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A message from the
Massachusetts Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education

March 30, 2018
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News from Acting Commissioner Jeff Wulfson and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Contents:

A Message from the Acting Commissioner:


This is the last Commissioner’s Weekly Update that will be published over my signature. Next Thursday, Jeff Riley will be sworn in as our new commissioner by Governor Baker during our “Leading the Nation” celebration at the State House. At that event, we will look back at our successes since the Education Reform Act was passed 25 years ago and look ahead to the challenges we still face in closing achievement gaps and ensuring that every one of our 1,800 public schools is a school to which we would be proud to send our own children. I can’t think of a more dedicated and talented educator to lead us in that effort than Jeff, and all of us here at DESE are looking forward to welcoming him into his new role. In closing, I want to thank the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education for giving me the honor of leading DESE in the dark hours following Mitchell Chester’s death last June. And I want to thank all of my colleagues, here at DESE and in all of our schools and districts, for your support, your assistance, your advice, your encouragement, and your kind words. Your skill and dedication inspire me.

Picture of the Week:

George Daou, Yesenia Carrasco, Tyler Schillizzi, Sadie Villegas, Aleks Ulinski, and Landon Olszta, students at Old Sturbridge Village Academy Charter Public School, recently gave Senior Associate Commissioner Cliff Chuang a guided tour of their school, which opened in September on the grounds of Old Sturbridge Village and serves students in kindergarten through third grade. 
six young students, some holding clipboards, standing in front of a barnyard that has sheep and a rooster in the background.

Board of Elementary and Secondary Education Meeting:


The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education held two meetings this week: a special meeting on March 26, 2018 to discuss competency-based and personalized learning, and a regular meeting on March 27. Tuesday’s actions included a unanimous vote that “the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education believes arming educators will make schools less safe, and the Board opposes any move to do so.” The Board also voted to solicit public comment on proposed changes to regulations related to English learner programs, voted to align regulations with the foster care provisions of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), and voted to solicit public comment on proposed changes to regulations needed to implement the redesigned accountability system that the U.S. Department of Education approved as part of Massachusetts' ESSA plan.
 
The Board did not take action on Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School's request to appeal the commissioner's decision not to recommend its expansion, but it approved new probationary conditions for Greenfield Commonwealth Virtual School.
 
Video of the meetings is available online.

Nominate teachers by Sunday for PAEMST:


The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) is the highest honor the U.S. government bestows for K-12 mathematics and science (including computer science) teaching. Anyone - principals, teachers, parents, students, or members of the general public – can nominate exceptional mathematics or science teachers who are teaching grades K–6 during the 2017-2018 award year. (Secondary school teachers will be eligible to apply during a future cycle.) Teachers may also apply directly at www.paemst.org. The nomination deadline is Sunday, April 1, and the application deadline is May 1.

FY17 Preliminary Finance Data Available:


Preliminary finance data for FY17 is now available in reports on the School Finance website, in DART Detail: Staff and Finance, and in RADAR Benchmarking.

Course on Pre-K and K Standards for SEL and Approaches to Play and Learning:


Early childhood educators are invited to register for a facilitated, online version of an introductory course on the Massachusetts Standards for Preschool and Kindergarten Social and Emotional Learning and Approaches to Play and Learning. The Collaborative for Educational Services developed the course in collaboration with the Department of Early Education and Care and DESE. The course will be offered across five weeks from April 23 through May 27 on the Blackboard learning platform and will be facilitated by DESE-approved course instructor Caroline Blackman. The fee for each participant is $100, and the course is limited to 20 participants. To learn more or to register, please email caroline.blackman@gmail.com.

ESE Resource Corner: 
 

Schools’ sample materials for coordinating MCAS test administration: In order to help districts learn from each other, DESE posts resources from school districts about MCAS test administration. The Department recently added resources from Burlington as a follow-up to test administration training sessions at which Josh Murphy from the Burlington Public Schools shared his district’s perspective.

For your info:
  • Social and emotional learning grant opportunity: NoVo Foundation, in partnership with Education First and with help from Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, is offering up to $5,000 to teachers and up to $25,000 to districts for innovative social and emotional learning projects. Awardees will implement their projects in the 2018-19 school year. More information and the application materials are available through Education First’s website. Applications are due by 8 p.m. Friday, April 20.
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