Leading with Faith

8/20/24 Last Day to Register for Free UB Fall Graduate Classes

8/30/24 Sign “Written Affirmation” forms for each District after Consultation

8/30/24 PDF/Copy of each Signed “Written Affirmation” form sent to C. Riso

8/30/24 Deadline to Certify End of Year (EOY) NYSED Testing Data

TBD NYSED Elementary School AIS Claims Due

9/30/24 NYSED Art & Music Teacher Salary (AMTS) Grant Submission Deadline

School Safety Plan Update for Public Schools Not Mandatory for Our Schools: Many of you have heard about the updated school safety plan regulations that require the use of trauma-informed drills and parent notification prior to drills. I just heard back from Jim Cultrara who confirmed that school safety plan requirements do not apply to nonpublic schools. Althea Johnson from NYSED told him last week that Counsel's office indicated only those provisions related to section 807 (related to fire / safety inspection) apply to our schools, not Section 155.7 on “Health and safety in existing educational facilities” (link here).

That being said, the public schools will be implementing the updated protocols this school year so you may want to consider adopting some or all of them if you can; consider these to be best-practices for possible adoption at your school. For more ideas to consider while working on your school safety plan, see https://www.nyscfss.org/safety-plans.

Substantial Equivalency Update: It seems like the public school districts received an email from NYSED around 8/7/24 explaining a September 1, 2024 deadline for them to notify NYSED of all nonpublic schools located in their district and a 12/1/24 deadline for them to report the Substantial Equivalency Pathway each of those schools has chosen.. You do not need to report anything to NYSED but need only respond to your Public School District of Location inquiries regarding your Substantial Equivalency status to enable them to complete the survey. For some additional information on the public school district reporting process, please look at the “Timeframes'' section of the Substantial Equivalency Guidance (page 25).

Moving forward with this process, the District has until December 1, 2024 to make their substantial equivalency determination for your school, meaning Districts will be making a 2023-24 school year determination for your school prior to the 12/1/24 attestation deadline (and the 6/30/25 reporting deadline) – the “Timeframe” section moves further into the future with regard to schools not deemed to be substantially equivalent, should that occur, and the process for “collaborative improvement” that should be established.

I just learned on 8/13/24 that the School District may not even have to report your pathway for the 2024-25 school year if they determine that your school is “substantially equivalent” based on your chosen Pathway for 2023-24 as long as you are continuing with that pathway; if you do not change which grade(s), subject(s), or approved assessment(s) your school uses, the 2023-24 determination will be valid for 7 years (until 2030-2031).

Art and Music Teacher Salary (AMTS) Reimbursement Grant Due Date Now 9/30/24: The new Arts & Music Teacher Salary (AMTS) Reimbursement Grant applications deadline has changed to 9/30/24. Information on the grant can be found here: Guidance; Portal Application Instructions; Non-Portal Application; Documentary Evidence; Anticipated Subject Areas; and FAQs. For all questions regarding the AMTS Grant, please contact: AMTS-ORISS@nysed.gov or (518) 474-3936.

Public School Title Consultation - “2024-2025 Written Affirmation of LEA Consultation”: Once you have completed the “2024-2025 Written Affirmation of LEA Consultation with Private School Officials” for each school district, please email (or mail) a signed copy to me. Please do not sign forms until they are complete, with all sections filled in by the districts.

Mandated Services – HR Teachers vs. Students Suggestion: Although there is often little you can do to control this, the number of teachers you have taking morning attendance vs. the number of K-12 students you have can significantly affect your Mandated Services claim amount on Mandate 1 (PAR – Pupil Attendance Reporting) and Mandate 3 (BEDS Reporting). Because of this, I have created some examples of how this might affect your school. If you think you are in a position to make a change in the number of teachers you have taking Homeroom attendance, even in creative ways, I can provide you with this list of examples to help you decide on the best number of teachers given your enrollment. Let me know if you are interested in exploring this idea before the year starts.

NCEA Survey Due 9/30/24 based on 9/13/2024 Enrollment: Please look for an email in the next few weeks regarding the NCEA survey due 9/30/24.

US Dept. of Education Seeking Parents for Paid Survey: Please consider sharing this opportunity with your parents. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the U.S. Department of Education is looking for parents to help National Household Education Survey developers understand how they interpret survey questions asking about household characteristics, including information about their children’s enrollment in school. The objective of the current study is to assess the clarity of the survey questions and the Department needs help from parents to do that. The information gained from the study will be used for potential revisions to new survey questions. It also asks questions about parental involvement in school activities and satisfaction with school. This survey collects information from families with children, including children enrolled in private schools, and also from families who are homeschooling or virtual schooling their children. You can learn more about the study on the NHES website. They are specifically looking for parents of children from birth to 17 years old to provide feedback on survey materials in a one-time, voluntary, research interview. To determine if a parent is eligible and qualifies for the study, have them visit the survey page to answer a few questions. The eligibility survey should take about 5 minutes to complete. Alternatively, they can email NHESstudy@air.org and someone from their recruitment team will contact them for a screening. Once found eligible, participants will take part in a 60-minute virtual interview after which they will receive $40 in cash as a thank you for their participation. FYI - only one person per household may participate.

Reintroducing the Catholic School Principal Mentor Program: Strengthening Support for New Leaders

In our ongoing commitment to nurturing strong, faith-driven leaders, we are reintroducing the Catholic School Principal Mentor Program—a revitalization of the informal mentor program we successfully implemented a few years ago. This 12-month initiative is designed to complement our newly created Principal Coaching Program, offering additional layers of support to first- and second-year principals.

Program Overview

This enhanced program pairs new principals with experienced mentors who can provide practical insights, faith-based guidance, and leadership support. Together with our Principal Coaching Program, this initiative ensures that our new leaders have the resources and confidence they need to thrive in their roles.

Program Objectives

• Accessible Support: Ensure new principals have a reliable resource for guidance.

• Practical Insights: Offer day-to-day leadership advice.

• Faith Integration: Help align leadership with Catholic values.

• Confidence Building: Develop leadership skills and self-assurance.

• Smooth Transitions: Aid in acclimating to school culture and procedures.

Mentor Program Structure

Veteran principals, selected for their leadership and dedication to our mission, will receive training to effectively mentor their peers. Mentors and mentees will be thoughtfully paired to foster relationships that enhance both personal and professional growth.

Call for Veteran Principals

We are seeking experienced principals to join this reinvigorated program, working alongside our Principal Coach and Assistant Superintendents to provide comprehensive support to new leaders. Your mentorship will play a crucial role in ensuring our schools continue to thrive under confident, faith-driven leadership. Together, we can build a stronger, more vibrant Catholic education community.

If you are interested in serving as a Mentor please email Julie at jgajewski@buffalodiocese.org by Friday, August 30th.

Erie 1 Boces is doing some fantastic summer training. If you have a new administrative assistant, new teachers or a new eSchool coordinator, please consider sending them to one of these trainings. There is a flyer with details here as well. All workshops will be held at Boces in Building A, Room A-2.

eSD Coordinator Training 8/26 9am-2pm

Turn-Key Teacher Training 8/29 9-11am

Our calendar for the 2024-2025 year is ready, but is subject to change as the year progresses.

With the new school year approaching, it’s time for us to get new information for various people in the schools. Please fill out this 2024-2025 Contact People form so we will be able to contact the correct person in a very timely manner for our various needs during the school year. We ask that this form be filled out no later than September 1. This is being requested of Diocesan Elementary Schools, Private Elementary Schools and High Schools. If you do not have a person in one of the roles please mark as N/A. (Thank you you to so many of you who have completed this already.)