The free virtual symposium brings together campus safety professionals; including administrators, mental health staff, law enforcement, security, emergency management, prevention and advocacy specialists, Title IX Coordinators, facilities, and IT professionals. This symposium was initially designed for staff of Institutions of Higher Education, but faculty members from K-12 schools and districts will also benefit, as the topics are directly relevant to their work.

For more information, and to register, visit the 2022 Virtual IHE Summer Safety Symposium website.

All kindergarten through third-grade educators who teach reading and literacy skills in Colorado must complete their evidence-based reading training requirements by Monday, Aug. 1. Documentation that they complied with the K-3 evidence-based reading training requirements should be submitted by Monday, Aug. 15.

CDE offers a free self-guided training to all K-3 educators.

Learn about the requirements to complete this training and the completion options available for K-3 teachers on the teacher training webpage.

• District/BOCES PE teachers, special education directors, or teachers
• Colorado physical education and special education preparation programs
• CDE Physical Education and Special Education experts
• Community and educational advocates

The application for the 2023 Colorado Teacher of the Year is available. Each year, the Colorado Teacher of the Year Program honors an exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable, and skilled K-12 classroom teacher to represent the entire profession in the state. The selected teacher will also automatically become Colorado's nominee for the National Teacher of the Year competition.

Applications for this honor are due Wednesday, June 29.

Visit CDE's website for more information on the 2023 Colorado Teacher of the Year program, the application process, and to access the online application form.

The schedule for upcoming School Improvement and Planning training webinars is available.

• Engaging Stakeholders in Improvement Planning webinar at 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 12.
• Implementing and Progress Monitoring a School Improvement Plan webinar at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8.

Visit the Unified Improvement Planning and Accountability training webpage to register for a session.

The Adult Resilience and Stress Management within a We-Care Culture webinar will explore how school climate impacts indicators of staff wellbeing and how a culture of we-care is essential to supporting teacher resilience and stress management. This interactive webinar will provide social-emotional wellness tools and resources and is designed for anyone who works in schools or who supports schools including, but not limited to, teachers, cafeteria staff, transportation employees, administrators, paraprofessionals, office staff, and custodial staff.

Objectives:

1. Participants will learn how a positive school culture and climate is essential for staff wellbeing.
2. Participants will be able to understand resilience and reflect on how it relates to stress management.
3. Participants will engage in social-emotional wellness tools that can be used to assess and support their own well-being.

Join us via Zoom at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, May 10.

Join The Schools of Choice Unit for the Rural and Non-Metro Charter School Support Webinar at 9 a.m. on Friday, May 6. This training provides essential guidance and highlights relevant topics impacting charter schools in rural school communities. Plan to join or forward this opportunity to your charter schools.

Schools across Colorado face similar challenges in navigating the ongoing challenges of teacher recruitment and retention, declining enrollment and supporting staff and students' social-emotional well-being. Learn innovative and impactful strategies from rural school leaders, advocates, and support organizations to reignite your passion and enhance your chartering practices.

Topics highlighted during this webinar include:

• Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategies for Rural Communities
• State of the State, highlighting rural school hot topics and advocacy strategies
• Lessons in Leadership, highlighting best practices for leading rural charter schools

Register for the webinar on Zoom.

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.