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February 9, 2024
Updates in this email:
Applications for the Education on the Holocaust, Genocide of Indigenous Peoples, and Other Genocides Working Group are now open. Applications will close on March 22, 2024. The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) is seeking:
- Middle and high school social studies and English language arts teachers
- Pre-service teacher education program faculty with expertise in relevant topics
- University faculty with related academic expertise
- Representatives of Minnesota-based nonprofit organizations,
- Community groups and sovereign nations whose missions include educating about and honoring the victims and survivors of displacement, genocide and mass violence (See Education on the Holocaust and Genocide of Indigenous Peoples and Other Genocides Working Group Assumptions for Adults)
Applicants must agree to the assumptions and the timeline and be available for all meetings from April 2024 to October 2025. In addition to the scheduled full group meetings, there may be additional small group meetings scheduled to draft pieces of the guidance between meetings. Please read the Education on the Holocaust, Genocide of Indigenous Peoples, and Other Genocides Working Group Assumptions for Adults document prior to completing the Application for Adults.
Additionally, MDE is seeking current Minnesota high school sophomores and juniors with a demonstrated interest in education on the Holocaust, genocide of Indigenous peoples, or other genocides. Prior to applying, students should read the Education on the Holocaust, Genocide of Indigenous Peoples and Other Genocides Working Group Assumptions for Students, and complete the separate Application for Students. All student application materials should be sent in a single email to mde.academic-standards@state.mn.us with the subject line: Holocaust, Genocide of Indigenous Peoples and Other Genocides Working Group Student Application.
The Ethnic Studies Working Group Application for MDE is now open. Applications will close on March 22, 2024. MDE is seeking:
- Teachers with experience teaching Ethnic Studies to students in kindergarten to grade 8
- Parents or guardians of public kindergarten through grade 12 students
- Ethnic Studies high school teachers
- School board members or school administrators (including curriculum directors or directors of teaching and learning)
- Minnesota-based college-level faculty experts in Ethnic Studies and community members with a demonstrated commitment to Ethnic Studies or education about Minnesota’s racial, ethnic, religious, national origin, gender, sexual orientation or cultural diversity
Please read the Ethnic Studies Working Group Assumptions for Adults.
Additionally, MDE is seeking public school students in grades 11 and 12 during either the 2023-2024 or 2024-2025 school year. Prior to applying, students should read the Ethnic Studies Working Group Student Assumptions and complete the separate student application. All student application materials should be sent in a single email to mde.academic-standards@state.mn.us with the subject line Ethnic Studies Working Group Student Application.
Applicants must agree to the assumptions and the timeline and be available for all meetings from April 2024 through October 2024. In addition to the scheduled full group meetings, there may be additional small group meetings scheduled to draft pieces of the guidance between meetings. Please read the Ethnic Studies Working Group Assumptions prior to completing the application.
Minnesotans can now claim the Child Tax Credit, with no limit on the number of children claimed. You must file a 2023 individual income tax return in order to claim the credit. Most taxpayers who are eligible to claim the new Child Tax Credit are also eligible for free tax preparation assistance. Learn more about income requirements and qualifications on the Child Tax Credit webpage.
The tax credit of up to $1750 per child is estimated to cut child poverty by up to one third in Minnesota. Nearly 300,000 households including 513,000 children are estimated to qualify for the credit.
The Minnesota Department of Revenue offers two valuable tax benefits for parents who purchase school supplies for their K-12 students: the K-12 Education Credit and Subtraction. These benefits can reduce parents’ taxes to increase their refund, but is only available for those who keep their receipts. Purchases for most school supplies, field trips, and musical instruments for school band are eligible.
Most Minnesota parents qualify for the K-12 subtraction, which reduces their taxable income. Parents under certain income limits may also qualify for the K-12 credit, which can refund up to 75% of their costs – even for parents who do not owe any taxes. Visit Revenue's website for details.
Minnesota’s Computer Science (CS) Working Group has been meeting regularly since October 2023, and has made important progress toward developing a state strategic plan for long-term and sustained growth of computer science education across all public K-12 and charter schools in Minnesota.
The CS Working Group has identified key priority areas and generated recommendations for the state’s next steps for CS education. The plan is now available for public review and comment, starting on February 1, 2024, and closing on February 16, 2024. The finalized plan will be presented to the Minnesota legislature by March 22, 2024.
How to Provide Comments on the Plan
Your input is needed - here’s how to provide feedback:
- Review the CS State Plan Draft
- Share Your Thoughts: We encourage you to share your thoughts, suggestions, and concerns through the online comment form.
- Attend Virtual Feedback Sessions: Join our virtual feedback sessions where you can engage directly with members of the CS Working Group and share your insights. Sessions will be held via Zoom for one hour each. Register for one of the sessions using the following links:
- Help us Spread the Word: Help us reach more stakeholders by sharing this information with your colleagues, friends and community members. The more variety of voices we hear, the stronger and more inclusive our strategic plan will be.
The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) is compiling information to support the Personal Finance Workgroup in the development of statewide guidance for personal finance courses. MDE invites educators who are currently or have previously taught personal finance content to complete the Pre-Working Group Personal Finance Teachers Education Survey. Administrators who are supervising the delivery of personal finance are encouraged to complete the Pre-Working Group Personal Finance Administrators Education Survey The Personal Finance surveys will close on February 26, 2024. See additional details in Personal Finance Working Group Assumptions document.
MDE and Sourcewell will host a no-cost virtual training for school leaders to learn more about language access on February 13 from 9:30-11 a.m. This training will enhance leaders’ understanding of diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds to create an inclusive environment. Participants will gain knowledge about relevant laws and policies related to language access in education, ensuring schools meet legal requirements. Participants will also learn about effective strategies for communication, translation and interpretation to bridge language gaps between schools and linguistically diverse families. Registration for the training can be found on the MDE calendar. Questions should be directed to Michelle Niska .
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