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

Audience: Vermont Educators and Administrators, Parents, Students, General Public

The AOE continues to monitor federal changes that have animpact on districts and students. The Agency created this Federal Updates page as resource for Vermonters. The website will be routinely updated as additional information becomes available. The Agency aims to be disciplined, thoughtful, and factual when evaluating and responding to changes in federal policy.

Contact: Anne Bordonaro at Anne.Bordonaro@vermont.gov

Audience: Vermont Secondary Students, Superintendents, Principals, CTE Directors, Guidance Counselors, Secondary Educators

The Governor's Office is seeking a student representative for the State Board of Education. This appointment will be for a two-year term (first year as a non-voting member and the second year as a voting member). Rising sophomores and rising juniors are encouraged to apply. Candidates may apply using the Application for Gubernatorial Appointment. Application deadline is Monday, April 28, 2025. Questions about the State Board of Education may be directed to AOE.EDInfo@vermont.gov. Questions about the application or the nomination process itself can be emailed to EXE.Appointments@vermont.gov.

Contact: AOE.EDInfo@vermont.gov

Audience: School Leadership, School Facilities Managers

A Facilities Dashboard Informational Webinar was hosted earlier this month by the AOE to provide basic information about the new facility dashboard feature. You can view the webinar on YouTube or visit the Agency of Education Dashboard Overview webpage for more information.

Contact: bob.donohue@vermont.gov

Audience: Pathway (D) Participants, New teachers to the State, Newly Licensed Teachers and Graduates, Special Education Endorsement Candidates, General Education Teachers, High School Special Education Teachers, Educational Support Teams (EST) Members, Evaluation Team Members, Related Service Providers, Interventionists

This training, which was scheduled to be held on April 2 and 8, has been cancelled. If and when the training is rescheduled, we will post the announcement in the Weekly Field Memo.

Contact: Ana Russo at ana.russo@vermont.gov

Audience: Principals, CTE Counselors, High School Counselors, Flexible Pathways Coordinators, College Coordinators

AOE's Student Pathways Division invites counselors and staff from both secondary schools and colleges to a question-and-answer session focusing on the inclusion of Early College into the Dual Enrollment system.

Use the links below on the day and time that you would like to attend. No pre-registration needed.

Contacts: Ryan Parkman (Flexible Pathways, Virtual/Blended Learning), ryan.parkman@vermont.gov ; Amy Dodge (Flexible Pathways, Dual Enrollment, Early College) amy.dodge@vermont.gov

Audience: Vermont Educators, Grades PreK-2 Educators

Are you a prekindergarten, kindergarten, or grade 1-2 teacher looking for safe, age-appropriate, playful and educational digital literacy resources to share with families? Sign Up for the new monthly PBS KIDS Early Education newsletter for PreK-2 educators or check out popular early education collections. Visit the Vermont Public Educators page for more recommendations for high-quality resources.

Contact: Emily Leute at emily.leute@vermont.gov

Audience: Superintendents, Principals/School Heads, Special Education Directors, MTSS Coordinators, Specialized Service Providers

This Specialized Service Providers (SSPs): Making Connections with VTmtss Tool is to be used by school systems when reviewing and improving their collaboration with Specialized Service Providers (SSPs) to utilize and embed their expertise. It is designed to increase staff awareness of these services and strives to expand access to these services for all students.

Contact: Nancy Hellen at nancy.hellen@vermont.gov

Audience: Education Administrators, School Board members, Educators and the General Public

The Vermont Agency of Education has developed a draft application packet for the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B funds and is making the application available for review and comment. The application packet , developed by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs, includes a summary of the assurances, certifications, and IDEA use-of-fund descriptions the state will use to implement Part B of IDEA. Upon the Office of Special Education Programs' approval of Vermont's Part B application, the state will receive a federal grant award under Part B of IDEA for the period of July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. Please provide public comment to AOE.SpecialEd@vermont.gov no later than May 9, 2025.

Contact: Cassie Santo at cassie.santo@vermont.gov