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April 8, 2021
Updates in this email:
Thank you for the feedback during our public comment period for the federal accountability waiver. After reviewing comments and consulting with stakeholders, we have decided to move forward with pursuing the waiver. Today, MDE submitted our waiver request to the U.S. Department of Education. See Minnesota's waiver.
The Minnesota Department of Health has created a resource with information about COVID-19 vaccines for 16- and 17-year-olds.
At this time, the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is the only COVID-19 vaccine that has been studied and authorized for use by 16 and 17 year olds. Data from Pfizer vaccine studies show the vaccine is safe and effective for this age group. Other vaccine manufacturers are also studying their vaccines in younger age groups but have not yet received authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Please share this resource with families in your high school communities.
Thank you for your work throughout this school year to continue reporting COVID-19 cases in your school buildings through the red cap surveys. Please continue with this reporting, as it is critical in keeping track of the virus throughout the state.
Please also remember that the quarantine guidelines are still in place and must continue to be followed.
Related resources:
MDE's 2020-21 Planning Guidance for Minnesota Public Schools has been updated to clarify that military and college recruiters are considered essential visitors and may have access to school buildings for purposes of conducting recruiting visits. All recruiters must be fully vaccinated before they may enter the school building. If a school is experiencing high case rates or an outbreak in the school building, the school should notify any military or college recruiters scheduled to visit so that the recruiting visits can be cancelled or rescheduled.
U.S. Department of Agriculture's Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) Application Now Open
Applications for the FFVP are now open in the Cyber-Linked Interactive Child Nutrition System (CLiCS). Applications are due April 29, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. The award period is anticipated to be July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022. Eligible applicants must:
- Be an elementary school; and
- Traditionally participate in the National School Lunch Program; and
- Have at least 50 percent or more of its students eligible for free or reduced-price meals.
Funding priority will be given to schools with the highest level of free and reduced-price eligibility. The application instructions, supplemental documents and more program details are available on the Minnesota Department of Education’s FFVP website. School Food Authorities can begin their application by logging into the CLiCS website. If you have questions, email Sami Burington.
Learning Acceleration Webinar Series
The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated learning gaps for many students. To close these gaps, systems must accelerate learning for all students. Learning acceleration is essential for student academic success, especially as many students return for learning in the fall with interrupted instruction. In partnership with TNTP and Regional Centers of Excellence, MDE is excited to offer a training series designed to support all Minnesota districts in planning for the school year ahead. Trainings will be anchored in TNTP’s Learning Acceleration Guide and focus on critical skills, including setting a vision for acceleration and investing the whole school community, creating a responsive data plan that allows for strong accelerated unit planning, creating a community of planners that can adjust scope & sequence to keep the assignments in front of students on grade-level, and practicing applying and coaching the skill of just-in-time instruction. This work has already begun in districts across the country, some of which was featured in a recent article in the Seattle Times.
This series is designed for teams of district leaders, school leaders and curriculum leads.
Beginning April 28th, 2021 sessions will be held every Wednesday from 9:30-11:30 a.m. CST.
You can access the webinar series flyer for more information and to review session titles, dates, and outcomes.
Register for this training opportunity here. Register early as a limited number of seats are available for this training series.
If you need reasonable accommodations to register or participate in this opportunity, please contact angela.maldonado@tntp.org.
Teacher Development and Evaluation/Q Comp Network
In May, MDE will host additional networking sessions supporting the implementation of Teacher Development and Evaluation (TDE) and Q Comp. These optional sessions are intended to provide spaces for local coordinators or members of local leadership teams to trouble-shoot and collaborate as we navigate different school scenarios.
Come join other coordinators to discuss TDE/Q Comp implementation topics, including, but not limited to, professional learning communities, summative or high cycle evaluations, or observation practices, and how these TDE/Q Comp activities are being modified to suit distance learning or hybrid scenarios. Please bring questions, ideas, and any resources to share as this will be a format in which we can all problem solve and learn from each other. MDE will also announce any updates relevant to TDE/Q Comp for coordinators to bring back to their leadership teams.
Intended Audience – Local coordinators and leaders of Q Comp or teacher development and evaluation (TDE). Space is limited to 100 participants, and facilitators will create smaller groups for discussion.
May Session Registrations – Use the links below to register.
Tuesday, May 4, 9:30 - 10:45 a.m.
Thursday, May 6, 2:00 - 3:15 p.m.
Agenda – This is a participant-driven agenda, so no session will be entirely alike. The only limit on the conversation is a focus on local coordinators' work to support the educator workforce through the implementation of TDE/Q Comp.
Please note: These Q&A offerings will not be recorded. However, we will publish key messages and resources following the sessions.
If you have any questions or would like to request a reasonable accommodation, please contact us at: mde.q-comp@state.mn.us.
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