January 2021

Safety Updates and Resources on Inauguration Day

As you likely have heard, protests at state capitols are anticipated during President-Elect Joe Biden’s Inauguration today. This is an incredibly difficult time for our nation, and we know that many of our staff and family members are concerned about both their physical and emotional safety during these times of unrest. In Denver, events are planned at the Capitol and authorities do not anticipate any events will occur in other areas of the city. DPS' Department of Safety is working with local agencies to monitor information, with regular updates from the Denver Police Department and the Office of Emergency Management. We do not anticipate these demonstrations will have any impact on schools. However, as a precaution, the DPS Department of Safety will have additional resources on campuses today and the rest of this week. While we do not believe schools will be impacted, students may need additional support in discussing current events. As an additional preventative measure, additional Safety Officers have been deployed to schools near the Capitol. If you have any questions, please contact FACE@dpsk12.org.

Updates & FYI

Budget Circular: Preparation for the 2021-22 School Year

The Budget Circular is a memo to all budget owners summarizing the financial information and recommendations provided to the Board of Education during the annual Financial State of the District Presentation on Jan. 7. The memo also contains guidance related to the upcoming budget year 2021-22. Please read through the memo and connect with Jim Carpenter, Chuck Carpenter or your Financial Partner with questions.

ICYMI: New Sick Leave Policy

As we shared with all team members last week, to ensure equity for all members of Team DPS, and to align with Governor Polis' Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA), we have updated our sick leave policy to ensure all team members accrue sick time. All designated reviewers and approvers in TruePay received an email from the Payroll Department with this additional guidance on the policy change and how it impacts DPS managers.  Questions? Please call 720-423-3900 and choose option two.

Open Enrollment Season Is Coming Soon

This year, the Active Open Enrollment window is April 19-May 7. Help your team access resources and engage early with their benefit selections to ensure they are enrolled in the benefits that best fit them. Important things to know: Active Enrollment means that every eligible employee must enroll or waive benefits, regardless of what options they elected last year. Enrollment is 100% virtual this year. Health care plan rates will be available in early April. Comprehensive benefits through medical, dental, vision and supplemental options will be available. As a reminder, open enrollment is the only time changes can be made to medical, dental, and vision coverage without a qualifying life event. Stay tuned to the newsletters and visit thecommons.dpsk12.org/openenrollment for the most up-to-date information.

Growth, Performance and Training

Host LIFT & CCE Mid-Year Performance Conversations by Feb. 12

Follow the steps below to host mid-year performance conversations with your team members now for the 2020-21 performance year. Step 1: Schedule time for each of your mid-year conversations. Complete them by Feb. 12. Step 2: Review and share the LIFT Mid-Year Checklist or the CCE Mid-Year Checklist with your team members. Step 3: Watch this performance conversation screencast and utilize the following resources: Conversation strategies, template and template sample. Step 4: Comment on LIFT goals in Infor HR to document progress and inactivate or put on hold irrelevant goals. Add new goals as needed. Remember, feedback should be ongoing and timely to help team members grow. Employees and managers are encouraged to engage in two-way feedback. Refer to this two-way feedback form for guidance.

Talent Acquisition

Qualified Candidates for Consideration

If you have an open position on your team or a position in the pipeline, Talent Acquisition has qualified candidates available for consideration. These candidates come highly recommended and their experience ranges from information technology services to human resources. Check out this month’s top candidates and their resumes. If you have questions or would like to schedule time to talk with a candidate, contact Mari Shepler or Nicole Kramis.

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