Weekly Field Memo: Recent News and Items of Interest From the Agency

Content:

Audience: All Administrators, Educators and communities

Vermont issued Summer-EBT benefits to over 38,000 school-aged children this summer, but some of these benefits are expiring soon. As of early September, more than 12,000 children have more than $20 left on their benefit cards. Over $1.4 million in S-EBT Benefits will be returned to the federal government on Saturday, October 10, 2026 if they are not used.

Please help us remind families to spend these benefits within 122 days of when they received their card. You can share the following blurb in newsletters and websites. Translations of this blurb can be requested by emailing [email protected].

Your Summer EBT Benefits Will Expire Soon!
Summer EBT Benefits only last for 122 days (about 4 months) after you get them. If you received S-EBT benefits this summer, make sure to use them before they expire and are returned to the federal government. Once they expire, you can't get them back. This year, most households need to use their benefits before Saturday, October 10, 2026.

Need Help?
If you need a new EBT card or want to know when your benefits expire, call 1-888-354-0012 and press Option 7.

Contact: AOE General Info [email protected]

Audience: Teachers, Technology Leaders, Tech Integrationists, Librarians, Academic Coaches and School Administrators

The Agency of Education is launching two Artificial Intelligence (AI) Professional Learning Communities for the 2026-2027 school year: one for teachers integrating AI into their classrooms or teaching AI literacy, and one for district and school leaders guiding AI initiatives locally. Both groups meet monthly online from October through May, and will also have an asynchronous component. We hope to add an in-person gathering for each Professional Learning Community. Professional Learning credit for relicensure hours will be given.

Sign up by 10/2: 2026-27 AI Professional Learning Communities

Contact: Josh Blumberg at [email protected]

Audience: Special educators, district test coordinators, school test coordinators, and test administrators

This three-session series offers a deep dive into the purpose, selection, and use of accommodations and accessibility features in assessment. Participants will explore both the historical foundations and current practices to better support equitable participation for all students.

Session Topics:

• November 16 - Origins of Accommodations and Historical Development: How accommodations have evolved over time and how this history shapes our understanding and use today - moving beyond simply selecting what's available.

• November 23 - Choosing Assessment Accommodations: A review of accommodations currently available and guidance on choosing them based on individual student need.

• November 30 - School Year 2025 - 2026 Accommodation Use Review: An end-of-series look at accommodation patterns and considerations for appropriate use during statewide assessments.

Please register for this training series using our Registration Link .

Contact: Amanda Hass at [email protected]

Audience: Special educators, paraprofessionals, district test coordinators, school test coordinators, and test administrators.

Across the series, participants will explore:

• October 19 - Core Content Connectors (CCCs): what they are, how they support instruction, and how they align to grade-level content.

• October 26 - Developing IEP Goals Using CCCs: strategies for writing meaningful, standards-aligned goals for students with significant cognitive disabilities.

• November 2 - Alternate Assessment Eligibility: guidance on identifying students who should participate in alternate assessments and understanding the criteria behind those decisions.

• November 9 - Understanding the SRC & ESR: Clarifying the Student Response Check and Early Stopping Rule processes.

Please register for this training series using our Registration Link .

Contact: Amanda Hass at [email protected]

Audience: Educators

The Vermont Youth Book Awards Conference will be held virtually on Thursday, October 15 with separate sessions for the Red Clover Book Award and the Vermont Golden Dome Book Award. The conference celebrates youth literature and supports the librarians and teachers who help young people read nominated titles and vote.

The Green Mountain Book Award (GMBA) committee is hosting a special daytime in-person teen event at Champlain College featuring GMBA nominated authors Don Martin and Ryan La Sala discussing their books, censorship, and the importance of representation in Young Adult literature. The event takes place on Wednesday, October 21 and features two sessions: 8:30-10:00 AM and 10:30-12:00 PM. For questions contact GMBA Committee Chair Kyle Kolk [email protected] .

Contact: Lilly Talbert at [email protected]

Audience: Administrators, Curriculum Directors, Principals, and other school personnel

This is a reminder that all School Year 2026-2027 Continuous Improvement Plans (CIPs) must be submitted in the Grants Management System (GMS) no later than September 30, 2026.

The submission of the CIP to the Agency of Education is a requirement established in the Education Quality Standards and 16 V.S.A. § 165 .

Prior to finalizing and submitting the CIP, please review the CIP Review Checklist to ensure that all components of the document are complete.

Contact: Ian Burfoot-Rochford at [email protected] or Marianna Charalabopoulos at [email protected]

Audience: Teachers, curriculum leaders, literacy interventionists, instructional coaches

There's still time to register for the Know Better, Do Better: Teaching the Foundations So Every Child Can Read book study with authors David and Meredith Liben. Session dates and times are as follows:

• September 24 from 3:30-5:00 PM | Introduction: Introductions, Plan for the Book Study
• October 22 from 3:30-5:00 PM | Chapters 1 - 3
• November 19 from 3:30-5:00 PM | Chapters 4 - 5
• December 10 from 3:30-5:00 PM | Chapters 6 - 7 and Wrap-up

Since it is short notice, the introductory session in September will be recorded so you can view it if you are unable to attend; please commit to attending all other sessions. Please use our link to register for the book study .

Contact: Emily Leute at [email protected]