USDA new e-connectivity toolkit; PD for you and your ESA staff; more

February 19, 2019

USDA Launches High-Speed Broadband

e-Connectivity Resource Guide

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has launched a new toolkit to help support the deployment of high-speed broadband e-Connectivity in rural communities.

Read the press release and find link to the e-toolkit here.

Another Bold Step Forward for AESA:

Welcome to the Community!

Affinity Groups are Beta-Testing AESA's New Community Platform:

Connecting Members to Members

AESA Affinity Groups engage and serve all members. These have been growing and becoming more and more successful.

In February, we began beta-testing the new online community software - or platform - that will make connecting even easier. The first phase involves members of the current Affinity Groups.

The community platform will provide one online space for all Affinity Groups to discuss issues, store resources, and engage with each other. While each Affinity Group will have its own private space, the system will be home to all groups. And, since all Affinity Groups will use this one platform, we hope it will be easier for members to belong to as many Affinity Groups as interest them. It will also feature a calendar of events so that members can view special events in other groups too.

Right now, Affinity Group Leaders are reaching out to their existing members to ask them to join their group in this new space. So to all of you - go ahead - get connected!

And to all: Welcome to the next generation of AESA!

Did You Know . . .

. . . All employees of every ESA that belongs to AESA are also members of AESA?

That means all staff can take advantage of the Affinity Groups and other events sponsored by AESA.

As the only professional organization that serves ESAs nationally, we know that networking with other ESA staff can stimulate connections and help staff find new resources, ideas, and answers for the unique challenges of ESAs. Affinity Groups are just one way many people are getting involved.

Find the active Affinity Groups here.

Join Us Online

February 25, 2019

12:30-3:30 p.m. EST

AESA's Poverty and Trauma Virtual Conference

The problem is too big. Schools and communities will never have enough social workers and counselors to solve it. Schools must mobilize classroom teachers and aides to use the power of the science and relationships to help build brains so that students can thrive.

This work is as much about healing and mitigating stress for staff as it is for students - in order to have resilient students we must have resilient staff.

Join your AESA colleagues online for this virtual conference:

Learn more about the effects of poverty and trauma on students and staff.
Gather ideas on how to resolve its effects on learning.

About the Presenters

Rebecca Lewis-Pankratz

Director of ESSDACK Learning Centers, KS

Gerry Briscoe

Director of Professional Learning

SERRC, AK

Martha Gould-Lehe

Cultural Specialist

SERRC, AK

Rebecca Lewis-Pankratz will keynote the conference. Hear how her personal story has shaped her professional career. She is the Director of ESSDACK (KS) Learning Centers and is helping numerous districts become trauma-responsive in order to both heal trauma and work to solve poverty. She will bring the science of ACEs and Resilience alive and help deepen the understanding of how to use this research to guide school districts to obtain 80% buy-in from staff members to become trauma-responsive and work to resolve poverty.

Gerry Briscoe and Martha Gould-Lehe will present the breakout session. Both Gerry and Martha are senior associates with the Center on Culturally Proficient Educational Practices. They have been working for the past six years in developing products for educator evaluation and professional learning services for Alaska’s Cultural Standards for Educators. The impact on helping to change educators' mindsets toward equity and discovering an educator’s own cultural proficiency is challenging. By recognizing and respecting all students’ identities, social emotional learning and growth mindsets are becoming motivating and engaging factors in closing the opportunity gap.

$100 per participant. There is room for you!

View the full conference brochure here.

Call for Proposals:

Summer Leadership Conference

SAVE THE DATE:

July 15-19, 2019

AESA's Summer Leadership Conference

Make an Impact:

ESAs Leading the Way for Stronger Communities

AESA Annual Summer Leadership Conference is shaping up! Collective Impact will be the cornerstone model presented at the conference.

Collective Impact is the commitment of a group of stakeholders from different sectors to a common agenda for solving a specific social problem using a structured form of collaboration. Developed at Stanford University, Collective Impact is being used by several ESAs across the country.

AESA is accepting presentation proposals for the

2019 Summer Leadership Conference

through March 1, 2019.

If your ESA is engaged in a substantive engagement effort, please consider submitting a proposal to be part of the Summer Leadership Conference using the link below. Thank you!

Submit a Summer Leadership Conference Proposal.

Corwin and AESA Team Up to

Offer High-Quality Professional Development

Thank you to premiere business partner, CORWIN, for offering AESA members a discount of $50.00 per registration for the CORWIN Literacy & Equity Institute, March 1-2, 2019.

R ead more: Corwin - AESA Institutes

News about AESA Business Partner Infinite Campus

Infinite Campus Selected as Favorite

Student Information System and Data Management Tool

Infinite Campus, AESA business partner, has been selected as the 2018 Platinum recipient for Favorite Student Information System (SIS) and Data Management Tool as part of THE Journal’s fourth-annual Readers’ Choice Awards.

“As a former school district technology director, it’s gratifying that education technology professionals voted Infinite Campus as their favorite SIS and the one most vital for educating and supporting America’s K12 students,” said Charlie Kratsch, Infinite Campus Founder and CEO.

“For 25 years our mission has been to Transform K12 Education® by developing products that make it easier for educators to positively impact teaching and learning. I thank our loyal users for the recognition and our partners and employees for their efforts to provide award-winning, innovative solutions and support services.”

“More than 1,100 education technology professionals voted for the tools they think have the most positive impact on the mission of education,” said David Nagel, editor-in-chief of THE Journal. “Our winners this year can be proud of the impact they’re having on teaching and learning.”

Don't forget this member-benefit:

Post your employment opportunities with AESA.

Job Opportunities Available

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