4. Digital Literacy and Computer Science Ambassadors:
The Department and the Education Development Center seek applicants for a new Digital Literacy and Computer Science Ambassadors team. The ambassadors will support the integration of computational thinking in elementary grades by increasing awareness of the importance of digital literacy and computer science and helping educators, administrators, and the public to understand the standards and their implications for instruction. More information and the application are available online. The deadline to apply is May 31.
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5. Information on 2019-20 Charter School Application Cycle:
The 2019-2020 charter school application and expansion cycle will begin this summer. Deadlines for the 2019-2020 charter application and expansion cycle are posted online. The first deadline is noon on June 3, when all applicant groups seeking to establish a new charter school should have notified DESE. The Department will inform superintendents and charter school leaders if a letter of intent is received that includes their community.
The applications themselves are due in July, with requests for expansions of existing schools due soon after on August 1. Any district impacted by a charter application or expansion request will receive a copy of the application or request. The Department will accept charter applications and charter amendments for most communities, except those that have reached their charter cap. Those include Boston, Malden, Randolph, and Salem. Estimates of seats available in other districts are available for download.
Anyone with questions about the availability of seats, the lowest 10 percent ranking for the purposes of the charter cap, the charter application process, or the charter amendment process can contact Alyssa Hopkins at 781-338-3219 or ahopkins@doe.mass.edu.
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6. Influence 100 Pilot District Application Is Open:
The Department is launching Influence 100, an initiative to increase the racial and ethnic diversity of superintendents in Massachusetts, create more culturally responsive districts and leaders across the state, and promote better outcomes for students. Influence 100 includes a fellowship program for qualified educators who desire to move into the superintendent role in the next five years and support for school districts to become more culturally responsive and diversify their educator workforce. The application deadline is June 14, and DESE will announce the pilot districts by June 30. For more information, please go to:
http://www.doe.mass.edu/amazingeducators/diversity.html.
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7. Looking Forward:
For the past year, Commissioner Riley has traveled the state to gather input on what's next for K-12 public education. His listening tour culminated in the Kairos conference in March. The Department continues to gather ideas online from students, parents, educators, and other stakeholders about how to make Massachusetts public schools the best they can be. Districts are asked to share the survey and our new "The Future" public service announcement in order to reach more voices.
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- Civic engagement awards program for middle school teachers: The National Association of State Boards of Education, in partnership with other organizations and with the support of the Frank Islam Institute for 21st Century Citizenship, has created the Civic Engagement Champions awards program to honor middle school teachers who promote their students’ active citizenship. More information is available at the link above or by emailing cec@nasbe.org.
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