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

Content:

Audience: All Administrators, Educators and communities

The State Board of Education endorsed the Agency of Education's proposal to modernize Vermont's accountability system in a letter of support following the Agency's presentation to the Board earlier this month.

The Agency is proposing to redesign how Vermont measures and communicates school performance for the first time in almost a decade. Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), states are required to develop accountability systems that incorporate multiple measures of school performance, such as academic achievement and graduation rates. The State Board's letter of support is a critical milestone in the shift to a more transparent, technically rigorous, and actionable accountability system.

For more information, see the Agency's press release. In the video below, Secretary of Education Zoie Saunders shares what this work means for Vermont and how Vermonters can help shape it.

Audience: Superintendents, Principals, Curriculum Directors, Mathematics Leaders, and Grades K-8 Educators

Count on Vermont is offering its first two Networked Improvement Communities (NIC): Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics (grades K-5) and Teaching Fractions (grades 4-8). Based on feedback, the AOE has compiled a guide outlining anticipated time commitments for NIC Membership . The document will help school and district leaders understand time commitments for NIC participation by role for virtual meetings throughout the 2026-27 school year.

To learn more about Count on Vermont, visit our webpage . Please complete our Interest Form by Monday, August 31, to learn more and schedule an informational conversation.

Contact: Tracy Watterson, Count on Vermont Coordinator, [email protected]

Audience: Superintendents and school leaders, Registrars

Registrars are invited to attend the webinar Student Forms and Data for Vulnerable Learners, on Friday, August 7 from 1:00-2:30 PM. This session will provide an overview of important student forms, data entry and reporting requirements, and strategies for using the Student Information System (SIS) to support specific student tracking needs.

The webinar will include information related to the following programs and processes:

• Migrant Education Program: Employment Survey
• Multi-Lingual Learners: Home Language Survey
• Students in Foster Care: Tracking state-placed students
• HHB and other safety incident reports: Tracking in the SIS
• Students experiencing homelessness: McKinney-Vento Program

We hope this webinar will help strengthen your understanding of the processes and tools that support some of our most vulnerable learners. Please join us via our Microsoft Teams meeting link.

Contact: Lindsay Turgeon-Brown at [email protected]

Audience: Vermont public and approved independent school leaders, educators, student support professionals, and other stakeholders supporting safe, healthy, and inclusive learning environments

To access upcoming trainings, workshops, webinars, and office hours offered by the Safe and Healthy Schools Division, check out the Professional Learning Calendar. Opportunities support Vermont schools in building safe, healthy, and inclusive learning environments. The calendar is updated throughout the school year as new learning opportunities become available.

Contact: Courtney O'Brien at [email protected]

Audience: All Administrators, School Counselors

Have you hired a new or novice School Counselor? The Vermont School Counselor Association (VTSCA) offers a statewide mentorship program that pairs experienced school counselors with those new to the field, matching across Vermont regardless of location.

VTSCA can help manage logistics and provide the expertise using our Vermont School Counseling Framework and American School Counseling Association's Mindsets and Behaviors. Set your new hire up for success. Contact Patti Tomashot at [email protected] to learn more. Don't delay, school counselors often begin preparing for the school year well before students arrive.

Contact: Sigrid Olson at [email protected]

Audience: School Behavioral Threat Assessment team members, school administrators, school safety leads and personnel

Vermont state statute mandates that all school Behavioral Threat Assessment (BTA) team members complete annual training which meets the requirements of Act 29 of 2023. The Vermont Agency of Education (AOE), in partnership with Safe and Sound Schools, offers training opportunities that meet all school safety regulatory requirements and are free of charge. Please see below for training dates:

• August 3, 2026 - Level 1
• August 4, 2026 - Level 2
• October 5, 2026 - Level 1
• October 6, 2026 - Level 2

Registration is available via the SY26-27 BTA Training Registration page and on the AOE BTA webpage. Please consider sharing this information with relevant community partners also involved in school BTA work.

Contact: Taylor Goodwin at [email protected]

Audience: School District Administrative Assistants

School administrative assistants are likely the first people that students, staff, families/caregivers, and other community members see when entering the building. On top of the day-to-day responsibilities (i.e., phones, computers, scheduling, etc.), administrative assistants must effectively communicate with anyone who walks into the building. This workshop offered by Vermont Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) will provide an opportunity to enhance communication skills with the people they connect with all day, every day. Relationship-building, de-escalation, and conflict-resolution strategies will be explored and practiced, as well as collaborative problem-solving. The workshop will be held at Lake Morey in Fairlee, VT on Tuesday, August 11 from 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM. Please see Vermont PBIS event link to register.

Contact: Amy Wheeler-Sutton at [email protected]

Audience: Superintendents, Human Resource professionals, Administrative assistants

The Agency of Education is offering two webinars regarding submitting Praxis Waivers. The webinar will cover the specifics of the waiver process and what documentation to include when seeking the waiver.

These webinars will be held on Wednesday, August 19 from 1:00 - 1:30 PM and Tuesday, September 1 from 10:00 - 10:30 AM. If you are interested in attending either of these webinars, please sign up for which session you would like using our Cognito form .

Contact: Ellen Cairns at [email protected]

Audience: School Administrators, school safety team members

Please join the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) School Safety Task Force and Office for Bombing Prevention on Wednesday, August 5 for a Bomb Threat Assessment for K-12 Leaders and Staff virtual training. Two identical sessions will be offered: 9:00 - 10:00 AM and 3:00 - 4:00 PM. This training will equip school officials and security professionals with a structured, risk-based approach for evaluating bomb threats and selecting response actions based on the available information. By strengthening coordination and informed decision making, schools can better protect lives while reducing unnecessary evacuations, instructional disruption, community anxiety, and the operational impact caused by bomb threats. For more information or to register, please see the Bomb Threat Webinar Registration page .

Contact: Taylor Goodwin at [email protected]

Audience: School administrators are encouraged to attend with their teams

Attendance Works is pleased to offer our highly-rated, three-part e-training for educators to learn proven, evidence-based, tiered strategies to promote attendance and engagement using a team approach. Classes meet every two weeks for 1.5 hours for a total of three classes. Participants will learn how to:

• implement strategies that create a positive school climate that encourages attendance and participation for all students
• support students who need extra support
• develop approaches for mobilizing school staff and community partners

Participate as an individual or a district or school-level team! Participants will get a chance to interact with their peers and the Attendance Works team in breakout rooms. More information can be found on E-Learning Series for Educators - Attendance Works page . Register for the series using our links:

Contact: Cathy Wolfenden, Administrative Coordinator, [email protected]

Audience: All Administrators, Educators and communities

The Vermont Agency of Education is hiring. To support our ongoing recruitment efforts and keep the field informed, all current open positions at the Agency will now be shared in the Weekly Field Memo (WFM). We encourage you to review, share, and distribute these opportunities throughout your schools, districts, and professional networks. View two current openings on the VT Careers website. Thank you for helping us spread the word and connect talented professionals with meaningful work in Vermont education!

The following positions have been posted: