MONDAY SUPERINTENDENT E-MAIL – 6/6/11
As part of our effort to streamline communications and cut down on the number of e-mails you receive, here is a Monday E-Mail that combines several items into one communication.
Please read the Monday E-mail as it contains information on the following KDE-related topic:
· Dear Colleague Letter from the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE)
If you have questions about the specific items, please see the contact information for each item.
Items from KDE
Dear Colleague Letter from the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE)
The U.S. Department of Education has provided a Dear Colleague letter and Frequently Asked Questions updating a June 29, 2010 letter and clarified that the civil rights laws prohibiting disability discrimination require schools to ensure utilized emerging technologies, like electronic book readers, are equally accessible to students with disabilities. The information reads “under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, educational institutions cannot require the use of electronic book readers in a classroom setting if the readers are not fully accessible to individuals with disabilities, including individuals who are blind or have low vision, unless those individuals are provided accommodations or modifications that permit them to receive all the educational benefits provided by the technology in an equally effective and equally integrated manner.” The current letter and its attachment can be found at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-201105-ese.html and http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/dcl-ebook-faq-201105.html .
Questions on this can be directed to Amy Peabody via e-mail at Amy.Peabody@education.ky.gov or via phone at (502) 564-4474.
Items from Outside Agencies
Asbury University offers online principal and teacher graduate programs (Attachment)
Asbury University now offers online Principal Licensure and Teacher Leader graduate programs, designed for busy adults who wish to have personalized learning.
Asbury’s Principal Licensure and Teacher Leader graduate programs offer several advantages:
Distinguished Teacher and Leader Program, where candidates experience state and national experts
‘real-world’ work based on school improvement
flexible course schedules for busy adults
clinical-based, practitioner-focused
utilizes latest technology
facilitating faculty
focus on the study of organizational health and transformational leadership
Courses are paced each week to ensure candidate success, and participants study in a professional learning community cohort format.
Visit the Asbury University website for more information on the Principal Licensure or Teacher Leader programs. For more details, see the attachment or contact Rocky Wallace at rocky.wallace@asbury.edu or (859) 3511, ext. 2193, or Abbie Gibitz at abbie.gibitz@asbury.edu or (859) 858-3511, ext. 2502.
Teachers needed for ‘Picturing America: Faces, Spaces and Places’
Teachers are invited to apply for “Picturing America: Faces, Spaces and Places,” a three-day conference at the Kentucky Historical Society on July 6-7, 2011 and Jan. 28, 2012. Accepted teachers will receive a stipend of $300 and are required to attend all three days.
Teachers will participate in sessions on works of art found in the National Endowment for the Humanities Picturing America portfolio. Kentucky State Historian Dr. James Klotter and University of Georgia associate professor of art history Dr. Janice Simon will deliver the keynote addresses. Along with scholar-led sessions each day, participants also will attend hands-on workshops focusing on instructional strategies for using the portfolio. A one-day follow-up conference in January will give teachers the opportunity to explore Kentucky resources related to the theme of the July conference and share their classroom observations from using these materials.
A completed application, statement of interest and letter of recommendation are required for consideration for this conference. There is a rolling deadline, but only 50 applicants will be accepted. Only teachers who have access to the Picturing America portfolio are eligible to apply to the conference. To find out if your school or local public library has the Picturing America portfolio in their collection, go to http://picturingamerica.neh.gov/public_awards.php.
For more information on “Picturing America: Faces, Spaces and Places,” go to www.history.ky.gov/picturingamerica or e-mail Mike Deetsch. For more information on the Picturing America program, go to www.picturingamerica.neh.gov.
Documentary film shows relationship of diet and disease prevention
Rep. Tom Riner, co-chair of the state Task Force on Childhood Obesity, strongly recommends a new documentary film that shows the relationship between diet and disease prevention. Rep. Riner encourages educators to view this film.
The film, Forks Over Knives, is showing in a limited run across the United States. Through June 9, it will be shown at the Village 8 Theater on Dutchmans Lane in Louisville and at the AMC Newport 20 on Levee Way in Newport. Teachers can receive discounts on the ticket price at the Village 8 Theater when purchasing the tickets in person.
The film features leading experts on health, examines the question “why we don’t know” and tackles the issue of diet and disease in an interesting, informative way.
More information about Forks Over Knives, including showtimes and theaters, is available at http://www.forksoverknives.com/.