Upcoming Events, Trainings and Recognition

Did you know there are more than 300 different national sign languages? Each year for International Day of Sign Languages, celebrated on Sept. 23, the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) encourages public buildings, landmarks and more, to be spotlighted in a blue light to promote and recognize these languages. 

The “Shine a Blue Light on Sign Languages” campaign aims to unite the world, its citizens, communities and societies through the blue light. Be on the lookout on KSDE’s social media channels leading up to Monday, Sept. 23, for a video from students from the Kansas School for the Deaf. 

The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is accepting nominations for the 2026 Kansas Teacher of the Year. Every school district is encouraged to nominate one exemplary elementary classroom teacher and one exemplary secondary classroom teacher for this prestigious award. 

Not only does participating in this program demonstrate that your district values exceptional teaching, you will be providing critical professional development opportunities for your nominees. Participants say year after year this program is life-changing and has made them better teachers. 

Don’t forget to register your leadership team to attend this year’s Great Ideas in Education Conference: Lighting the Path Forward, Oct. 23-25, in Wichita.  

KSDE is encouraging districts and buildings to bring a leadership team to learn together. Each district will be slightly different according to size and district needs.  

Teams of four will receive a discount on registration.  

Every district must have a district test coordinator and each district test coordinator is required to attend annual security and ethics training before training all other district staff involved in administering state assessments. 

Each training session will be 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Many districts have virtual hours they can use to schedule a consultant-led FastBridge or Star session. See if this applies to you by watching the recording at the 1:37 time stamp. You do not need to hold the session by Dec. 31, but you do need to schedule it before then so that it does not expire. Contact scheduling@renaissance.com for more information and/or schedule sessions here. 

If you are interested in a FastBridge session below, but would be unable to join, use the Newsletter Engagement Form to request additional dates and times using option #5. 

September  

24: KESA 2.0 information meeting, 9:30-11:30 a.m. or 12:30-2:30 p.m., ESSDACK, Hutchinson. In-person; no registration required. Contact Rue Huereca-Retana, RHuereca-Retana@ksde.org, for more information.  

24: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., FastBridge assessment system information session; Lee Richardson Zoo, Garden City. Click here to register: https://www.ksdetasn.org/mtss/trainings. Contact Todd Wiedemann at todd@kansasmtss.org with questions. 

24: School Transportation informational meeting, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Osborne High School auditorium, north door. Questions? Contact Keith Dreiling at kdreiling@ksde.org or (785) 296-4567. 

25: KESA 2.0 information meeting, 9:30-11:30 a.m. or 12:30-2:30 p.m., Smoky Hill, Hays. In-person; no registration required. Contact Rue Huereca-Retana, RHuereca-Retana@ksde.org, for more information.  

25: School Transportation informational meeting, 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., Greenbush, Ottawa board office. Questions? Contact Keith Dreiling at kdreiling@ksde.org or (785) 296-4567.