A Message from Associate Commissioner Elizabeth L. Bennett
Thank you to those involved in the process of revising the VTE Frameworks! There are several exciting updates below. Our next CCTE call will be on Monday, March 22 at 11:00am and a zoom link will be sent.
Updates on Statewide Initiatives Draft Revised Plumbing Framework Presented to State Board
This week, the Plumbing Framework Team presented a draft of the revised Plumbing Framework to the Board of State Examiners of Plumbing and Gas Fitters, hitting a 'home run' when the Board specifically asked to be involved in this work. Mark your calendars for the April Board meeting, when the Board will vote on the revised Plumbing Framework. Stay tuned for next steps in this process, including statewide vetting and roll-out of the revised Frameworks, coming soon.
Additionally, a formal request was made to the Board that Postsecondary Chapter 74 Plumbing Programs and Regulation Language be covered as a topic at a future meeting. Many thanks to the entire team for a job well done!
Draft Revised HVAC Framework to be Presented to State Board
CCTE and MAVA will be delivering the draft Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration (HVAC)VTE Framework to the State Board of Examiners of Sheet Metal Workers on Monday, March 15, 8AM – 11AM. This draft reflects revisions that the subject matter expert team has developed. Anyone interested in the Board is welcome to participate as a viewer. This is a wonderful opportunity for teachers, administrators, and students to witness governmental board processes in action.
While this is a Public Board Meeting, it is not a Public Hearing; the team will present directly to the members of the Board. The team will present MGL C.74, or VTE Education; an overview of the VTE Framework; and Strand 2, highlighting changes to the HVAC standards. There is one hour planned for the presentation. This is not the venue to solicit public comment regarding Strand 2 changes. There will be opportunity for this during the formal vetting process to share comments, which will be documented, reviewed, and discussed in detail. See the meeting information at this link.
Students Statewide Gain Valuable Professional Development in the Education Field
Through Connecting Activities, sixteen cohorts of 50 students participated in their first session of professional development. The session, titled “Professionalism in the Classroom”, was delivered by teachers across Massachusetts and supported by Educators Rising. The session addressed building a teacher persona and the importance of content knowledge, and asked for reflection on how ways of dressing, behaving, and interacting can affect a teacher’s credibility and trustworthiness. Guided notes for the session are available at this link. An introduction to the EdRising professional development for all educators can be found here. Students will be documenting their experience in work-based learning plans; see resources here.
On the Horizon MakeitinMassachusetts.com this May!
MassHire will be sponsoring another MakeitinMassachusetts.com event for the entire month of May. As those of you who participated last fall can attest, this is a fantastic opportunity for students. Further, the timing is excellent, given that many are actively recruiting students for participation in Innovation Pathways for Fall 2021.
Who: All high schools and middle schools across the state, especially those with Innovation Pathways
When: All May! MassHire will keep it open for a month so teachers can fit it in when and if it works for them.
Connecting for Success Conference
Watch for DESE at MAVA's Connecting for Success Conference. This year's conference will be June 24, 25, 28 and 29, 2021.
In the News WBUR: Leveling The Playing Field In STEM
Black and Latinx Americans are underrepresented in STEM jobs. The root reasons are myriad: limited access to quality education, discrimination in recruitment and promotion practices, and disparities in STEM-based programming across youth communities to name a few. A range of perspectives and having as many voices at the table as possible will be crucial to solving the global issues before us. Join WBUR's On Point host Meghna Chakrabarti on March 23, 2021, for a wide-ranging conversation with field experts on how to develop solutions to reverse these trends. See this link for more.
Communications Survey
Clear communication is essential to bring us together and plan for a safe future. DESE is continuously working to improve communication with all those involved in and impacted by our public schools. Please take this two-minute survey to help inform DESE's communication efforts. Thank you!
Safety Corner - from Dave Edmonds, CCTE's Safety Specialist
The next session of The Safety Stop is scheduled for March 25, 2021, from 9:00am-10:00am. The topic will be Hearing Conservation. Repeated exposure to loud noise and high vibration levels have been identified as contributing to work-related injuries. The instructor will be Marvin Lewiton of the Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards. The session will cover general hearing conservation issues and hearing conservation issues specific to CTE shops and program areas. Mr. Lewiton gave a presentation about Respiratory Protection at the December The Safety Stop. This presentation is appropriate for students, teachers, and staff.
