Colorado Teacher Appreciation Week is May 2-6, which is the perfect time to thank Colorado educators for being role models for adaptability and resilience, especially in the hard times we've experienced these past few years. CDE invites everyone to express gratitude for the teachers in their schools and districts.

Next week, share a post, image or video with a sign thanking a teacher on any social media site using the hashtag #ThankATeacherCO. To help districts and schools celebrate, CDE has created a number of resources to spread the word. Access social media graphics, sample posts, and more on the Teacher Appreciation Week webpage.

We have also highlighted Teacher Appreciation Week resources that parents and families can use. Send them to the resources for parents webpage for ways they can participate.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced further guidance on operations for summer 2022 and School Year 2022-23:

• Summer Food Service Program operations in 2022: state agencies may request waivers for non-congregate meal service and parent/guardian pickup when impacted by COVID-19. In addition, sponsors will be able to use other approved data sources to determine area eligibility for sites, no waiver required.
• National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program operations in School Year 2022-23: state agencies may request waivers for non-congregate feeding and parent/guardian pickup when impacted by COVID-19 offer versus serve at the high school level, mealtime requirements, and alternate sites for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program when impacted by COVID.

Other waivers that state agencies may request include Food Service Management Company contract duration, Local Wellness Policy triennial assessment due date, and on-site reviews and reporting. CDE’s School Nutrition Unit is applying for all waivers to provide as much flexibility as possible to sponsors. These flexibilities will not be in place until the waivers are approved by USDA. Register for the next On the Menu call on Thursday, April 28, to learn about the waivers in more detail.

The deadline is approaching for Colorado’s educators who teach literacy to K-3 students to submit proof via the Colorado Online Licensing system that they completed their evidence-based training in teaching reading.

Teachers must complete the training by Monday, Aug. 1, and should submit their documentation by Monday, Aug. 15.

Please note that the READ Act training requirement is not mandatory to maintain a teacher’s license status in any way. The benefit of adding the READ Act training designation to an educator’s license is that the proof of completion will stay on the educator’s Colorado credentials for future years as they may change grade levels, schools, or districts.

Visit the K-3 Teacher Evidenced-Based Reading Training Requirements webpage for additional information.

The Office of Facility Schools seeks applicants for three open seats on the Facility Schools Board. The three open seats are:

• One person who represents school districts within Colorado and has expertise in special education
• One person who represents facilities within Colorado
• One person who represents students who receive educational services provided by an approved facility school in Colorado. This member may be a person who, as a child received educational services provided by an approved facility school. This member may also be a parent of a student who is receiving, or formerly received, education services provided by an approved facility school.

The term is three years, and the board meets monthly. Members of the board serve without compensation, except for reasonable reimbursement of expenses. Applications are due Tuesday, May 3, and can be emailed to Judy Stirman at [email protected]. For more information, contact Judy Stirman at 303-866-6684.

School districts operating a four-day school week, less than 160 scheduled days per school year, are required to submit a request for approval.

To be considered for the 2022-23 school year, complete the application via the Directory in Data Pipeline by Wednesday, May 11. Districts requesting approval are not obligated to follow their proposed calendar if their local planning is not finalized.

In addition to submitting the four-day application through Data Pipeline, districts Accredited with Priority Improvement Plan or Accredited with Turnaround Plan that is submitting a district-wide application for all schools within the district to be on a four-day school week need to submit the following additional information separately to Jhon Penn at [email protected]:

• A copy of their respective school calendars
• Building class schedules
• Assembly schedules
• Bell schedule, including lunchtime interval and professional development calendar

CDE will review the additional materials for the use and prioritization of instructional time. The executive director of field services and the associate commissioner of school quality and support must recommend approval of the application before it is forwarded to the commissioner for consideration.

Visit the Data Pipeline Year-Round Collections-Directory for additional information.

Districts/Local education agencies requesting a New School Code, School Name Change, School Grade Change, and/or Request for Closing a School is required to submit the application, including the superintendent's/executive director's signature, on or before Thursday, June 30, for the 2022-23 school year.

The process for a school code change request is as follows:

• Request is submitted, including the superintendent's/executive director's signature
• School Code Review Committee reviews the request, the decision is made to approve or deny
• Approval/denial letter is emailed to the superintendent/executive director and submitter
• Changes become active in the Directory in Data Pipeline as of Friday, July 1, for the 2022-23 school year

Failure to submit the request before the June 30 deadline could result in a denial.

Visit the Data Pipeline Year-Round Collections-Directory for additional information.

Watch the Unified Improvement Plan 101 video series for an introduction to the elements of the school UIP and the UIP online system. The series consists of eight 5-10 minute videos.

This summer, teachers, and leaders are invited to attend Teaching and Learning CoLabs, a new kind of no-cost event that brings together stakeholders from districts, higher education, professional teaching, other organizations, and the Colorado Department of Education. The dates and host sites for this summer's CoLabs are:

-Thursday, June 2, hosted by Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction
-Wednesday, June 8, hosted by the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley
-Tuesday, June 21, hosted by CSU-Pueblo in Pueblo

Schools are encouraged to attend a CoLab in teams, with teachers representing multiple grades and/or content areas. Focus content areas for 2022 include English language arts, health, and physical education, mathematics, science, and computer science. Leadership-focused sessions will be provided for principals and other school leaders.

For more information, see the Teaching and Learning CoLabs webpage. To indicate your interest in attending, complete this interest form.

Raymond Johnson, CDE mathematics specialist, will introduce the CoMath Curriculum Cohorts -- networked improvement communities focused on the implementation of high-quality curriculum materials.

These are materials-focused user communities that support and learn from each other. While participation in these NICs is required for recipients of the ESSER curricula grant, the webinars will be open to everyone. Register for the 3:30 p.m. Thursday, April 14, CoMath Conversation via Zoom.