November 12, 2003
Curriculum and Instruction
Studio Course Task Force – Correction
Please redistribute the attached flyer to all special education and Studio Course teachers and coaches, as the date published last week was incorrect. Sorry for the inconvenience.
DPS Employee Appreciation Days from Walden Family Playhouse
Please distribute the attached flyer to all employees regarding special performances of Heidi for Walden’s Family Playhouse DPS Employee Appreciation Days.
The Bank Street/New York Times Project
This program is designed to give students an opportunity to investigate issues relevant to today’s current events. The program, a collaboration of Bank Street College Graduate Studies, Continuing Education, the New York Times Education Division, and DPS, provides opportunities for extended learning using the New York Times, prepared lesson plans, and content-area curriculum guides. It happens Saturday, November 22 from 8 to 11 a.m. at the Museum of Nature and Science. Contact Estevan Duran, science coordinator, to register at or 303-764-3395.
DPS-DCTA Teacher Compensation Project
November 17 Briefing Reveals Financial Details; PowerPoint Survey Responses Needed
Don’t forget the important meeting Monday, November 17 for principals and teacher leaders (DCTA Compensation Council representatives and DCTA building representatives) to hear the financial details of the draft professional compensation system for teachers. This briefing contains significant new information from that shared at the Sneak Preview. The meetings will be held by quadrant:
4:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. November 17 at these locations:
Southeast Quadrant / George Washington High SchoolSouthwest Quadrant / Abraham Lincoln High School
Northwest Quadrant / Lake Middle School
Northeast Quadrant / Bruce Randolph Middle School
Teams from each school will receive a packet of materials to share with teachers comparable to those provided at the April 18 briefing. Instead of a video, teams will receive a PowerPoint presentation that explains how teachers can build salary from the compensation elements. To provide schools with the proper format of the PowerPoint, please complete the three-item survey in the attachment if you have not already done so. The task force is providing CD-ROMs of the presentation for all schools, but can provide floppy disks or transparencies as needed.
Thank you for your participation. These briefings will provide important information for teachers to learn more about how the proposed system will work. The faculty meetings and feedback forms will provide the Joint Task Force on Teacher Compensation with the crucial comments and suggestions they need to complete their final recommendation.
Food Services
Income Verification
One of the federal requirements of the Free and Reduced Priced Meals program is to verify the income stated on the applications through a random selection of approved applications. A letter notifying the parent and/or guardian that their application was selected has been mailed.
Parents who received this notification are required to submit proof of their income. If the parent/guardian does not respond with proper documentation by the due date, their children will revert to full pay status. The entire verification process must be completed by December 15, 2003.
Lunchroom managers have a list of students whose family applications have been selected. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Elaine Leggett, Application Program Specialist at 303-715-5624.
Human Resources
Bilingual Testing – Correction
Please note the following correction for bilingual testing for DAEOP secretaries:
Bilingual testing for DAEOP secretaries (not DAEOP mentoring) will be held at 4 p.m. Monday, January 5 in the lunchroom at 900 Grant St. For more information, please contact Joaquina Fuentes de Munoz at 303-405-8152.
Student Teacher Reminder
Please be sure to have your student teachers entered into the student teacher tracking system if you have not done so already. Note that if you do not have the time, you can direct your student teachers to enter themselves at http://hrforms.dpsk12.org/studentteacher/. This data will serve very valuable as we move into our heavy recruitment season.
WebCenter vs. Telephone System
ATTENTION ALL SEMS USERS
It is important that when a job is created that necessitates special instructions, the job must be created via the telephone system only! Special instructions typed into WebCenter do not transfer over to the automated phone system that calls the substitute. Since many of our substitutes do not have access to the Internet, they are unable to read the special instructions.
Again, for all jobs that require special instructions, please remember to use the telephone system; all others jobs can be created via WebCenter. Thank you!
October Substitute Statistics
Jobs filled via SEMS: 7226 (99.2% fill rate).
Districtwide Closure Procedures for Employees
It is each employee’s responsibility to seek out district closure status. If the district is closed due to emergency reasons, such as snowstorms or other events, the central district phone center message will be updated daily by 5 a.m. The phone number is 303-764-3200.
Employees will be notified of district closure in the following methods, in the order described:
1. Departments that have established phone trees will communicate to all department employees using established phone calling procedures that have been communicated to all department employees.
2. If they are unsure of the district closure status, all other district employees are expected to contact the central district phone center message. The phone number is 303-764-3200.
3. Employees may also log on to the district Web site at http://www.dpsk12.org for updated district closure information.
Note: The local media (TV, radio, newspaper) is a secondary point of communication for district employees; however, the information provided by the media is not to be used by employees to determine the district closure status. The official district closure status will be communicated as identified above.
Substitute Hiring
Due to higher-than-normal substitute usage and unfilled classes in October and November, Human Resources is actively interviewing and hiring substitute teachers with emphasis in mathematics, science, special education, and ELA-S. Principals can continue to interview and recommend substitutes for hire. Substitute orientations take place every Tuesday and Friday at 900 Grant Street, once a substitute has completed the interview and selection process.
Public Information Office
Marketing Tip of the Week
Make plans now. American Education Week (November 16-22) recognizes the educators and school staff who keep children safe and healthy and help them achieve. This year’s theme is “Great Public Schools for Every Child – America’s Promise.” Wednesday, November 19 will be a day to honor the school bus drivers, cafeteria workers, teachers’ aides and other education support professionals who positively impact school communities. Friday, November 21 will be a special day to honor the work of substitute educators. Access http://www.nea.org/aew/ for ideas about how to celebrate in schools (see “activity ideas”).
TUESDAY TELEGRAM (click on this link)
http://www.dpsk12.org/docs/tuesday_telegram/
—2—
(BACK)
ATTENTION
ALL SPECIAL EDUCATION
STUDIO COURSE TEACHERS AND COACHES!
Optional Meeting
How Special Educators and Studio Teachers
Can Collaborate on the Studio Course
Monday, November 24, 2003
3:30–5:30 p.m.
Morey Middle School, 840 East 14th Avenue
This informal meeting is an opportunity for Special Educators and Studio Course teachers
to work together to make recommendations on how the strengthen the Studio Course
for students with diverse needs.
Please come share your ideas on how we can work together!
For questions or more information, contact the Secondary Literacy Team:
Roger Chow ()
Theress Pidick ()
Elma Ruiz ()
RSVP to Dora Bruce at 303-764-3510.
Two recertification contact hours will be given.
—2—
(BACK)
A timeless tale of love, friendship, and family
Please join your colleagues at Walden Family Playhouse for our
Denver Public Schools
Employee Appreciation Days
Saturday, December 13 and
Saturday, December 20
Both Performances at Noon
As our thank you for supporting Walden Family Playhouse in your district and community, all employees and their families are invited to attend these performances for a special rate of $10 per ticket (regular price $14/$16).
All seating is reserved.
Please RSVP by calling the Walden Family Playhouse Box Office at:
303-590-1475
Mention the special Code: DPS-10
Walden Family Playhouse
United Artist Theatre Complex
Colorado Mills
14500 West Colfax Avenue, Lakewood
—2—
(BACK)
POWERPOINT CAPABILITY SURVEY
For Teacher Compensation Presentation
For the November 17 briefing for principals and teacher leaders, the Joint Task Force on Teacher Compensation is preparing a PowerPoint presentation that you can present to your faculty via laptop or overhead projector. Please indicate which format you can use in your building. We are planning to prepare enough CDs for every school, but will prepare transparencies for those whose schools are not equipped for a computer-based presentation. (Indicate with an X where appropriate.)
1. School Name
2. We can present a PowerPoint presentation via computer
PC format Macintosh
Version of PowerPoint (e.g., Mac 2001, PC version 9)
3. Prefer CD format
Need a 3-inch floppy disk
Need transparencies for an overhead projector
Please respond as soon as possible to Wendy Banker at or Peggy Gonder at . Questions may be directed to Shirley Scott at 303-764-3626.
Thank you.
Shirley Scott, Peter Hergenreter, Barbara Cooper, and Barbara Nash
DPS-DCTA Design Team and Joint Task Force on Teacher Compensation
—2—