Showcasing the Work of ESAs Nationwide |
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AESA Executive Director Dr. Joan Wade had a great meeting on Monday, April 25 with Dr. Cindy Martin, Deputy Secretary of Education. They discussed the value of ESAs and the work they do to support the schools in their regions. AESA looks forward to future collaborations! |
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AESA Reading Leaders Visit with Ukraine-born
Author About Her Cross-Cultural Memoir
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Members of the Reading Leaders book club had a special guest at their monthly book club discussion last week when author Ruslana Westerlund joined them to talk about her memoir, From Borsch to Burgers! Ruslana talked about her life growing up in Ukraine where she worked in her father’s potato fields in the Soviet Union. She discussed what it was like as a young adult to immigrate to the United States.
The discussion soon turned to current events and the Russian war with Ukraine. The attendees heard about her family who still live in Ukraine and the devastation that has occurred. At the end, Ruslana, who now lives and works in Wisconsin, talked about Wisconsin Ukrainians a 501c3 that has been established for donations. As we returned the conversation to her story, Ruslana said she wants to write her next book on the efforts of the brave people of Ukraine during wartime. We look forward to reading her next book!
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REMINDER: WEBINAR SERIES
Food Research & Action Center Webinars
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AESA is co-sponsoring a series of webinars with the Food Research & Action Center to provide support to those interested in participating in the Community Eligibility Provision. We believe that with the waivers ending, more will be interested in the program after being able to provide free meals to all students for the past two years.
Here are the dates, topics, and links for more information:
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VIRTUAL SUMMIT
from the US Department of Education
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On behalf of the U.S. Department of Education, you are invited to attend an education summit:
“From Recovery to Thriving:
How the American Rescue Plan is Supporting America’s Students”
VIRTUAL
Wednesday, April 27, 2022
4 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET.
Agenda:
4 p.m. Opening Panel: “From Recovery to Thriving: How the Education Ecosystem Can Support America’s Students”
5 p.m. Learning Recovery Concurrent Sessions
6 p.m. Labor Shortages Concurrent Sessions
7 p.m. Mental Health and Well-Being & Social and Emotional Learning Concurrent Sessions
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President Biden, USDA Forest Service Announce More Than $238 Million To Support Rural Schools, Roads, Other Services |
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President Biden and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service announced the SRS funding to invest more than $238 million to support public schools, roads, and other municipal services through the Secure Rural Schools Program, which will deliver SRS payments to 742 eligible counties in 41 states and Puerto Rico. The program was reauthorized for fiscal years 2021 through 2023 by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The bill was signed by President Biden and became Public Law 117-58 on November 15, 2021. USDA National Forest Service has completed all necessary reviews and is releasing the FY 2021 funds.
“The Secure Rural Schools program is one of many ways USDA supports rural communities and provides a consistent source of funding in areas near national forests,” Forest Service Chief Randy Moore said. “In addition to funding for schools and counties, the program also reimburses counties for emergency services on national forests and is instrumental in the development of community wildfire protection plans.”
Section 41202: Extension of Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act:
The bipartisan infrastructure bill includes a 3-year (FY 2021, FY 2022, FY2023) extension of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (SRS). SRS is authorized and funded for FY 2021, 2022, and 2023. The infrastructure bill, P.L. 117-58, provides that for Fiscal Year 2021 and each fiscal year thereafter the amount is equal to the full funding amount of FY 2017. Five percent reductions are not continued. The bill’s SRS provisions also include regional pilots for Montana and Arizona.
Read the full announcement from the USDA National Forest Service, including a list of states receiving funding.
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Executives in Residence Applications
Deadline May 1, 2022
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Are you ready to learn from established ESA leaders?
Are you advancing to the level of Executive Director?
This is a one-of-a-kind experience to immerse yourself in professional learning and learn about effective ESAs first-hand.
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AESA Awards Program:
Nominations Now Open
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Annually, the AESA Executive Council invites its members to recognize their colleagues and peers for their contributions to educational service agencies. Nominations are now open for the 2022 awards program.
Visit our website to learn more about each of AESA's national awards. The criteria and nomination process for each award is fully described in the nomination forms.
All nominations must be postmarked by June 15, 2022.
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From AESA Business Partners |
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NEW Federal STOP School Violence Act Grant Funding Webinar
with STOPit Solutions
April 26, 2022
2:00 pm Eastern
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School safety is not defined by one product, one process, or one person. It is comprehensive, integrated, and requires the efforts of students, staff, and innovative solutions with committed partners. When it comes to the above STOPit Solutions has you and your member districts covered. Our team and our solutions address these needs. |
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TOP Cyber-Defense Measures for Improving Your Cyber-Risk Profile ASAP |
Last week we discussed “Data Backup, Firewalls, Incident Response and Business Continuity measures.” In our continuing discussions on the Top Cyber-Defense Measures, this week we discuss Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) as an Access Management measure for improving your cyber-risk profile the BEST you can as FAST as you can.
Many K-12 Districts and Public Entities are being required to respond to the expanded questionnaires insurance companies are insisting on to determine the rates and terms, for providing Cyber and Ransomware coverage.
In many examples we are seeing not only questions regarding Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) as an Access Management measure, insurance companies are actually requiring MFA Measures and Policies be in place to qualify for any coverage.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), sometimes referred to as two-factor authentication (2FA), is a security enhancement that requires a User to present two pieces of evidence as an additional layer of security to identify they are who they are. Your sensitive information- like your primary email, financial account, and health records - is safer because cybercriminals would need to steal both your password and your phone as an example to get access.
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ResoluteGuard uses the industry's best internal and external scanning tools to identify your cyber-risk strengths and weaknesses and populate easy-to-use, easy-to-understand smart workflow reports that align the governance, administration, and technical activities to the common objective: avoiding disruption of critical services.
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Equity in the Workplace
Starts with Equitable Education
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Education plays a pivotal role in closing the equity gap not only in education but also in the workplace. To establish a diverse pool of qualified candidates for high-value careers, we must start by understanding and informing all students of those opportunities. Equity in the workplace starts with equitable education that leads to occupations that offer fair treatment in access, opportunity, and advancement for everyone.
To help educators explore if their students have equitable access for their future, NS4ed is adding equity data to its Pathway2Careers Labor Market Navigator. By adding this valuable data, educators can quickly identify the racial and gender disparities in different types of occupations. The new data sets, available in May, will also allow educators to meet Perkins V requirements by addressing the needs of disadvantaged populations in their region.
Acknowledging inequities and understanding the reasoning behind them are the first steps in creating a more equitable labor market. NS4ed seeks to close the gap that exists between education and industry with its career readiness solutions. Read the NS4ed Resource discussing the need for equitable access to careers.
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Registration is Open!
Summer Leadership Conference
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Come for the learning . . . enjoy the location! |
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