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DPS Board of Education Update for Aug. 9, 2018
for Senior, School Leaders
Please share with your teams and communities as appropriate -- DPS Communications
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Board Issues Narrative for Superintendent Search, Retains HR Firm
The Board of Education
tonight issued a narrative statement about the state of the district in its search for a new superintendent. The document is a statement for potential candidates, and outlines who we are as a district, progress we've made, and the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.
The document describes who we are as a district: a diverse family of students, a diverse family of schools, the district's budget philosophy, the Denver Plan 2020 and the Board of Education.
It also describes the progress made by the district since the inception of the Denver Plan in 2005-06, including enrollment growth, academic growth, narrowing of proficiency gaps, improved early childhood education, decreased drop-out rates and increased graduation rates, including doubling the number of African-American and Latino graduates.
Finally, the narrative outlines
key opportunities and challenges
that must be addressed by the
district, superintendent and board in order to achieve
our vision
and goals as outlined in
The Denver Plan 2020
. It includes closing the opportunity gap (support for teachers and leaders, addressing institutional racism, and support for English language learners and special education students); investing early; preparing students for college and career; community
engagement; checking progress and holding ourselves accountable (School Performance Framework, School Performance Compact and transparency); supporting our diverse family of schools; stewardship during a time of declining population of school-aged children; and recruiting and retaining a high-quality and diverse workforce.
"
It's important that we as a board and district are very honest and intentional about the tension points that are challenges and opportunities going forward," said Board Member Angela Cobian, who led the board in co-drafting the narrative. "A lot of the feedback we've been getting from community members is embedded in this narrative. It's a good example of how we are not just passively receiving feedback, but actively incorporating it into the work we are doing, as stewards of the people we serve."
You can read the full narrative here.
Firm Retained to Facilitate Human Resources Function of Search
Board Members Lisa Flores and Jen Bacon led efforts to interview and rank several firms considered. The firm was vetted for its commitment to inclusivity, equity and willingness to incorporate community insights into its work, as well as its cost, track record for effectiveness and the capacity to work within the three month time period the Board has established for the search process.
The board will develop the candidate competencies and characteristics and lead outreach, publicity and recruitment focus areas. It will use the firm to receive and screen applications, develop protocols, lead due diligence and background checks and facilitate Board deliberation and determination of semifinalists.
A diverse pool of candidates is sought, from life-long educators to non-traditional candidates with strong leadership and administrative experience. In leaning on the firm to manage the application process, the Board is taking steps to maintain its neutrality for the benefit of the candidates and the community.
HYA President Max McGee addressed the board and community at tonight's meeting, stating: "While we have placed superintendents in Houston, L.A. and Alexandria, what's most important is that we place your students first. We are committed to finding the best leader to make lasting difference for your students."
Community Engagement Plan Outlined
The board reiterated its commitment to a robust community engagement in the superintendent search process. Board Member Jennifer
Bacon
led the board's efforts to plan the community engagement with representatives from the district's offices of Public Affairs and Family and
Community
Engagement (FACE).
"We know the community is anxious to know meeting dates, and we are working to get those on the calendar," Bacon said. "But we also want to ensure that before we get to the tactical details, we have really defined what we mean when we say community engagement."
"We want to be clear with the community about what they can expect by setting out what we mean by engagement, detailing the public participation spectrum. We will be clear about whether we are engaging to inform, consult, involve or collaborate with our community," she said.
The board created a set of core values and a values statement for community engagement: "Our success is bound up in each other." Bacon also walked through a list of the board's vision and commitments for community engagement, describing what it will look like, sound like, feel like. Details include that the engagement will be broad across the city and stakeholder groups; multi-modal (in person, digital, etc.); in neighborhoods versus downtown; listening openly about the community's hopes, dreams and concerns; in the native languages of our community; and that the board will affirm what it's heard.
Desired engagement outcomes are outlined in three phases of engagement.
- Phase 1, now through mid-September, will focus on what the community would like to see in the new superintendent, and will inform the questions for and screening of the applicants.
- Phase 2, in mid-September through October, will help determine semi/finalist(s) and inform the creation of interview materials and rubrics
- Phase 3, from the mid-October selection of finalist(s) through November will focus on introducing the new candidate and transitioning them into the role.
You can read the detailed community engagement presentation
here.
Updates and Information
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