Upcoming Events, Trainings and Recognition

By Sandy Johnson, Kansas Department of Labor

The Labor Market Information (LMI) division of the Kansas Department of Labor has launched Today’s Occupations, Tomorrow’s Opportunities (T.O.T.O.), an innovative career exploration platform designed to help students and career changers navigate their professional paths.

The Kansas Technical Assistance System Network (TASN) will be offering an online course, “Systemic Implementation of Universal Design for Learning” (UDL), in June. 

By Lisa Williams, coordinator, KSDE Early Childhood team  

The inaugural National Home Visiting Week (NHVW) will take place April 21-25, an observance to celebrate and recognize home visitors and the positive impact they make on maternal and child health outcomes.   

The Institute for the Advancement of Family Support Professionals, an organization focused on strengthening home visiting and human service programs across the country, is collaborating with nonprofit partners and elected officials to organize the event.

The team supporting the All In For Kansas Kids statewide strategic plan for early childhood invites families with young children, early childhood care providers, and mental health professionals to attend two free conferences on May 6 and 8. These conferences will focus on mental health and special healthcare needs, foster family-driven connections and help professionals better support families.  

Registration is open for the Safe and Supportive Schools Conference, May 7-8, at the Hilton Garden Inn, in Manhattan. The cost for this day and a half training is $75.  

The deadline to register is May 6. Click here for event and lodging information.  

Click here for presentation titles and times.  Attendees should plan ahead to attend breakout sessions that best meet the needs of their school district.  

The keynote speaker is Mitch Holthus, voice of the Kansas City Chiefs. 

The KSDE Teacher Licensure team is seeking volunteers to help revise the educator preparation standards for the following license and endorsement areas:  

• Agriculture  
• Journalism  
• Speech/Theatre  

Indicate interest and availability for any of the license/endorsement areas on the survey: https://ksde.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bm6eYfkG6Je9qrc. 

The KSDE Division of Learning Services has announced a few of the session titles for the Great Ideas in Education Conference, July 28-30. 

As part of the Kansas FastBridge statewide program, Renaissance Learning offers opportunities for professional learning and support to Kansas educators. This includes videos, webinars, consultation, and on-site workshops. The videos can be accessed through FASTFLIX.  

Webinars are listed below under “Upcoming FastBridge virtual trainings.”  Consultations and workshops can be requested on topics such as onboarding, data reviews and more.  

April

21: KESA 2.0 in-person information session, at Orion, in Clearwater. This is an optional meeting and registration is not required. Attendees can participate in either a morning session from 9 -11 a.m. OR an afternoon session from 1-3 p.m. Contact Rue Huereca-Retana at Rue.Huereca-Retana@ksde.gov for more information.  

22: (POSTPONED) Cracking the Code: Practical Strategies for Teaching Word Recognition (K-12), Southwest Plains, in Sublette. Register here. Contact Laurie Curtis, laurie.curtis@ksde.gov, with questions.

24: (POSTPONED) Cracking the Code: Practical Strategies for Teaching Word Recognition (K-12), ESSDACK, in Hutchinson. Register here. Contact Laurie Curtis, laurie.curtis@ksde.gov, with questions.

24: (POSTPONED) Clear, Intentional and Effective Writing: The Writing Tenets (3-12), Orion, in Clearwater. Register here. Contact Laurie Curtis, laurie.curtis@ksde.gov, with questions.

24: Higher education program reviewer virtual training, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Contact Catherine Chmidling, catherine.chmidling@ksde.gov, with questions.