Dear Superintendents,

Memos to be released:

• 2021-029-Join-Education-Discussion-with-Rep-Liz-Cheney-PDF:

Dear Superintendents,

Memos to be released:

• 2021-028-Health-Orders-for-Schools-Remain-in-Effect-PDF

Dear Superintendents,

Governor Gordon delivered the State of the State address these week as the Wyoming Legislature convened for the in-person portion of the session. Here is a link to the governor’s address where he discussed Wyoming’s economy, challenges, strengths, and education.

Early this week, Miguel Cardona was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and now serves as the U.S. Secretary of Education, replacing Betsy DeVos. Here is a video message from Secretary Cardona.

March Observances

• March is Women’s History Month.
• Pi Day is celebrated on 3/14 (March 14) worldwide.  Pi (Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159.  Pi Day is an annual opportunity for enthusiasts to recite the infinite digits of Pi, talk to their friends about math, and eat pie.

CONGRATULATIONS TO RAYLENE JONES of Natrona County High School! She won this year’s Poetry Out Loud state competition. More than 500 Wyoming students participated in Poetry Out Loud this school year. The competition is sponsored and supported by the Wyoming Arts Council. Here is a link to the virtual awards program.  

Wyoming Arts Coucil Staff Mary Billiter and Michael Lange helped me prep for the POL winner announcement this week.

Memos to be released today:

Dear Superintendents,

Please take a few moments to preview this week’s memos.

Highlights:

1. An application for early literacy funds and participation in Wyoming’s full court-press literacy initiative, Wyoming Believing in Literacy Together (WY BILT). Professional development for teachers and leaders, high quality curriculum and assessment, and scientifically-based instructional methods are keys to success.
2. Surveys that inform our work and priorities at the WDE.
3. A very special opportunity for two+ high school civics and journalism classes.

Memos to be released today:

Dear Superintendents,

This week is a big week for education celebrations and observations:

• February 22-26  Public Schools Week – use hashtag #publicproud
• February 25 is Digital Learning Day – use hashtag #DLDay
• February 20-27 is National FFA Week – use hashtags #agvocate #ffaweek and consider wearing blue on Friday to honor your local FFA chapter.

And, we continue to celebrate Career and Technical Education (CTE) for the whole month of February. Governor Gordon signed a proclamation earlier this week.

Handbook from CDC and U.S. Department of Education

One week ago the CDC and U.S. Dept. of Education released a guide for reopening schools across the nation. The focus of the guide is on the implementation of the strategies that Wyoming implemented before we began this school year. Thank you, Wyoming educators, families, and students, for setting a high standard for in-person instruction in America. I am anxious to continue sharing our success story.

Both the CDC and U.S. Department of Education recommend that schools that have safely reopened do not shift course based on the guidance, but that we ensure safety strategies are still in place.

Other Resources

These are not from the CDC or U.S. Department of Education but may be of help as you plan for summer learning and the use of local CARES/ESSER funds.

• New Spotlights Share Innovations for Providing Educators Professional Development on Trauma: Looking for ways to train district and school staff about trauma? The National Center for Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE) recently released a new set of spotlights highlighting innovative practices for providing educators professional development on trauma based on the work of the Promoting Student Resilience grantees. Providing high-quality professional development activities can build the capacity of school staff to create safe, supportive learning environments that offer stability and positive relationships that reduce the negative effects of traumatic events on youth development. Each state spotlight includes a point of contact for the grantee who can share additional information about the implementation of these practices.
• New RAND study on Summer Learning: RAND recently published Every Summer Counts: A Longitudinal Analysis of Outcomes from the National Summer Learning Project, which examined the implementation and effectiveness of voluntary summer learning programs in five school districts and shares key findings and recommendations for future summer programming. Among the recommendations:
  • Districts offering voluntary summer programs that seek to provide academic benefits should offer at least five weeks of programming, and preferably six, with at least three hours of academic instruction per day.
  • To increase program effectiveness and maximize their return on investment, districts should focus on ensuring strong student attendance, productive use of instructional time, and high-quality instruction.

WDE takes a quick Zoom break to share a few random acts of kindness during #RAKWeek

Memo to be released today:

• 2021-020-Call-for-Presenters-for-2021-Native-American-Education-Conference-PDF

President Biden has approved many executive actions (orders, directives, memoranda, proclamations, etc.) that concern schools, students, and families.  Below is a summary of the major education-related actions:

• Pausing Federal Student Loan Payments (January 20) — at the President’s request, the Acting Secretary is extending the pause on both federal student loan payments and collections from January 31, 2021, to September 30, 2021, and maintaining the interest rate at 0%.
• Executive Order on Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation (January 20) — extends federal non-discrimination protections to the members of the LGBTQ community.
• Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government (January 20) — orders agencies to conduct assessments and reallocate resources to “advance equity for all,” as well as revokes President Trump’s Advisory 1776 Commission.
• Preserving and Fortifying Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) (January 20) — reaffirms the deferred removal of certain undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.
• Executive Order on Establishing the COVID-19 Pandemic Testing Board and Ensuring a Sustainable Public Health Workforce… (January 21) — supports diagnostic, screening, and surveillance testing for schools.
• Memorandum to…Increase Reimbursement and Other Assistance Provided to States (January 21) — instructs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to reinstate “full reimbursement” from a disaster aid fund to cover personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies to reopen schools.
• Executive Order on Supporting the Reopening and Continuing Operation of Schools and Early Childhood Education Providers (January 21) — directs the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services to develop guidance for K-12 schools “in deciding whether and how to reopen, and how to remain open, for in-person learning and in safely conducting in-person learning.”
• Executive Actions to Deliver Economic Relief for American Families [and Children]…Amid COVID-19 (January 22) — increases access to nutritious food for as many as 12 million children missing meals due to school closures.

Of course, two additional actions negatively impact education funding for Wyoming and other states with mineral production on federal lands:

• Department of the Interior Order 3395
• Summary of Executive Order “Tackling the Climate Crisis At Home and Abroad”

FAFSA

I am excited to see the rollout of a new FAFSA campaign in Wyoming – more to come. In the meantime, since the 2021-22 FAFSA form became available on October 1, 2020, the completion rate among high school seniors is down 12% compared to the same time last year. Students, educators, counselors, and parents can access resources at StudentAid.gov and via the myStudentAid mobile application using a computer, tablet, or cell phone.

CYBER SAFETY RESOURCE

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) launched a Reduce the Risk of Ransomware campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of ransomware among schools and other organizations that hackers have particularly targeted.

February is CTE Month. It feels very different in 2021 and I miss the students, teachers, & advisors coming to the Capitol to visit with legislators and others.

Last week some of WDE’s senior staff volunteered for the Friday Food Bag Foundation in Cheyenne. We know programs like this exist all over the state and we are grateful that school serves as the hub for distributing weekend meals.

Memos to be released today:

• 2021-015-Wyoming-Advisory-Panel-for-Students-with-Disabilities-PDF
• 2021-016-Wyoming-Education-Trust-Fund-Grant-2021-22-PDF
• 2021-017-2022-Wyoming-Teacher-of-the-Year-Application-PDF
• 2021-018-Accreditation-Rules-Changes-Public-Comment-PDF

• COVID-19 Guidance Update, February 11, 2021

Dear Superintendents,

Governor Gordon signed a proclamation recognizing February 14-20, 2021 as Random Acts of Kindness Week. In the past, schools in Wyoming have been very involved in making the most of this week. Here are several resources as we navigate random acts of kindness in a COVID-19 world.

• http://www.kindnesswyoming.org/rakweek
• https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/
• https://www.bradaronson.com/acts-of-kindness/

Memos to be released today:

• 2021-012-Poverty-Data-Collection-Options-for-Local-Educational-Agencies-for-the-2021-22-School-Year-PDF
• 2021-013-Douvas-Scholarship-Application-PDF
• 2021-014-GEAR-UP-WDE-Partnership-PDF

The Wyoming Afterschool Alliance is leading a discussion called Wyoming 2030. Recently, the Alliance hosted a conversation with Wyoming students called Wyoming Youth Voices. Students discussed what they love about school and life and what they need to keep it that way – It is worth the watch.

The Wyoming Legislature met virtually this week to continue the business of debating bills and moving legislation. You can check on the status of bills and watch previous and live meetings and sessions at wyoleg.gov.

Memos to be released today:

• 2021-009-Educator-Input-and-Committee-Members-Needed-for-ELA-Standards-Review-PDF
• 2021-010-Educator-Input-on-Proposed-Science-Performance-Standards-PDF
• 2021-011-WDE-Awards-21st-Century-Community-Learning-Grants-PDF

We said goodbye to a friend, a leader, and a colleague last week. Senator Hank Coe, or, “Mr. Chairman” to many of us, passed this week after a brief battle with cancer. This is a true loss. Senator Coe led the Senate Education Committee for many years. He approached every topic with a wealth of wisdom and thoughtfulness. Senator Coe’s legacy and impact on education will last for generations to come.

Senator Coe, Representative Freeman, and Representative Roscoe escort me into the House Chambers at the beginning of the 2019 legislative session.

UPDATES

The WDE Communications Team is making much-needed updates to our website and branding. Thank you for your patience if you encounter a temporary glitch or two when you visit our website. Note the new template for this update – all WDE branding will transition to this look with the tagline, “Opportunity Through Education.” We truly appreciate working with each one of you to provide opportunities for Wyoming’s young citizens.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology (OET) released two new resource guides: the Teacher Digital Learning Guide and the School Leader Digital Learning Guide. The guides provide strategies to help teachers and school leaders effectively incorporate digital learning strategies both inside and outside the classroom.

Inauguration of President Joe Biden on January 20

Memos to be released today:

• 2021-007-2021-22-Hathaway-Success-Curriculum-Course-Verification-PDF
• 2021-008-Webinar-on-English-Learners-and-Title-III-Funding-PDF