In partnership with OSPI, CSTP is excited to announce the WERD (WA Educators Read and Discuss) Book Study (get it? WERD, like WORD!). Two different statewide book studies will start in January and February. Participation is free and clock hours will be available. And there may even be some free books and discount codes to participants!

The first study will feature Culturally Responsive Education in the Classroom: An Equity Framework for Pedagogy by Dr. Adeyemi Stembridge. The second book study will feature Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson.

Fill out this informational survey to be the first to receive registration information.

CSTP would like to hear from you! We’re interested in hearing about the successes, wins and celebrations (big and small!) you and/or your students have experienced this school year. What are things you’ve done in your classroom, with your colleagues or for your own professional growth this year that is working? Teachers, in particular, are craving ideas and strategies that are working for others. We want to share those successes and ideas with a broader educator audience on our website and social media.

On the flip side, we are also collecting the challenges you are facing as educators in this strange and new educational context. What are barriers for your work as an educator? Are there issues (big and small) that, if addressed, would make your educator life easier? Do you have ideas or solutions for tackling these challenges? CSTP will review these submissions and may share particular ones to specific stakeholder groups/decision makers and/or figure out ways we can, organizationally and with partners, address these issues.

CSTP is offering statewide online component facilitation for National Board candidates in 2020-21. Support is offered for Foundations and Components 1-4. Components 2 and 4 start in early-November and registration closes on October 26. Register now to save your seat!

Washington NBCTs, you need to be aware of possible implications to the National Board incentives during the upcoming legislative session. The state is facing some major financial challenges - specifically a large revenue shortfall estimated at over $4 billion. The National Board Certification incentives - $5,505 for the base incentive each year for the life of the certificate and $5,000 each year you work in a challenging school with a valid NB certificate - is a sizable budget line item in the state’s budget and a tasty nugget for the chopping block, particularly since it falls outside of the state’s obligation to provide for basic education. Being just months away from the beginning of the legislative session, we want to start preparing NBCTs with the knowledge and skills to advocate and message about the critical capacity and positive impacts NBCTs bring to their students, building, districts and communities. NBCTs Joanna Barnes (North Thurston Public Schools) and Sarah Applegate (Wenatchee School District) will facilitate a two-part session on November 14 and 18.

When: November 14 from 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM and November 18 from 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Clock Hours Available: 7

CSTP's Happy Hour is returning in October! We hope you will join us on Sunday, October 25 at 6:30 PM to hear from Washington NBCT and author of Teach and Still Have Time to Pee, Jamie Johnson, who will walk us through a self-care exercise.

Date: Sunday, October 25 from 6:30 - 7:30 PM

OSPI has worked with an incredible group of educational partners to develop the first launch of their Inclusionary Practices Handbook and the introduction and chapter 1 are available now. Additional sections will be added as they are completed throughout the year. The purpose of the handbook is to provide practical guidance for teachers, schools, districts, and families on inclusionary practices in Washington state. The introduction includes the foundations of policy and research that support inclusion in the least restrictive environment for students with disabilities. Subsequent sections will provide specific guidance on strategies for implementing inclusionary practices in preschool through transition age. The current draft is posted on the OSPI website.

The Association of WA School Principals is hosting a free 5-part professional learning series, How To Be 'All In' As An Inclusive Leader! with International film maker, Dan Habib, the creator of the award-winning documentary films Including Samuel, Who Cares About Kelsey?, Mr. Connolly Has ALS and many other films on disability-related topics. Registration is open now on the AWSP website.

The UW Haring Center will be hosting a webinar featuring best practices for inclusive education with Mark Twain Elementary on November 4 at 3:00 PM. This 90-minute virtual site visit will cover:

•    Brief overview of the Washington State Demonstration Sites Project

•    Mark Twain's journey to becoming a more inclusive school

•    Review artifacts that aid in systems change

•    How schools can implement best practices in inclusive education in their own buildings

Do you have a question about your Learning Management System? Submit it here, in our Facebook group or to our Twitter accounts.

If you love microcredentials, check out Canvas's new Canvas Certified Educator Program.

If a student is lost, you can send them a direct link to a particular assignment. Here is a video on how to find the direct link to an assignment.

Do you have conferences coming up? Do you need help scheduling your conferences for Microsoft Teams Meetings? If you are a MicrosoftEDU user, check out this great video on how to use Microsoft Bookings.

Too many emails? Go to Settings to choose notification preferences. Turn on/off emails for various actions. Set preferences in individual course/group by clicking on “Notifications” in Materials. Students & families can follow the same steps to alter their notification preferences.

Mary-Catherine shows us how to use Microsoft Translator to help students (and their families) access their learning on Seesaw via Zoom. She can clarify assignments to new English Language Learners so they can access their learning and help non-English-speaking parents understand how to navigate Seesaw and their iPads.

Badges and clock hours are available for those completing any of the 16 available asynchronous modules in the Teacher Tech Project. Each completed module is worth one clock hour.

Learn more on the CSTP website.

AESD has launched new tech resources for Washington teachers for Canvas, Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, Schoology and Seesaw. They provide live trainings, on-demand courses, videos and office hours to support educators.

Check out these resources on the AESD website.

The virtual teaching video had us in stitches all week. What is the funniest or weirdest thing you have seen during a webinar? Tell us in our survey below and your response may be shared anonymously in a future newsletter.

Your gift ensures that CSTP continues to support student achievement through a focus on teaching excellence. With you as a partner in CSTP’s mission, you directly make a difference in the lives of youth across Washington State schools. Donations are tax deductible and essential as CSTP works to support educators navigate unique models of student engagement during the COVID-19 outbreak.

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