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July 21, 2023
Updates in this email:
The school finance team at MDE has posted frequently asked questions related to the new Student Support Personnel Aid passed in the 2023 legislative session. This new statute is effective in the 2023-24 school year (FY24) and school districts, charter schools, and other cooperative units, including intermediates, are eligible. Distribution to other cooperative units is still being finalized and more information will be shared when final determinations are completed. The FAQ will be updated as more questions and clarifications are addressed. View the FAQ document on Student Support Personnel Aide.
Questions related to the new Student Support Personnel Workforce Pipeline program should go to Katona Barnes in the EDI Center.
The following four recorded webinars provide educators with guidance on appropriate and effective use of individual-use screens in prekindergarten and kindergarten classrooms. These webinars can be viewed in any order and are all under 20 minutes. You can read more about each one on the High-Quality Early Learning webpage.
This year the Minnesota Legislature passed a law to end the use of Native mascots in Minnesota public schools. MDE has reached out directly to some districts and charters, but it is also important that all districts and charters consider their own mascots and potential connection to this legislation.
“American Indian mascot” means a name, symbol or image that depicts or refers to an American Indian Tribe (or any connection to); an individual, custom or tradition that is used by a public school as a mascot, nickname, logo, letterhead or team name of the district or school within the district. This includes symbols such as feathers, spears, tomahawks and Indigenous clothing. Schools and districts within a tribal reservation in Minnesota that have 95% American Indian students will be exempt from this legislation.
If your district or school would like to apply for an exemption, visit our Tribal Relations webpage to find the documentation needed. The exemption form must be submitted to all 11 Federally recognized tribes in Minnesota and the Tribal Nations Education Committee (TNEC) before September 1, 2023.
Once this documentation is received, Tribal Nations and the TNEC will review your exemption application and reply to you directly. Tribal Nations and the TNEC have until December 15, 2023, to respond to your application for exemption. The exemption is denied if any of the 11 Tribal Nations or the TNEC opposes the exemption. If districts or charters do not receive an exemption, a transition to a new mascot will need to occur by September 1, 2025. Please reach out to Deputy Commissioner Stephanie Graff with any questions.
Registration is open for the August Restorative Practices trainings offered by MDE's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Center. Circle 1 – Building Community and Restorative Chats sessions will be offered online and in-person in St. Paul. To register, visit Restorative Circle and Chats Trainings. Registration closes on July 31.
If you have any questions about the trainings, contact Nancy Riestenberg, 651-582-8433.
The Career and College Success Division (CCSD) posted the following competitive grant programs:
Concurrent Enrollment Introduction to Teaching Grant – Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025
State funds are available to eligible applicants to develop or expand Concurrent Enrollment “Introduction to Teaching” or “Introduction to Education” courses consistent with Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 124D.09, subdivision 10 to encourage secondary school students, especially American Indian students and students of color, to pursue teaching.
Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) STEM Grant – Fiscal Years 2024, 2025 and 2026
State funds are available to charter schools and school districts to raise K–12 academic achievement through increased student participation in Pre-AP, AP, and/or IB science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs, particularly for historically underserved student groups.
Applications for both grants are due July 21, with an anticipated grant start date of October 1. Visit the Competitive Grant Opportunities from the Minnesota Department of Education webpage for more information and application materials.
Reimagining Arts Education: Native Arts Summer Institute and 2023-24 Cohort
July 25–27, 8 a.m to 4:30 p.m.
Location: Cansayapi Wicoicage Oti, Lower Sioux Cultural Incubator and Morton, Minnesota
Register for July 25-27 Reimagining Arts Education Summer Institute and Cohort
This summer institute and cohort will support educators designing and piloting meaningful and authentic standards-based learning experiences about Dakota and Ojibwe arts and cultural expression. Participants will dive deep into Dakota and Ojibwe arts and cultural expression and essential understandings about contemporary Native arts, learning with Iyekiyapiwin Darlene St. Clair, artists, makers, performers from Tribal Nations in Minnesota, MDE arts specialists and Indigenous education specialists. This institute and cohort focuses on supporting K-12 arts educators. Continued support during the following school year for curriculum development and piloting will consist of three professional development days. Costs will be covered for qualifying participants.
For a complete description of participant eligibility, institute and cohort details and financial supports, visit the Culturally Responsive Arts Education webpage and download the Native Arts Summer Institute and 2023-24 Cohort Overview document.
7/13/23 update: Registration is now closed for the second institute, Reimagining Arts and Ethnic Studies Summer Institute: Identity, Power, and Resistance in Education.
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