Dear Friends,

I hope that the conclusion of the school year has been smooth and rewarding for you and your staffs—and that the summer holds some time for relaxation and rejuvenation.  In the world of federal programs, your LEA should have already conducted consultation for the 2023-24 school year that puts you well on the way to have programs designed and ready to go when the next school year begins.  I’m writing to remind/introduce you to resources that can help you in the consultation process to ensure equitable services for your students.

The Principals’ Academy webinar series can be found on my website at www.equitableservicesmdec.com/webinars.  The Principals’ Academy is relevant to anyone who is engaging in timely and meaningful consultation with public school officials: diocesan staff, school principals, government program directors, regional private school representatives, etc.  The webinars are each approximately 30 minutes and review the topic, provide a short review quiz, and contain group discussion questions for those viewing the Principals’ Academy in a group setting (although of course you can personally reflect on the group discussion questions).  Many of you on this mailing list are not school principals, but have contact with building level administrators in your organization; please pass on this information to all who could benefit.

The Principals’ Academy topics are:

If your LEA did not begin consultation this past spring, I recommend you view the webinars to become informed, then contact your representative to ask that consultation begin as soon as possible to ensure the required on-time start to services.  If consultation has begun, I recommend that you go through the webinars and make note of what still needs to be discussed and decided or what may need to be modified from your previous consultation discussions.

Additionally, there are more resources on my website that I hope you’ll check out.  Here are some highlights:

Webinars: The Virtual Equitable Services Institute for Building Level Administrators, which presents a cross-cutting look at the following topics, which run about 90 minutes each:

  • Day 1: Program Purpose and Program Services
  • Day 2: The Consultation Process
  • Day 3: Funding for Federal Education Program Services

Publications: The ESSA Toolkit and Consultation Guide bundle ($30) and the IDEA Toolkit and Field Guide bundle ($30), and free cross-cutting resources including Services Under Federal Education Programs, Consultation Across Programs, and Funding Worksheets.

All of these tools are designed to lead to successful program design and implementation for your students.  Best wishes for successful consultation—and summer relaxation!

All the best,

Michelle
Michelle L. Doyle