[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6539856,"mediaKeyId","3550960-e4f504c9016aa1d8091430f62b656cb0","parentId",3550960,"title","Committee reviews teacher recruitment and retention programs: loan forgiveness, apprenticeships, micro‑credentials and certification pathways","audioSeconds",2199,"startMs",5822000,"endMs",8021000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3550960-e4f504c9016aa1d8091430f62b656cb0&start=5822&end=8021","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3550960-e4f504c9016aa1d8091430f62b656cb0/thumbnail_5822000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6539856/Wyoming/Committee-reviews-teacher-recruitment-and-retention-programs-loan-forgiveness-apprenticeships-microcredentials-and-certification-pathways","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6539856-24c602a7e732a98cc862b99f6def7042/orig.mp4?Expires=1771080509&Signature=W~Ug4GfPiPYBhCFBeHsxM2IK-hy-VOvNLovUy7aouIlLXmMK6O9CzJaIQ1NTUmw8XW22pNWNaMxCfr1-lQ45ZACdr5rJ8rIOidF6GVzQBOTN~~HsGllgXNa40JTiC8KUD0unoAhiogIXCrGozi4OFYZbquOU7c99F4fYUqH0mUEnOKc~G9K76kUIYg0O3~w-bVeCNCRYrLsTTBgbnHSwgv4iQ1MsKiiMmFdbtfClXgQEWd-Y6EMZ7Iy7O3ZYprcvSC5iU1EQ5XofXQpiV10m3~kAIvOKWcDwesCcDlQLmCD4BcuJYRVYoSHurt8Id2n8dObDhigueXlqKEwaYDFnJA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","New Hampshire Legislature","date","2025-05-28T19:11:24Z","article","Legislative staff, the Wyoming Department of Education and the Professional Teaching Standards Board briefed the Joint Education Committee on the state’s efforts to recruit and retain K‑12 teachers, including current statutes, recent pilot efforts (teacher apprenticeships and microcredentials) and funding history for earlier loan‑repayment initiatives.

Tanya Heitrick (LSO) opened the committee briefing with a memo titled “K‑12 public school teacher recruitment and retention.” She noted prior programs in statute, including two loan‑repayment programs (teacher shortage and adjunct professor programs) that have since sunsetted or stopped taking new applicants, and described program eligibility and service obligations as outlined in statute.

Why this matters: Wyoming faces hard‑to‑fill subject areas and rural staffing pressures. Committee members asked for data on program participation and whether particular incentives correlate with improved recruitment or student outcomes.

Key program and finance points
- Teacher shortage loan‑repayment program: LSO summary said the program (enacted earlier) had appropriations and partial expenditures; participation was limited. An LSO analyst cited an earlier Community College Commission report (2013) showing 93 participants with 34 completing the teacher service obligation; the program’s appropriation partially reverted. LSO said eligibility required Wyoming residency or high‑school graduation in Wyoming and study toward specified endorsements (special education, math, science, world language or reading/ESL endorsements). (T. Heitrick; M. Wilmar)
- Adjunct professor program: enacted to support dual‑enrollment instructors; smaller appropriation with most funds expended or encumbered; reported participation was modest. (M. Wilmar)
- National Board Certification stipend: the statute authorizes state payments to districts for national board certified teachers and a $4,000 annual stipend; the program has paid roughly $28.5 million over 19 years. An LSO analyst said the state no longer funds application costs (historical private partnership ended) and that after 2021 payments were limited to 15 years per teacher. (M. Wilmar)
- Extra compensation statute (21‑13‑324): districts may pay extra compensation for certain hard‑to‑staff positions or as incentives; 11 districts sought reimbursement for extra compensation in the most recent school year LSO examined. (T. Heitrick; M. Wilmar)

Newer initiatives and state efforts
- Teacher apprenticeship program (pilot): WDE described an apprenticeship model that recognizes work‑based experience and can be funded through workforce grants. Three districts piloted the apprenticeship; feedback led districts to apply directly to Workforce Services rather than having WDE be the grantee. WDE said it will continue to support districts that pursue the grant through Workforce Services. (D. Schoener; N. Tijeski)
- Micro‑credentials: WDE and the Professional Teaching Standards Board (PTSB) reported a computer‑science micro‑credential pilot and quality assurance work with other states on micro‑credential standards; PTSB said micro‑credential “stacks” can be used to add endorsements once quality standards are met. (Brandon O’Connor, PTSB; Nathan Tijeski)
- Recalibration and professional supports: WDE staff described the Retention and Recruitment Task Force and other initiatives (principal leadership academy, Innovator Network for teacher‑led professional development, superintendent’s tour of exemplary practices) aimed at leadership development and targeted professional learning to improve working conditions.

Certification pathways and permits
Brandon O’Connor (Professional Teaching Standards Board) outlined multiple routes to licensure: the traditional university preparation route, approved alternate‑route programs, apprenticeship pathways and several permit types (career‑industry permits, substitute permits, provisional/exception authorizations). He described a new statutory path (from 2024 legislation) allowing certain accredited alternative programs to lead to a standard license after two successful district‑evaluated years; PTSB reported limited early use of that provision so far.

Questions and data requests from committee members
Members asked for more evidence linking incentives to recruitment and student outcomes; LSO and WDE offered to collect additional data and to provide PTSB and external analysis (WDE noted national research indicates positive outcomes for classrooms with national board certified teachers and said it would share supporting studies). Members also asked WDE for a recalculated graduation‑rate view that excludes students who transfer to homeschool or ESA programs per federal guidance; WDE agreed to share comparative calculations.

Public testimony highlights
- The Wyoming Education Association (WEA) president, Kim Amen, testified as a former classroom teacher and urged investments in staff‑support, smaller class sizes, counselors and behavioral interventionists as retention measures; Amen also urged careful design of any “teacher bill of rights” to avoid unintended consequences such as punitive, expulsion‑first policies.
- Representatives of BOCES and youth‑service providers told the committee that residential and BOCES placements serve high‑needs students and that many students in those programs have mental‑health diagnoses or adverse childhood‑experience histories; speakers said community partners and BOCES play a role in stabilizing students who cannot be safely or effectively served in typical classrooms.

Ending note: next steps
LSO, WDE and PTSB agreed to provide follow‑up materials (detailed program participation and finance figures, research on national board certification outcomes, apprenticeship/grant details and comparative graduation‑rate calculations) to help the committee evaluate incentive design and potential scaling of pilots.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Joint Education Committee, May 28, 2025-AM","oneSentenceSummary","Legislative staff and state education officials briefed the committee on statutory recruitment tools and recent pilots — including apprenticeship grants, micro‑credentials, and the national‑board stipend — and discussed which incentives have shown uptake and where more data is needed.","taxTitle","Education, Joint & Standing, Committees, Legislative, Wyoming","taxId",21034,"location","Wyoming","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6539861,"Pilot ‘BARR’ relationship program draws praise from Wyoming schools for lower failure rates and fewer referrals",1414,5954000,7368000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3550960-e4f504c9016aa1d8091430f62b656cb0&start=5954&end=7368","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3550960-e4f504c9016aa1d8091430f62b656cb0/thumbnail_5954000.jpg","/articles/6539861/Wyoming/Pilot-BARR-relationship-program-draws-praise-from-Wyoming-schools-for-lower-failure-rates-and-fewer-referrals","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6539861-b75a9a900cd2b72ef04174be8b52280e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771080509&Signature=AhQGDT1A4r6kgLly-a2OKAlLZStYhEHl18iShfDH-ctWlwAMk6ftApfj-FnMD3DpgI2CIRJnjS0bq5bQvLYpTeDq4oSs~5KiNgg71GlPfQm60AvDvZJIQfpq2c3tFtEwomcHQDWur44Pjilp-3vt0-SMujiAdk5~HOISWe4bsFKuf2FsGKlSstl3po~pVDwUUIiJxO1StT1ZJlGDi5QlQdgg0rp3GQrazH2HWiQmi1~38zFB7KjfhGIerJJnCeLJsTvf980Y4mtTvTPqLBtfMJu4AtT3WXaROQ1U7OolZrXHpEZwx~K9mFBc583oL-523DE6qMPfE9SENhPyGhzN1w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Educators from three Wyoming regions described early results from the BARR (Building Assets, Reducing Risks) relationship‑building model and told the Joint Education Committee the program reduced course failures and major discipline referrals while improving student engagement.

Angela Jerbeck, BARR’s founder and executive director, told the committee the model grew from efforts to collect and share information about students so adults in a school could act on what they knew. She said BARR uses regular, structured relationship lessons and data‑informed team meetings to identify students at risk and coordinate interventions.

Why this matters: multiple Wyoming pilot schools reported measurable classroom and culture changes in the first semester after starting BARR, and committee members expressed interest in wider documentation and possible scaling.

District results and classroom examples
Moorcroft Secondary: school counselor and BARR coordinator Heidi Fichtner reported that junior‑high failure rates fell from 14% to 3% after one semester; she described a previously “invisible” student who became engaged, joined peers for activities and moved from multiple failures to passing grades.

Douglas Upper Elementary: instructional coach Jamie Miller and counselor Katie Atkinson said BARR helped a chronically absent student come to school to meet a weekly reading goal and improved peer relationships for a second student who had been anxious about group assignments. Teachers reported reductions in major referrals and better adult‑student connections.

Kemmer (Lincoln County) district: principal and district coordinator Cody Hartung and teachers described district‑wide implementation (K–12) and daily check‑ins that pair social‑emotional lessons with monitoring of grades and behavior; the district reported fewer students needing summer school this year.

Model features cited by presenters
- Daily or weekly relationship lessons (presenters called them “relationship building” rather than SEL) that are short, conversational and designed to create belonging; presenters stressed these lessons are not curricular ideology but practical bonding activities (example: short prompt games asking light personal questions).
- Small‑group and schoolwide systems that let teachers see a student’s strengths and set concrete “wins” and weekly goals.
- “Small block” staff meetings to discuss each student’s strengths and interventions and to coordinate follow‑up among counselors, interventionists and teachers.

School testimonials and data
Speakers supplied short vignettes and semester‑to‑semester comparisons: Moorcroft reported 98% of a seventh‑grade cohort earned final grades of C or better; Douglas reported students who were chronically absent met a simple, personalized attendance goal tied to reading time; Kemmer reported enough improvement that it expects reduced summer‑school demand.

Committee questions and clarifications
Members asked whether lessons were “SEL” as the phrase has political connotations; BARR’s founder emphasized the lessons are framed as relationship‑building and practical prompts (favorite ice cream, weekend plans) and that the model tries to be locally adaptable. Committee members asked for program materials and data; the BARR team agreed to provide more information to staff for distribution.

Ending note: next steps for committee
Committee members and witnesses asked BARR to share its curricula and outcome studies with LSO and committee staff. Several lawmakers said they wanted materials so districts and legislators could evaluate whether to expand or fund pilots in more districts.","Educators from several Wyoming pilot schools reported that the BARR (Building Assets, Reducing Risks) relationship‑building model has reduced course failures and major referrals and improved student engagement during early implementation.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6539865,"Wyoming interim committee reviews school discipline law, seclusion and restraint policies",5533,390000,5923000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3550960-e4f504c9016aa1d8091430f62b656cb0&start=390&end=5923","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3550960-e4f504c9016aa1d8091430f62b656cb0/thumbnail_390000.jpg","/articles/6539865/Wyoming/Wyoming-interim-committee-reviews-school-discipline-law-seclusion-and-restraint-policies","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6539865-cc385b2295bc14a6def9bdfbfe344012/orig.mp4?Expires=1771080509&Signature=hNUJbMlYgYkRv96zR~wQYcZTSEfpYnVitTIy~TPicckXzzUbOHZKOMbtSg1AJfg6vtUHmdmTn-d3zTN1dx1SdzWHKeUlizKaKOqSKkZ-yDnFfb5z1rkBDQHbW7XlKRZgFMgKczLThcleK2gP8htUkN2ynsvdAxX7vPeZKKhbEAy4JnWyqnckXYzJNttO4ECUKuMsi~2PTS9Z1WAaWFDH~CryjNc6G7JiWxa83ZPXiKaCExawTX8tYx7q9li-JKwwslN4Eog2zr6StgmqCBZqPHGNDeRqCrqybwN3TrjTsVMuqLNQ5YHNlqWf~QC1t0Pia0dQfq195MEJMwoYPsYUlg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Wyoming lawmakers heard a legal overview of school discipline — including suspension, expulsion, seclusion and restraint — and how federal special‑education rules interact with state law.

Tanya Heitrick, operations administrator for the Legislative Service Office, told the Joint Education Committee the memo in members’ packets (dated May 13) “is an overview of school discipline, suspension, expulsion, seclusion, and restraint.” She said state statutes (cited in the memo) give local boards of trustees authority to suspend or expel students and allow districts to adopt rules in handbooks to enforce conduct standards.

The memo Heitrick presented explains that Wyoming law requires notice to the student and a good‑faith effort to notify parents; short suspensions (10 days or fewer) generally must be heard before removal unless there is an immediate danger, and removals over 10 days trigger the Wyoming Administrative Procedures Act process and a formal hearing. Heitrick also highlighted the state rule set and Department of Education Chapter 42 requirements that govern seclusion and restraint policies and record‑keeping.

Why this matters: school districts must balance classroom safety, students’ educational access and complex federal requirements for students on IEPs and 504 plans. Committee members asked how state law overlaps with IDEA and Section 504, how quickly parents must be notified after a seclusion or restraint event, and what appeals look like.

Key statutory and rule points presented
- Suspension and expulsion authority: boards may suspend or expel and can delegate to administrators; districts typically put specifics in handbooks. (Heitrick)
- Short removals (10 days or less): a hearing must be provided prior to removal unless the student’s conduct endangers people or property; if removed immediately, a hearing is required within 72 hours. (Heitrick)
- Longer removals (more than 10 days): proceedings must comply with the Wyoming Administrative Procedures Act and are subject to judicial review under Wyoming statute 16‑3‑114. (Heitrick)
- Weapons: the memo notes a mandatory one‑year suspension for possession of a deadly weapon on school property. (Heitrick)
- Seclusion/restraint: Wyoming statute requires district policies and training for seclusion and restraint, prohibits locked seclusion, and the Department of Education’s Chapter 42 rules specify notice, data collection and handbook publication requirements. The Department’s rules require a written parent notification at a minimum within 24 hours unless a different timeframe is mutually agreed. (Heitrick; WDE staff)

Federal overlay and students with disabilities
WDE staff and the Legislative Service Office emphasized federal law’s primacy for students on IEPs and Section 504 plans. Heitrick and WDE officials said IDEA and Section 504 “occupy” the field for students with disabilities, with detailed procedural protections (manifestation hearings and additional notice requirements) that change how suspensions and removals are applied to those students. WDE’s Nathan Tijeski described the “manifestation” process and cautioned that disciplinary steps for a student on an IEP are different from discipline for general‑education students.

Practical considerations from WDE and local administrators
WDE and district witnesses described how many schools use behavior matrices to make discipline consistent and predictable (examples: progressive consequences tied to frequency of conduct). Districts and BOCES witnesses emphasized positive behavioral supports, use of behavior intervention specialists, and the limits on those specialists’ time (often funded through special education dollars). Administrators and BOCES representatives said intensive interventions sometimes require placement in specialized programs and that many students who enter residential or BOCES programs have significant mental‑health needs or histories of trauma.

Questions from committee members
Committee members pressed for clarity on: whether teachers who intervene in fights may later be disciplined by districts; how quickly parents must be notified after a restraint (WDE: Chapter 42 requires a written parent notification within 24 hours or another agreed timeframe); how district policies are developed (must follow the Wyoming Administrative Procedures Act when the policy affects rights and must include stakeholder comment); and whether federal regulatory changes (including shifts at the U.S. Department of Education and OCR) would affect district compliance.

What districts already do and limits on state action
School‑district witnesses told lawmakers that most disciplinary authority remains local and that districts regularly update handbooks and behavior matrices. They urged caution about overly prescriptive statewide rules; district leaders said local flexibility helps administrators apply common sense (for example, distinguishing a hunting knife brought by a rural student from an intentional weapon incident). Several witnesses said the state can support districts by providing clearer guidance, training, and resources (behavioral specialists, counselors) rather than only imposing statewide bans or prescriptive punishments.

Committee follow‑ups and next steps
WDE offered to compile a landscape review (through the Education Commission of the States) of “teachers’ bill of rights” and other states’ discipline laws. WDE and LSO staff also said they would follow up on targeted questions from committee members about how recent parental‑rights statutes interact with notification rules and to provide more detail on appeals routes for suspensions under and under 10 days.

Ending note: context and resources
Committee members and witnesses repeatedly framed school discipline as a balance — ensuring classroom safety and staff support while preserving students’ right to an education and complying with federal protections for students with disabilities. The Department of Education and local districts asked the committee to consider investment in behavioral health supports, counselor staffing and leadership development as part of any effort to address discipline and teacher retention.

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Article not found

Committee reviews teacher recruitment and retention programs: loan forgiveness, apprenticeships, micro‑credentials and certification pathways

Pilot ‘BARR’ relationship program draws praise from Wyoming schools for lower failure rates and fewer referrals

Wyoming interim committee reviews school discipline law, seclusion and restraint policies