November 2016

From the Desk of Dr. Cotton

It has been a busy and exciting month in Henry County Public Schools! Bengal Tech Academy of Global Studies (#BTAGS) opened their new space this month. If you haven't had a chance to visit, be sure to look in during our January Teaching and Learning Conference! Our Teacher Cabinet, Parent Cabinet, Support Staff Cabinet, and Equity Council have all been meeting and working to improve education in our community. If you haven't been keeping up with their work, be sure to view their meeting minutes on my Chalkboard page. Footers are being poured and construction on the new Meadow View Elementary School building has begun. You can follow the progress by visiting the construction album. There's a lot happening in HCPS - I'm so glad that we're celebrating it together!


From VDOE

The Virginia Department of Education is asking parents, educators and other citizens interested in the commonwealth’s public schools to complete a brief online survey on school quality and accountability. Results from the survey will help inform the development of the commonwealth’s plan to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act, the 2015 federal education law that replaced No Child Left Behind.

“We are asking parents and other members of the public to tell us what they think is important when evaluating how well a school is serving students,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Steven R. Staples said. “We’re asking them to think about achievement on state tests, graduation and dropout rates, absenteeism, parent satisfaction and other indicators of school quality and then tell us which of these they think are extremely important, moderately important and so forth.”  

The four-item survey may be accessed from the homepage of the VDOE website or directly at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ESSAinVA. The survey takes 5-10 minutes to complete and will remain active through Wednesday, November 9.

The survey is anonymous and participants are not asked to provide identifying information beyond describing themselves (e.g., parent, teacher, business professional) and where they live (e.g., Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, Southwest Virginia).  

The Every Student Succeeds Act, also known as ESSA, provides states with new flexibility to improve their accountability systems, assessment programs and overall approaches to closing achievement gaps and school improvement. The state Board of Education is expected to approve Virginia’s implementation plan in time for submission to the U.S. Department of Education in March 2017.   

Practical Application

What are your students making? As we look for ways to integrate making into our classrooms, join the Maker Promise email list at MakerPromise.org. This resource will provide ideas and tips on including making in every subject area. Want some local advice? Contact Phyllis Meade at pmeade@henry.k12.va.us for maker ideas and information.

Tracking Recertification Points

Edivate is now making it easier than ever to track recertifcation points. Beginning with July 2016, all school-wide and division professional development activities will be cataloged in Edivate. Participants can log in to Edivate, click Learning Targets, and go to Catalogs to register for activities. Facilitators will confirm participation and points will be applied to a transcript that can be printed at the end of each school year or at the end of a 5-year recertification cycle. No more saving certificates! Questions about Edivate and PD points? Email Monica at mhatchet@henry.k12.va.us

Looking for some flexible PD for a great price? EdWeb offers regular PD webinars for teachers - for free! Check out this month's offerings and explore options that fit your schedule.

Are you using devices to the fullest each day? Visit Apple Teacher Center and learn more about ways to earn recertification points by completing Badges for iPad and Badges for Mac. Send your completion email to eadkins@henry.k12.va.us and points will be applied to your recertification transcript in Edivate.

You can also sign up for Apple Education class and earn PD points - be sure to register in Edivate: go to Learning Targets, then click catalogs.