employers, and others spoke about the impact of CTE.
Coming up this week 24:
In the fall, we announced Level Up, an educator leader initiative, and we are excited to launch cohort #1 in Cheyenne. Participants will network with elected officials and other leaders while engaging in leadership training and professional development. Many of the cohort #1 participants are 2020 district teachers of the year. Memo 2020-028 (below) is the application for 2021 district teachers of the year. We would love to see every school district participate!
Also, the University of Wyoming announced three finalists for president. The finalists will visit the Laramie and Casper campuses beginning February 24. There are opportunities to interact with the candidates virtually and in-person. All forums will be live-streamed and there are links to give comments about candidates before and during the interview process. Wyoming’s student and educator voices are particularly important. Here is a link to information about the candidates, the interview process, and how to participate:
http://www.uwyo.edu/uw/news/2020/02/uw-trustees-to-consider-three-finalists-for-presidency.html
CTE students, business and industry leaders, government leaders, and teachers speak about the importance of CTE at the governor’s proclamation signing.
Student Safety and Security
While SF79 (threat assessment best practices in schools) moves through the Wyoming Legislature, the U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and Justice met with families from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting at the White House and launched SchoolSafety.gov.
The website has resources for K-12 education administrators, educators, parents, and law enforcement to prepare for and address various threats related to safety, security, and support in schools.
The choir from Afton-Star Valley sang the national anthem and other songs to open the week. They sounded beautiful. Also picured, Representative Simpson.
Memos to be released on Monday, February 24:
Dear Superintendents,
The legislative session kicked off last week. Here is a link to Governor Gordon’s State of the State Address:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKUrbgfoEYI#action=share
Since this is a 20-day budget session, bills need two-thirds vote to be introduced and the work moves swiftly. In addition to the budget bill, there are a handful of education bills–some of which have been introduced. Here are a few:
HB40 – Select Committee on Recalibration- By law, Wyoming re-examines education funding every five years. We rightfully invest a lot into our K-12 system and we also need to take the time to ensure that the system we are investing in provides our students with the best probability of success in school and beyond. With our funding situation and the realization that we haven’t made any substantial changes to the core content of our basket of goods, other than computer science, since the mid-1990s, it is time to rethink what we ask of school districts in law. I am advocating for a recalibration of costs and an examination of the basket of goods.
HB119 – Medicaid claims in schools. We are the only state in the country that ignores this revenue stream and it is the only proposed cost-saving measure that would not cut services for students. Over the past year, the WDE and Dept. of Health have studied the best way to implement Medicaid reimbursement for school-based services with minimal administrative burden on school districts. This bill is in line with those recommendations.
SF79 – Student safety and school security. In 2019 I supported a school safety and security bill that did not make it over the finish line. SF79 helps Wyoming accomplish the goal of every school and district having a threat assessment protocol in place. The bill has been pared down to allow enough flexibility for districts and has been vetted by a stakeholder group of superintendents from small, medium, and large school districts.
SJ1 – Firearm and hunter education elective in high schools. This is an issue near and dear to my heart as an avid hunter who learned hunter safety in PE class.
FCCLA members Gracelyn Troxell and Sophia DeMatteo from East High in Cheyenne, along with advisers Maureen Eldridge and Jessica Gerwig, came to the WDE to help give teammates a better understanding of the national Career and Technical Student Organization. FCCLA offers intra-curricular resources and opportunities for students to pursue careers that support families.
Wyoming’s Teacher of the Year, Dane Weaver, is on the Google Campus attending induction with other teachers of the year.
Memos to be released on Tuesday, February 18:
Dear Superintendents,
Random Acts of Kindness Week is February 16-23. Random acts of kindness (RAKs) have become the norm for many schools in Wyoming and we love to celebrate and promote this aspect of students’ character development.
In years past, we’ve seen students and teachers lead food drives, card writing contests, visits to retirement homes, fundraisers, rock-painting, and so much more. This year there is also a coloring contest and submissions can be made online. More details about the Wyoming RAK Week are here: www.kindnesswyoming.org
Please share how your students and staff are engaged in RAKs. Tag Kindness Wyoming and the WDE in any of your acts of kindness so we can share them statewide.
Kayla Ketterling, Wyoming SkillsUSA president from Central High in Cheyenne, came to the WDE Monday to talk to teammates about the career and technical student organization. SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce.
State of the Union and Education
Education was one theme during President Trump’s State of the Union address. He urged Congress to approve federal tax credits for school choice. He also called for an expansion of Career and Technical Education (CTE) and touted his Administration’s support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and religious liberty in schools.
He spoke specifically to CTE, “My budget also contains an exciting vision for our nation’s high schools,” he continued. “[I] ask Congress to support our students and back my plan to offer vocational and technical education in every single high school in America.”
Memos to be released on Monday, February 10:
Dear Superintendents,
U.S. Department of Education Deputy Secretary Mick Zais visited Wyoming last week. Here is an article from the Casper Star Tribune about his visit.
USED Deputy Secretary Mick Zais goes on a school visit with Wyoming’s Chief Academic Officer, Shelley Hamel.
EARLY LITERACY ON THE NATIONAL STAGE
It is a privilege to serve as the CCSSO president for many reasons and this week was no exception. I was invited to co-facilitate a national discussion about early literacy. The stage was set with an overview of 2019 NAEP results that show a decline in 8th grade reading scores in thirty one states, including Wyoming. Next, a journalist, Emily Hanford, shared clear and longitudinal evidence about the science of teaching reading. If you haven’t listened to Emily’s podcast, “At a Loss for Words; How a flawed idea is teaching millions of kids to be poor readers” on the topic, I highly recommend it. Our follow-up discussions were focused on three main literacy areas: teacher preparation, high quality curriculum, and Pre-K to 3rd grade instruction.
As I understand, the event was recorded and once I have a link, I will share it. Suffice to say, I was excited to share Wyoming’s policy work with the passage of HB297 in 2019 and some the work you are doing in schools.
One of many tweets sent during the CCSSO Literacy Summit.
FEDERAL UPDATE ON NUTRITION:
The USDA announced proposed rules that will provide more flexibility to schools while still ensuring nutritious meals are served to students during the school year and summer. Here are a few key changes:
Wyoming’s schools are innovative and hard-working from purchase to preparation to serving meals to students. Increased flexibility with our programs means less food waste and a continued focus on nutritious and wholesome student meals. The Nutrition Team at the WDE and I will examine the proposed rules carefully and comment where we see that the plans conflict with what has proven to be successful in Wyoming schools. Overall, I am enthused about the proposed rules.
NEW ARM OF THE OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS (OCR) – for schools, families, and students
Also last week, the U.S. Department of Education launched the Outreach, Prevention, Education, and Non-Discrimination (OPEN) Center. The focus of the OPEN Center is on proactive compliance with federal civil rights laws to provide assistance and support.
The OCR typically enforces federal civil rights laws through the complaint resolution process. The OPEN Center aims to provide information and support prior to the filing of complaints.
Memos to be released on Monday, January 27:
Dear Superintendents,
It has been a pleasure to be on the road visiting schools, despite wintry travel. Thank you for opening your classroom doors to WDE staff and me!
Last week, the We The People state finals took place in Cheyenne. While an annual event, this is the first time that student hearings took place in the newly renovated Capitol Connector. It was and honor to judge the competition and I was inspired to see our future leaders making arguments and defending their stances based on the wisdom of our Founders, the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and case law.
Congratulations to all teams who made it to the state finals. The Sheridan Broncs took first place and will represent Wyoming at the national competition.
Sheridan High School’s We the People team pose for photos in the Capitol Extension after winning the Wyoming state championship on Monday. The team is coached by Michael Thomas and Kim Ferguson.
Brian Becerra-Montiel of Jackson Hole High receives a medal from former University of Wyoming football player John Griffin Monday during the We The People state finals in Cheyenne. Jackson Hole placed second of six teams.
Memos to be released on Tuesday: