Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016
Announcing Top-Performing/High-Growth Schools for 2015-16
DPS has announced the Top-Performing and High-Growth Schools for the 2015-16 school year through the Professional Compensation System for teachers, also known as ProComp. Each year, educators in schools that are Distinguished (Blue) or Meets Expectations (Green) on the overall or growth rating of the School Performance Framework receive the incentive. This year, the incentive is $4,020. 

Please read the full text of this letter from Superintendent Tom Boasberg and Chief Human Resources Officer Debbie Hearty to know whether you qualify for the incentive and review the list of Top-Performing and High-Growth Schools. If you have questions or need further information about ProComp, please visit the teacher compensation website or contact Human Resources at Connect_HumanResources@dpsk12.org.

Immigration FAQ for Students and Families
After  last week's election, a number of educators requested resources to respond to questions from students and families about immigration issues. The DPS legal team has prepared a family-friendly Immigration FAQ, available in English , Spanish , Arabic and Vietnamese . Please email communications@dpsk12.org for additional languages.
 
Last week, Superintendent Tom Boasberg shared a post-election message in English and Spanish, including resources for difficult conversations and these key points:
  • Our mission is more important than ever. Education can help us bridge our differences and can help bring us together around respect and understanding rather than fear.
  • Through education, we can better understand our past and grapple with the issues of today, including those that are dividing us. We can encourage more dialogue about the differences and bias in our country around race, ethnicity, gender and class. 
  • It's important that we don't demonize those we disagree with -- no individual or party has a monopoly on wisdom. We should seek to understand the diverse views and perspectives of all members of our community.
  • We should not hesitate to emphasize how deeply we believe in our core values of equity and inclusion, respect for the dignity and worth of all members of our community. We will fight for these values and advocate for our kids and the families we serve, and the educators we serve with. We value every student and every educator. 
  • We encourage students, families and educators to talk, to create safe spaces where hopes, fears and differences can be raised -- spaces where we can challenge each other to reach common ground on issues that divide us. 
You're Invited: New "ED Talks" Speaker Series
You're invited to join DPS leaders, educators, families and students for a monthly series of thought-provoking speakers hosted by the DPS Culture, Equity and Leadership Team (CELT). "ED Talks" are designed to bring educators and community together to discuss issues affecting our schools and to help us learn from each other in pursuit of our district vision, Every Child Succeeds. The series was created following the recent report by Dr. Sharon Bailey documenting race and equity issues in our schools.

The next scheduled speaker is Ash Beckham, whose 2013 talk about empathy at TEDxBoulder has drawn more than 2.5 million views. Watch her short talk, " We're all hiding something. Let's find the courage to open up." Beckham's later talk focused on the increasing polarity in our country; see that talk, "When to take a stand -- and when to let it go."  Following Beckham is Principal Kafele, a teacher and principal who led  urban school turnarounds before becoming a nationally known speaker, writer and consultant. We'll provide more information closer to his speaking engagement.

Additional speakers include Dr. Steve Perry on "Education Truth" in February. Stay tuned for more!

ED Talks for November & December

5-7:30 p.m., Nov. 29
Ash Beckham
Manual High School "Give Voice to Your Truth"
Register Here Read Speaker Bio


5-7:30 p.m., Dec. 8
Principal Kafele
Manual High School "Culturally Responsive Education"
Register Here Read Speaker Bio


Teacher Leadership & Collaboration 

Mark your calendars for the Jan. 28 Leadership Symposium
Join your colleagues as we come together for the second TLC Leadership Symposium. Sessions topics will include leadership development and interview guidance for teachers applying for TLC roles in the coming school year. Participation is paid. Register in SchoolNet by searching jansym.
 
CEC Early College
8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan 28, 2017
There is Still Time to Participate in Fall Home Visit Week

This week, schools across the district are creating connections with families as part of Fall Home Visit Week. Last year, staff from 34 schools completed more than 1,000 visits in just one week. There is still time to participate in this important opportunity to learn more about your students and their families. For those who participate, we are offering individual and school incentives. Access resources and additional information online. Please contact Yoni Geffen with questions.
2017 DPS Science and Engineering Fair

The 2017 DPS Science and Engineering Fair will be held Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017 at the University of Denver. This event is a wonderful opportunity for students to extend their learning in relevant, real-world projects and problem solving. Please visit the Science Fair folder to find more information and registration forms. If you have additional questions or are interested in volunteering, please contact Stephanie Spiris
New Instructional Management System for Data and Assessment

In an effort to ensure teachers have superior products to use in their classrooms, DPS is transitioning from the data and assessment functions of Schoolnet to Illuminate DnA. This product offers more tools to quickly create assessments, capture real-time information to monitor student progress and collaborate with other educators.
 
Illuminate DnA will be fully available for the 2017-18 school year and can be accessed through the Teacher Portal. For more information on this transition, please check out the  Illuminate FAQ or contact the DPS Portal team
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