Students from Valverde Elementary walking to class together.
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Continuing to Press Legislators for Change
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My Dear Colleagues and Friends,
In last night’s election, we were disappointed to see that Amendment 73 did not pass. This ballot measure would have provided our schools roughly $150 million in additional funding for teacher compensation, supporting higher needs students and expanding early childhood education opportunities.
In Colorado, we fund our schools an estimated $2,100 per student less than the national average. We know our kids deserve better than that. Our state needs to increase our investment in education, and all of our voices play a vital role in this effort. It’s critical to be able to compensate our professionals fairly and meet the equity needs of our students who live in poverty, are learning English, or require special attention due to unique needs. These funds are sorely needed.
We’ll continue to press our legislators to make a change and encourage educators, families and community members to contact their elected representatives to ensure their voice is heard too.
I bring my personal core values of moral purpose, respect and dignity, learning, and joy to our continued efforts with the state legislature for funding. I commit to you that I will be deeply engaged in this work to improve our state funding.
Sincerely,
Ron
Ron Cabrera, PhD
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Teacher Tidbit Response: Why Did You Become a Teacher?
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Thanks to everyone who shared their inspiring stories of why they became teachers! Your stories help remind us why we chose to play for Team DPS.
The top response was submitted by
Cheryl Nitz, a Special Education teacher at
Columbine Elementary:
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"There is no short answer to why I chose to become a teacher, but I will share a tidbit of my story. Growing up in the 70s, I was inspired by my cousin, Susie. She was born with Muscular Dystrophy, she wore metal braces on her legs, and she got to meet 'Jerry Lewis' and appear on TV as a poster child for the Muscular Dystrophy telethon. Of course I quickly realized that she faced many physical challenges, but my Aunt Mary Ellen and Uncle Bob blazed the way and made sure that she didn't miss out on any of the educational and social opportunities that her peers enjoyed. There were many, many obstacles in their way but she grew up to have a family of her own and a thriving career as a social worker.
I currently work at Columbine Elementary School with students who have significant physical, speech and cognitive challenges. They inspire me every day as they learn to walk, talk and work alongside of their peers. This is my 19th year in DPS, and my 30th year of teaching in Colorado. I am passionate about the work we do and I am hopeful that I (along with our wonderful Columbine team) am making a difference in our students' lives."
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Callout: Advice from or for Fellow Teachers
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Whether you've been teaching for a decade or this is your first year, sharing experiences and advice with colleagues is a great way to help each other grow as educators.
What advice have you received or do you have for new teachers? Share your thoughts through
this form, and we'll include the top pick in the next edition of Teacher Weekly!
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This Week's Top Things to Know
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Access Grading and Report Card Resources on The Commons
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Don't Miss the DPS ED Talk: Supporting our LGBTQ+ Community
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Join DPS team members and the Denver community for the upcoming
ED Talk: Supporting our LGBTQ+ Community
, presented by local nonprofit organization, Youth Seen. This free interactive workshop focuses on key considerations for creating an inclusive school culture for LGBTQ+ students of color and will include a discussion on language, advocacy and resources for educators, students and families. The event is from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Monday,
Nov. 12
, at Bruce Randolph School, 3955 Steele St. Refreshments and childcare will be provided.
Click here
to register.
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Members of Team DPS during Denver PrideFest.
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ELA Course for Special Education Teachers Now Available
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The ELA Teacher Qualification team has teamed up with the Special Education Department to offer specialized sections of ELA teacher qualification courses for special education teachers. The next course offering will share powerful sheltering and scaffolding techniques that allow students to access and engage with both content and language. The course will be held from 5:15-7:15 p.m.
Feb. 13
,
March 6
and
April 10
, at William (Bill) Roberts K-8, 2100 N. Akron Way. Access the
ELA 105B: Sheltering Instruction (Section F)
course in Learning Space to register. For more information,
click here
.
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New Online EL Achieve Curriculum Training Available
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Effective spring 2019, the EL Achieve curriculum training for elementary English-language development (ELD) teachers will be completely online in Schoology. If you are teaching ELD with EL Achieve and do not yet have your EL Achieve certificate, please register for the online curriculum training that begins Jan. 22. Moving forward, the online training will be the only EL Achieve curriculum training format offered in DPS. For more information,
click here
.
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Myth Buster: SPF Rating Changes
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Question: Does DPS change schools’ SPF ratings to match the district’s agenda?
Answer:
The measures of the School Performance Framework (SPF) are not tied to an agenda, but are designed to reflect our priorities as a district, such as increasing equity and promoting early literacy, as well as our shared community aspirations for high-quality schools that serve all kids well. Our SPF emphasizes student academic growth, and gives these measures a higher point value.
SPF ratings are determined by the percentage of the total possible points a school has earned. Cut points, which are the scores that differentiate each rating level, are set based on our goals as a district and the historical performance of schools. We strive to set cut points that are rigorous but also reasonable, based on both our aspirations for improving performance and our understanding of how schools are currently doing.
Changes that DPS makes to the SPF methodology are announced in advance of the ratings being finalized. We always welcome feedback on how to make the SPF better -- email
spf@dpsk12.org
for more information.
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Share your DPS question through
this form
and the answer may be featured in an upcoming edition.
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Denver Public Schools sends all district newsletters and critical employee communications through Constant Contact. Please do not unsubscribe your dpsk12.org email address from any message; if you unsubscribe from one newsletter or one communication, you will be removed from all other district-managed email lists in Constant Contact. If you have any questions, please email
newsletters@dpsk12.org
.
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