Nov. 2, 2018
A Salute to Our Educators
"We know every one of our students comes to us with talent, potential and dreams -- and developing, growing and encouraging them starts with our inspired educators."
Dear Team DPS,
Interim Superintendent Dr. Ron Cabrera
    
To an uproar of cheers from her students, DPS' Margaret "Meg" Cypress was announced as the 2019 Colorado Teacher of the Year this week.
 
The prestigious award, named by the Colorado Department of Education, is given to only one educator in Colorado each year. Now, the fifth-grade teacher from Bradley International School will represent the entire profession in Colorado and be the face of our state's teachers for the year to come, including through a visit with the President at the White House as well as a trip to NASA Space Camp over the summer.
 
"Meg Cypress' love for teaching and helping children grow makes her the perfect ambassador for Colorado teachers," said Colorado Commissioner Katy Anthes, who presented the award at a surprise ceremony at Bradley. "As Colorado continues to look for ways to recruit and retain more teachers, Meg is exactly the type of spark we need to inspire and motivate bright people to enter the profession."
 
Dr. Ron Cabrera joined Bradley International School educators and students to congratulate Meg Cypress.
Learn more about Meg's honor here , and see news coverage about the announcement in Chalkbeat Colorado and the Denver Post .
 
We know teachers are at the frontline of our students' education, and it's critical that we support our educators in continuous growth and development in their craft and as people. And that should start day one of their career -- which DPS is supporting through our innovative Teaching Academies. The academies -- set at seven of our high-poverty schools -- immerse future teachers enrolled in teacher preparation programs in the profession alongside seasoned educators. We look forward to sharing more about these academies soon.
 
Our teachers are offered continued supports throughout their career with DPS, including through a comprehensive growth and performance feedback system, our Teacher Leadership and Collaboration model to distribute leadership among educators in our schools, personal and professional development opportunities, and employee groups like DPS Belong that connect educators to others with similar backgrounds, beliefs and experiences.
 
These supports seem to be paying off, and we're excited to share that recent data shows more teachers are choosing to stay with DPS year over year. Our teacher retention has climbed over the past three years to 86% and, for our teachers of color and top-performing teachers, retention was even greater. Eighty-seven percent of our teachers of color and 91% of our top-performing teachers returned to DPS this year! Learn more about these promising findings here.
 
I want to share a big thank you to all of our DPS teachers. We know every one of our students comes to us with talent, potential and dreams -- and developing, growing and encouraging them starts with our inspired educators. Thank you for the gift you give our students every day through your instruction, high expectations and your unwavering support and belief in them.
 
As Meg shared during her acceptance: "To my colleagues, I love you all. To me, you are all teachers of the year every day too."
 
Warmly,
Ron
Ron Cabrera, PhD
 
Pictured above: Meg Cypress, a teacher at Bradley International School, was announced as the 2019 Colorado Teacher of the Year on Tuesday.
Students Stand Up to Hate and Intolerance
In the midst of challenging times, students are standing up against hate and intolerance within and outside their school communities. At Denver School of the Arts, a group of students with the No Place For Hate organization are learning how to better educate their peers about hate crimes and injustice.  
 
Another group, Young African-American and Latinx Leaders (YAALL), connects high school student leaders to educators to encourage conversations about important topics, including bias and racism in the classroom.  
 
Take a moment to watch this powerful video of students sharing thoughts on recent events and ideas on changing our culture.
ICYMI: Cast Your Votes on Tuesday, Nov. 6
With Election Day just a few days away on Nov. 6, we'd like to remind Team DPS of a few important guidelines before heading to the polls and dropping off ballots. Please refer to this Election Guidance Memo for more information about the legal do's and don'ts of election activity as a DPS employee. Here are factual summaries (in English and Spanish) on Amendment 73. Learn more about Amendment 73 in this Board of Education resolution and this FAQ about 2018 ballot initiatives. Above all else, we encourage those who are eligible to register to vote to cast ballots and participate in our democratic process.
Nicole Portee Named Transportation Director of the Year
Nicole Portee on the November cover of School Transportation News.
DPS' Transportation Services Executive Director Nicole Portee has been named Director of the Year by School Transportation News for her work in linking student success to the school bus ride. Under her watch, Transportation Services supports 175 schools with a fleet of 399 buses to foster the goals of DPS in helping Every Child Succeed. Nicole has been with DPS since 2003, starting her career in transportation as the supervisor of safety and training.

To read the full article in the November edition of School Transportation News, click here.

Congratulations, Nicole, and thank you for your hard work to ensure our students have transportation to get to and from school safely and on time!
Swansea Debuts Playground with Halloween Celebration
Students from Swansea Elementary in their Halloween costumes. 
Swansea Elementary shared some very special treats with their community at this year's Halloween celebration: bright new playground equipment, a school garden and a grassy playfield. At the school's annual trick-or-treating event, students, families and staff all gathered for a ribbon cutting -- complete with lots of costumes and spooky fun!
 
"I've had families and community members come to tell me that this improvement makes them feel so valued and special,"said Principal Gilberto Muñoz. "This is space where our students can safely play, learn and explore."
 
Thanks to DPS Construction Services for their hard work at Swansea Elementary and the Colorado Department of Transportation for funding the improvements.
COMING UP...
Nov. 19-23: Thanksgiving Break
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