Governor Gordon, Wyoming Military Department and the WDE Award First Two Purple Star Schools in Wyoming
CHEYENNE - The Wyoming Department of Education, along with Governor Mark Gordon and the Wyoming Military Department, awarded Wyoming’s first two Purple Star Schools - Freedom Elementary School and McCormick Junior High School - today at a ceremony at the Wyoming State Capitol. “I am excited to help launch the Purple Star Schools Program in [...]
Vision and Focus
Dear Superintendents, With only a couple of Updates left to go before this administration bows out and the new administration assumes the reins, a re-cap of some of the initiative priorities pursued over the past year may be helpful. The vision and focus of each not only dovetail, but will hopefully be sustained by Wyoming’s [...]
Partnering with Taiwan
As we continue the transition to a new administration, we have been conducting a series of orientation meetings with our new Superintendent-Elect, Megan Degenfelder, related to the duties and responsibilities of the office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and all things WDE. We remain committed to a smooth transition, as well as Superintendent [...]
Milken Educator Awards Come to Wyoming, Surprising One Deserving Buffalo Educator with $25,000
Buffalo — Kindergarten is a big transition, but for Jessica Kavitz’s students at Meadowlark Elementary School, she eases them into the school year with movement-as-learning, colorful and creative exercises to engage their young minds, and social-emotional learning tools to build confidence. Kavitz (KAY-vitz) is a local leader, following in the footsteps of her mother who [...]
On the Road, In the Field
Dear Superintendents, With the general election now behind us, we wish to congratulate and welcome Megan Degenfelder as the new State Superintendent of Public Instruction. We want to again reiterate that we will do everything we can to ensure a smooth and seamless leadership transition within the Wyoming Department of Education for both Megan and [...]
Purple Star Schools
Dear Superintendents, Knowledge has to do with the facts while wisdom has to do with the truth. In a world that has convinced so many there is only your truth and my truth – not the truth – wisdom often gets boxed out and short-changed. But historically, it was a major part of the educational process. The [...]
Improving Literacy
Dear Superintendents, As we head into a new week, we wanted to announce that we are transitioning this week to a new distribution schedule for the Superintendent’s Update and memos. You will now receive the update at 11 a.m. on Monday, rather than the previous Friday. We hope this makes things smoother and more efficient [...]
Congratulations, Tom Wright
Dear Superintendents, The older I grow, the more mindful I become of the inexorable link between liberty and literacy. The one cannot live without the other. Our best leaders are our best readers, and we effectively sustain American liberty by producing a generation of adept and voracious readers. May this edition of the Update serve [...]
Purple Star Schools
Dear Superintendents, Leadership is a convictional enterprise – it starts with a purpose, not a plan. Therefore, it is more about what a leader believes than what he or she does. And because ideas have consequences, it makes a difference what a leader believes. Moreover, it is these convictions that give a leader his or [...]
Wyoming National Board Certification Initiative
Dear Superintendents, As we are now past the August 16 election, we want to congratulate Megan Degenfelder on her primary victory for Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction. We also will assure the winner of the November general elections that we will do everything we can to achieve a smooth and successful transition, for the good [...]
Buffalo’s Financial Literacy Program
Dear Superintendents, We’ll be brief this week, as it is summertime and the readership is probably minimal at this point. Nonetheless, I hope you’re finding some time off and away, and have some great vacation plans ahead of you. Happy summer! Vision & Focus Because of the inherently independent character of the Wyoming people, our [...]
Milken Award Winners
Dear Superintendents, Milken Award Winners Friday was a big day for two of our distinguished Wyoming teachers, as they received the 2021 Milken award. Called the “Oscars of Teaching,” the Milken Family Foundation targets early-to-mid career education professionals for their already impressive achievements and, more significantly, for the promise of what they will accomplish in [...]