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Funding opportunity for elementary social studies educators

The Educating for American Democracy Initiative has $600,000 in grants available for history and civic education for students in grades K-5. This opportunity provides funds to help implement an EAD-aligned project focused on K-5 students as part of their formal educational program during regular school hours in underserved communities.

The application deadline is Wednesday, May 31.

For more information on how to apply, visit the Educating for American Democracy website.

Nominate an exceptional teacher to be the 2024 Colorado Teacher of the Year

Do you know an exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable and skilled K-12 teacher? Nominate them to apply for the 2024 Colorado Teacher of the Year award by Monday, May 15.

Each year the Colorado Teacher of the Year Program honors an outstanding K-12 classroom teacher. The selected teacher will automatically become Colorado’s nominee for the National Teacher of the Year Program.

To nominate a teacher, visit the Colorado Teacher of the Year webpage. Once nominated, the nominee is invited to submit their application by Thursday, June 2.

Apply for local food program funding

CDE's School Nutrition Unit has approximately $35,000 remaining to distribute to districts for the purchase of Colorado grown, raised, processed and value-added products.

Applications are due Friday, May 16. Small, rural districts are encouraged to apply. Selected sponsors will receive funding in fall 2023 at the rate of $.05 per lunch served in School Year 2021-22. Technical assistance is provided to help sponsors menu plan, forecast and procure local foods. Sponsors are ineligible to participate if over 2,150,000 meals were served last school year.

View the Local Food Program Request for Applications document for additional information.

Today is National School Nurse Appreciation Day

Show school nurses appreciation today on National School Nurse Day. This day has been set aside since 1972 to recognize school nurses and to foster a better understanding of their role.

CDE’s School Nurse Recognition and Recruitment Communications Toolkit has resources and messages to help spread the word about the impact that school nurses have on students and school communities.

Visit the School Nursing and Health webpage for additional information about school nurses.

Request for applications and recommendations: Colorado Educator Talent Pool

CDE seeks applications and recommendations for the Colorado Educator Talent Pool. Elementary and secondary educators who have a minimum of five years of experience and who demonstrate unusual instructional and leadership abilities are encouraged to submit their name for consideration. The recommendation deadline is Friday, June 2.

The Colorado Educator Talent Pool is a list of candidates for advisory boards, task forces and special recognition programs. Your recommendations will identify educators who will be of great value to your community and state and who may also ultimately be considered for a prestigious recognition.

For more information and to access the Talent Pool Recommendation Form, visit the Colorado Educator Talent Pool webpage.

Free lessons plans for secondary teachers to teach about the Colorado Constitution

A free series of lesson plans has been developed to support secondary teachers in meeting the revised 2022 Colorado Academic Standards in civics, which includes evidence outcomes on the Colorado Constitution. The lesson plans cover Colorado statehood, how amendments are added to the state constitution and the structure and function of Colorado's government and were written by Colorado teachers: Candice Halvorsen, Kelly Jones-Wagy, Alyson Koerner, Kurt Knierim, Stephanie Walsh and Sam Westerdale.

The lesson plans and more information can be found on the CDE social studies page.

May Co-Literacy conversation

The next Co-Literacy conversation is at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 25, via Zoom.

The conversations include a problem of practice, a presentation, breakout sessions with guided questions and additional resources to help educators and leaders implement evidence-based practices in their schools and districts.

Recordings from previous conversations and future topics can be found on the Reading, Writing and Communicating webpage.

Registration is open for the 2023 Teaching and Learning CoLabs

The dates and host sites for this summer's Teaching and Learning CoLabs are:

  • Thursday, June 1: Grand Junction, hosted by Colorado Mesa University
  • Wednesday, June 14: Greeley, hosted by the University of Northern Colorado
  • Friday, June 23: Pueblo, hosted by CSU-Pueblo

The Teaching and Learning CoLabs are one-day, multi-disciplinary regional professional development created in partnership with Colorado's higher education institutions, professional teaching organizations and CDE. This year's content areas are expanding to include English language arts, math, health, PE, science, computer science, social studies, visual and performing arts and school leadership. Schools are encouraged to attend a CoLab in teams, with teachers representing multiple grades and content areas.

To register for a CoLab visit the Teaching and Learning CoLabs webpage.

Early Childhood Leadership Commission monthly town hall

The Early Childhood Leadership Commission will host a town hall at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 9, to provide updates about the Department of Early Childhood and Universal Preschool Program implementation process. Join via Zoom. Spanish language interpretation will be available.

Office of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education virtual workshop series

The Office of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education will offer a virtual workshop series delivered by authors Tan Huynh and Beth Skelton. The series is based on Huynh's and Skelton's book, Long-Term Success for Experienced Multilinguals and focuses on serving experienced multilinguals, the asset-based term for long-term English learners.

The workshops will consist of four live, multi-session book-study courses for educators teaching grades four through 12 who want to provide equitable learning experiences for experienced multilinguals. Upon completion of the sessions, participants will be eligible for 10 hours of CTE credit. The workshops will be offered in June and again in the fall.

To learn more and to sign up for one of the two workshop series, visit the Professional Learning Opportunities webpage.

For more information contact, Alice Collins at [email protected], or Janet Turnmeyer at [email protected].

Celebrate Colorado Teacher Appreciation Week, May 8-12

National Teacher Appreciation Week is May 8-12. CDE invites everyone to participate by giving thanks to the deserving teachers in their schools and districts.

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

Additionally, the Colorado Rockies are offering discounted tickets for educators to games on Friday, May 12, through Wednesday, May 17. View the deal on the Colorado Rockies website.

CDHE releases Postsecondary Report, key findings on K-12 and higher education collaboration

Earlier this week the Colorado Department of Higher Education released the 12th iteration of the postsecondary report, Pathways to Prosperity: Postsecondary Access and Success for Colorado’s High School Graduates. The report provides both statewide information as well as district-specific results aimed at strengthening efforts to improve student success and alignment between the K-12 and higher education systems.

This year's report emphasizes a decline in college-going rates in Colorado, but at a slower pace. According to the report, Colorado graduates increasingly enroll at out-of-state institutions, which reflects a decrease across the board in college-going rates among student demographics in Colorado.

View the full report using this link.

Submit a Promising Partnership Practice

The State Advisory Council for Parent Involvement in Education, in collaboration with CDE, is collecting promising partnership practices to publish in the eighth annual Promising Partnership Practices Colorado book. SACPIE and CDE invite schools, districts, early childhood centers, institutions of higher education, accountability committees, parent-teacher committees or any other school- or district-based council to apply for consideration in the publication. The purpose of this book is for schools, districts, and other educational organizations in Colorado to share how they partner with families and the community for student success. Submissions are due Friday, June 2.

View the Family, School and Community Partnerships webpage for additional information and to submit a Promising Partnership Practice for publication.

Technical Advisory Panel for Longitudinal Student Growth will meet May 10

The Technical Advisory Panel for Longitudinal Student Growth will meet at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 10. The public meeting will be held via Zoom.

The meeting agenda will focus on new Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness sub-indicator measures and other accountability-related topics.

View the Technical Advisory Panel for Longitudinal Growth webpage for additional information and to join the meeting.

State Advisory Council for Parent Involvement in Education committee vacancies

The State Advisory Council for Parent Involvement in Education has openings for the following committee positions:

  • A parent who serves on an accountability committee in Congressional District 2.
  • A parent who serves on an accountability committee in Congressional District 3.
  • A parent who serves on an accountability committee in Congressional District 4.
  • A parent who serves on an accountability committee in Congressional District 7.
  • A representative from a state-based nonprofit organization that specializes in promoting the involvement of parents of traditionally underserved populations.
  • A representative from a nonprofit organization that specializes in promoting the involvement of parents of students with disabilities.

Applications are due Friday, June 2.

View the SACPIE webpage for additional information and to apply for an open position.

The Colorado Higher Education Perception Survey deadline has been extended to May 15

The Colorado Department of Higher Education is partnering with Hanover Research to conduct a survey to gather candid responses and insights about postsecondary opportunities. This study is for research purposes only. All information will be maintained on a confidential basis by Hanover Research and will only be reported to the department in an anonymized form, i.e., name and identifying information such as race and gender will not be shared with the department or tied to responses.

The purpose of the study is to better understand individuals’ awareness of higher education opportunities, perceptions of institutions and interests in pursuing higher education. This research aims to understand current barriers and challenges preventing individuals from pursuing postsecondary education. High school students, parents/guardians of a high school student and high school counselors are invited to complete the survey. The survey should take 10-15 minutes to complete. Educators are asked to distribute the survey to relevant students and parents in addition to providing their own feedback.

The deadline to complete the Colorado Higher Education Perception Survey is Monday, May 15.

Visit the Hanover Research website for more information and to complete the survey.

CoMath Conversation: If, When, and How Should We Use Zearn?

Educators interested in using the Zearn Math resources for the 2023-24 school year are invited to join a CoMath Conversation at 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 11, to discuss plans for making Zearn part of their math program.

Register for the CoMath Conversation via Zoom.

Education Innovation and Research eDGE grant project

The eMINTS National Center, at the University of Missouri College of Education, is recruiting fifth grade core classroom teachers for their Education Innovation and Research Grant. The grant will help provide computers and software for teachers and students as well as professional development and stipends for teachers.

Complete the eDGE recruitment form to express interest in the eDGE Grant Project. Applications are due Monday, May 15.

For additional information on the grant program view the eMINTS eDGE project website.

School Lunch Hero Day

School Lunch Hero Day is Friday, May 5. School Lunch Hero Day is an opportunity to raise awareness and applaud the many child nutrition professionals who have a positive impact on the lives of students.

Use this form to nominate a Colorado School Lunch Hero to be highlighted in the May 4 edition of The Dish email newsletter. Nominations are due by Friday, April 28.

See the School Lunch Hero Day website for ideas, resources and tools to celebrate School Lunch Hero Day.

Team Nutrition Training Grants available

Team Nutrition Training Grant applications are due Monday, May 22. School food authorities can apply for up to $1 million to use over a three-year period to help deliver training and nutrition education that supports the U.S. Department of Agriculture child nutrition programs.

SFAs who have specific questions about the application should contact the Grant Officer, Anna Arrowsmith, at [email protected].

CDE will write letters of support for three SFAs. Contact Krista Garand at [email protected] with questions.