Dear Superintendents,

Summer professional development opportunities hosted or sponsored by the Wyoming Department of Education are listed on our website. We strive to keep the content relevant and engaging for educators and look forward to seeing you this summer.

An interesting article this week in Education Week  includes a poll that found 42% of teachers and administrators surveyed said more students would have to repeat a grade and 68% said more students would have to retake courses. The story also featured expert discussion on retention policies.

Federal Updates

  • The U.S. Department of Education released a new FAQ document on uses and restrictions with ESSER funding. 
  • The Office of Civil Right released “Dear Educator” Letter reminding schools of obligations to investigate and address all forms of harassment in educational environments, including harassment directed towards Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students. You can read the letter here.
  • The Office of Civil Rights OCR announced a virtual public hearing June 7-11 to gather information for improving enforcement of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.  This hearing is part of OCR’s comprehensive review of the Department’s existing regulations and other actions related to implementing the President Biden’s executive orders regarding discrimination on the basis of sex, including sexual orientation and gender identity. Members of the public may register to make live comments during the hearing.  They may also send written comments to T9PublicHearing@ed.gov, following guidelines in the hearing notice.

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Student designers gave me a tour of the student-built cabin they staged. All are students at Pathways Innovation Center 21st Century School in Casper.

Memos to be released on Tuesday, June 1:

 

Blue Balow Signature

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