Support School Improvement Efforts by Completing the Teaching and Learning Conditions in Colorado Survey |
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Dear Educators,
DPS and the Denver Classroom Teachers Association encourage all DPS educators to take the Teaching and Learning Conditions in Colorado (TLCC) Survey by Friday, Feb. 18. The TLCC is a statewide survey of school‐based, certified educators, education support professionals and administrators on their perceptions of the teaching and learning conditions in their schools. This survey provides a unique look into schools that can lead to more informed policies and practices, and is the only data source on school conditions that offers comparison points across the state.
TLCC is designed to amplify educators’ voices by giving schools, districts, and state policymakers reliable data on teaching and learning conditions. The findings support school improvement efforts, helping staff to identify what is working, as well as areas where improvements are needed. TLCC data also informs researchers and policymakers on the impact of school conditions on student growth and on staff retention.
The TLCC can be accessed here and should only take about 15 minutes to complete. Questions will be asked about instructional support, professional development, managing student conduct, use of time, leadership, facilities and resources, family and community support, and future plans. Participants can save information and complete the survey over multiple sessions.
Each educator will log on to TLCC with a unique code, mailed to their school’s Association Representative designee (or principal if no AR is assigned), to ensure anonymity. Demographic questions are limited to keep participant identity anonymous. Note: Survey data will only be made available to districts and schools that have at least 50% participation and have at least five respondents. School and district data should be made available publicly by late spring 2022.
TLCC is supported by the Colorado Department of Education and a coalition of Colorado educational organizations representing teachers, principals and boards of education. This is the one opportunity educators have to join together and let our schools, districts, and state policymakers know what you need to do your job well. Please complete the TLCC to make sure your voice is heard.
Many thanks,
Tamara and Mike
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TSEAL Tip of the Week: Random Acts of Kindness
This week’s TSEAL tip is focused on random acts of kindness. Did you know February is National Kindness Month? Work with your school community to rally around kindness throughout this month and into the rest of the year. Access the resources below to help build social awareness for yourself, your students and your community.
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Yourself: Get inspired by these quick ideas to spread kindness throughout your everyday activities.
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Schoolwide community: Free workplace calendars offer daily ideas for individuals to complete in a few minutes or less. There is also a team-based activity that can be used to celebrate kindness each month as a team, a small group or the whole community!
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This Week's Top 5 Things to Know |
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Registration for Feb. 22 Teal Day is Open |
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The February Teal Day Session Guide is available for registration. As a reminder, the morning block (8-11:15 a.m.) of Teal Day is reserved for centrally delivered content, and some sessions are required as noted in the Session Guide. Please note that all sessions will be held virtually unless indicated otherwise in the Session Guide. More information can be found in this FAQ. If you need further support, email professional_learning@dpsk12.org.
Secondary Literacy Teal Day
Secondary Literacy Teal Day sessions will be held from 9:45-11:15 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22. There are five session offerings with all sessions open to teachers from all regions. Check the Session Guide and Learning Space for more information about each session. Registration will be open until Feb. 17. Note: Teachers will need to register for a February session even if they have already registered for the 6-12 Secondary Literacy Cohort. Questions? Contact Anne Marie Blieszner or Jackie Smilack.
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Senior/Team Lead Pool Application Pool Now Open |
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Are you interested in becoming a Senior Team Lead or Team Lead in the 2022-23 school year? Apply to the Senior / Team Lead (S/TL) Pool. This visible pool of interested candidates is used by principals across DPS as they search for strong fits for their Senior Team Lead and Team Lead openings. Learn more on the Aspiring Senior / Team Leads page on The Commons.
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ICYMI: Provide Input at Healthy Start Times Virtual Events |
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As a reminder, DPS will be making changes to allow middle and high schoolers to get more sleep! The DPS Board of Education passed a resolution last May to have all middle schools and high schools start no earlier than 8:20 a.m. each school day to support healthy sleep habits in adolescents.
With this shift to Healthy Start Times in fall 2023, we need your input. There are three options for bus routes that make Healthy Start Times possible. After learning about the options, we want to hear what you think. Join an upcoming meeting and share your thoughts. For more information, please visit the Healthy Start Times page.
Join us for the English meeting today! For all meeting dates and registration, check out this flier.
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Cultural Moments Callout: Black History Month |
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February is Black History Month and we want to feature how our students are learning about, connecting with, interpreting and celebrating this cultural moment through their writing, artwork, music, photos and videos. We’ll share submissions on our website and social media channels at the end of the month. To learn more about the history of the month, how to submit your work, and find celebration resources, click here.
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Apply for a Generation Teach Leadership Residency |
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Would you like to connect with a loving community, rejuvenate during this challenging time, and rekindle the passion that inspired you to teach? Apply for the Generation Teach Leadership Residency! Generation Teach (GT) is committed to ending racial injustice and inequity in education. GT engages students in summer learning, invests high school and college students in teaching, and develops professional teachers as leaders.
From March through July, leadership residents will join a national cohort of antiracist educators to learn, teach, and lead, as well as inspire the next generation of teachers. Residents will also receive $8,000 for participating in spring virtual training and in-person summer leadership. The summer practicum dates are June 13-July 22. Learn more here or by contacting Heidi Dotterrer. The deadline to apply is Feb. 15.
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Additional Resources and Opportunities |
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Click here to learn more about these resources and opportunities:
- ECE Update: Register for February CPR/First Aid In-Person Session
- Earn Extra Pay this Summer by Teaching a Concurrent Enrollment Course
- Bilingual Science Programming Opportunities Available from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science
- Science CMAS and Colorado Academic Standards 2020 Resources Available
- Resources to Organize a Fun and Inclusive Science and Engineering Fair
- Free Seed-starting Materials and Workshops Available
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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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