Tag Archives: WAPSD

ESSA Implementation Continues

Superintendent's Update, ,

Dear Superintendents,

The likelihood that you are busy wrapping up your school year is high – I’ll be brief.  We are close to finalizing dates for several ESSA related events.  First, WDE will host a series of virtual town hall meetings on the ESSA components that have the greatest effect on our state: standards and assessment, accountability, teacher and leader quality, federal funding, and school improvement.  Also, the Select Accountability Advisory Committee will convene as the base external design team for ESSA. This committee, formerly chaired by James Bailey, is now led by Judy Catchpole.  While the main focus for the group will be accountability, we will seek input on the other components as well.  I am conscientious of stakeholder fatigue and see utilizing this valuable group as a way to leverage a group that already exists.

Yesterday, the U.S. Dept. of Education released proposed rules for accountability, data reporting, and consolidated state plans under ESSA.  I have not had the opportunity to thoroughly review the proposed rules but am concerned that more State Chiefs were not involved in the work.  I’ll be attending a series of calls next week with other Chiefs to sort through the rules.  State Chiefs had no prior knowledge of the release.  We received communication when the proposed rules were made public.

This week, I had the honor of touring Ft. Hood Army Base with a group of K12 and higher education leaders from across the nation.  I spent several days alongside enlisted soldiers, NCOs, and COs learning about their jobs and opportunities in the service and as civilians.  For example, we toured the Base hospital and heard from a team of nurses and techs who support the Da Vinci surgical robot.  It was fascinating to learn just how high tech our Army is and how well-prepared soldiers are for college and careers after their service.  Additionally, I had an opportunity to network with other states and military leaders about using the ASVAB as a compass for military AND career readiness.  And, yes, I gladly volunteered to tandem jump with the Golden Knights from 14,000 feet!

Superintendent Balow smiling just before her tandem parachute jump with the U.S. Army Golden Knights.

 

 

 

New Chief Policy Officer
Beginning July 1, Lisa Weigel will take over as Chief Policy Officer for the WDE and State of Wyoming.  She served as a principal and Special Ed Director in Converse County prior to coming to WDE in 2015.  Please feel free to reach out to her with a welcome, questions, or your thoughts.

State Loan and Investment Board
Next week is the last SLIB Mineral Royalty Grants meeting for this biennium.  Many of your communities have requested funding for projects that will enhance business and strengthen infrastructure. Your local council members and commissioners have shared the importance of the projects with me and the other statewide electeds.  Please, if you feel strongly about a project, please get in touch with me before Thursday because, unfortunately, we can’t fund all of the projects.

Memos to be released Tuesday, May 31:

Challenges and Successes

Superintendent's Update,

Dear Superintendents,

First, I want to share a couple of salient articles from this week:

http://trib.com/news/local/education/study-shows-rural-communities-benefit-from-after-school-programs/article_7fac8c46-c44a-5d2b-8fbf-4265b8f47b2f.html

https://www.the74million.org/article/in-the-shadows-of-wyomings-oil-and-coal-heydey-an-education-funding-crisis?utm_campaign=Contact+SNS+For+More+Referrer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=snsanalytics

Both touch on some of the greatest challenges and successes we face today. We are seeing unprecedented collaboration in Wyoming education with new, reinvigorated, and targeted partnerships. We are all working to create more opportunities for students to keep Wyoming strong, no matter the funding scenario. Superintendents, school boards, and communities are beginning to have very difficult conversations about how to keep budget cuts as far from the classroom as possible. Thank you for keeping me updated on your community conversations–I really appreciate it.  As always, WDE leadership and staff stand ready to provide support and information whenever you need it.

Visiting with Gillette 5th graders about state government structure
Visiting with Gillette 5th graders about state government structure

Standards

As expected, the State Board of Education voted to seek additional input on the new draft science standards. Simultaneously, members of the Board will continue to independently review the standards.  The WDE will release dates and locations for community meetings soon.  I encourage you to attend with interested staff and community members.  Also, please feel free to reach out to WDE staff with feedback or questions. Continued transparency and feedback about the process and standards remains essential.  Again, the standards can be found at:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0BxbGtXThMppZY0Y1VE82bVJncjA

The State Board also voted to open up Extended (SPED) English/Language Arts standards to make numerous, non-substantive changes.  The intent is to align K-1 to the higher grades and the regular ELA standards. To reiterate, the scope of work is narrowly focused on K-1 extended standards. For more information, I direct you to the SBE board packet where the specific changes can be found starting on page 71:

http://edu.wyoming.gov/wordpress/downloads/board/2016/3.2016-Meeting-Packet-RS.pdf

Memos to be release Monday, March 21:

Jillian

WAPSD Agenda Changed Due to Weather

News Releases

CHEYENNE – Due to winter weather conditions, the Wyoming Advisory Panel for Students with Disabilities (WAPSD) has changed the agenda for their meeting scheduled for February 2-3, 2016 at Casper College.

The Panel will now meet from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on February 2, and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on February 3. Public comment will be taken at 9:00 a.m. on February 3. The meeting will still take place in Gateway Building Room 225 at 125 College Drive in Casper, Wyo. The updated agenda can be viewed here.

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Additional information regarding the Panel is available at edu.wyoming.gov/in-the-classroom/special-programs/wapsd/. For information about how to provide public comment, please contact the Panel’s Administrative Assistant, Kodi Gerhold, at kodi.gerhold@wyo.gov or 307-777-3530.

Media Contact:
Kari Eakins, Communications Director
kari.eakins@wyo.gov
307-777-2053

WAPSD to Meet and Take Public Comment Feb 2-3

News Releases

CHEYENNE- The Wyoming Advisory Panel for Students with Disabilities (WAPSD) will hold a public meeting February 2, 2016 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and February 3, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Casper College, Gateway Building Room 225, 125 College Dr, Casper WY 82601. The WAPSD panel serves as a forum through which issues regarding current and potential services to individuals with disabilities are discussed.

During the meeting, institutional presentations will be made by Steven Wake, the Director of Education at the Wyoming Boys’ School in Worland, and Pamela Zamora, the Director of Education at Cathedral Home for Children in Laramie. In addition, Rebecca Walk, the Assistant Director and Special Education Coordinator at Stride Learning Center in Cheyenne will present on Early Childhood Perspective.

Those wishing to provide public comments regarding the education of children with disabilities in Wyoming are encouraged to attend and make their comment anytime between 11:45 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. on February 3, 2016.

Individuals may call into the meeting to listen or offer comment using the number 1-877-278-2734with a Pass Code of 095102. Public comments may be verbal or written. Please note the limit for verbal comments is no more than five minutes; comments are to be factual and objective and will be taken under advisement by the panel.

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Additional information regarding the Panel is available at edu.wyoming.gov/in-the-classroom/special-programs/wapsd/. For information about how to provide public comment, please contact the Panel’s Administrative Assistant, Kodi Gerhold, at kodi.gerhold@wyo.gov or 307-777-3530.

Media Contact:
Kari Eakins, Communications Director
kari.eakins@wyo.gov
307-777-2053

WAPSD Meeting

Those wishing to provide public comments regarding the education of children with disabilities in Wyoming are encouraged to attend and make their comment anytime between 11:45 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. on February 3, 2016.

Individuals may call into the meeting to listen or offer comment using the number 1-877-278-2734 with a Pass Code of 095102. Public comments may be verbal or written. Please note the limit for verbal comments is no more than five minutes; comments are to be factual and objective and will be taken under advisement by the panel.

Agenda TBA.