Leadership Levers
Volume 24 - 2/28/23
Summer Bridge 2023
Hello Principals,
I know everyone is anxiously awaiting to get preparations underway for Summer Bridge, 2023. There are still some logistics that need to be confirmed with a few sites before deciding hosting sites. Area Superintendents are having those conversations this week.
I will be meeting with Area Superintendents on March 8th to review the results of the attached google survey and solidify host and joining sites. I will let you know next steps immediately thereafter.
If you are interested in hosting Summer Bridge, please complete the interest survey.
Attached is the newly revised Facility work spreadsheet updated by Jennifer Hotaling.
Please contact facilities if you have further questions:
Facilities, Assistant Capital Program Manager
O: 719-477-6062
C:719-499-9657
Thank you for your patience as I collectively work with Area Superintendents about Summer Bridge 2023.
Brenda Duran
National March into Literacy Month
Dear D11 Leaders,
March marks the beginning of National March into Literacy Month and the annual National Education Association (NEA) Read Across America celebration. “Launched in 1998 by the National Education Association (NEA), Read Across America is the nation's largest celebration of reading. This year-round program focuses on motivating children and teens to read through events, partnerships, and reading resources that are about everyone, for everyone.”
The D11 Curriculum and Instruction Literacy team would like to thank Superintendent Gaal, the Board of Education, and Colorado Springs Education Association for their support of literacy throughout the district. Superintendent Gaal and the Board of Education passed a resolution during the February 24th regular board meeting resolving to “enthusiastically endorse Read Across America and recommit Colorado Springs School District 11 to engage in programs and activities to make America’s children the best readers in the world.” The Colorado Springs Education Association will donate books to Middle and High School libraries to support literacy.
The D11 Curriculum and Instruction Literacy team, in the effort to support programs and activities connected to Read Across America, has curated resources to support schools, teachers, and D11 families in celebrating and promoting literacy in the month of March and beyond. Please see the document linked HERE. The D11 Literacy team is also committed to providing additional support to foster the joy of reading. We can serve as thought partners to generate ideas for events or activities throughout the month of March. We are also committed to sharing a weekly Newsletter throughout March that will include ideas for promoting literacy in all classrooms. We would love to include spotlights of literacy activities that are happening across the district. We have included links to two Google forms where you can share about your celebrations to promote the joy of reading.
Special Event Invitation- let leadership know when you are hosting a literacy event at your school
Celebrations to Spotlight- send leadership descriptions, pictures and other artifacts from your event that can be shared
Finally, in the last week of March, we will announce a 1 Million Page Reading Challenge to run through May.
Thank you all for your support and commitment to fostering literacy and the joy of reading across the district.
Karol Gates, Jennifer Chappell, Christy Feldman, and Mykel Knight
School Grounds Beautification Funds
The Board of Education has approved the request to provide each school with $5,000 to be used for school grounds and exterior beautification projects.
These funds are in your school budget under account string 10-xxx-00-26300-061000-0000. The goal and priority is to spend this funding by the end of June, 2023 by working with your school team/PTA/SAC and community partners. If the funds are not spent by then, the funding will rollover but won’t be available until October 2023.
The intended purpose is to improve the exterior grounds and can be used for items such as:
- Gardens
- Trees/Flowers/Plants/Bark/Rock
- Exterior painting (doors, curbs, etc.)
- Fencing/Split Rail
- Rock Décor/Water Saving Projects
- Exterior Benches/Chairs/Tables
- Shade structures
Please keep in mind, the board of education and the accounting department will be reviewing this account at each school to ensure the funds are being utilized as intended. You are not able to transfer funds from this account to another.
FAN BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS
Good Morning Team!
Long story short… fan behavior was a problem in D11 before COVID. COVID hit and everyone was so happy to be able to play games and such, that fan behavior was amazing! When we returned, fan behavior is at an all time low both in Colorado and around the country. As most of you know, I coach a club basketball team for my 8th grade son. Last spring, our game made national news as parents from the other team attacked the two officials and it was UGLY! We jumped in the middle of the fray and helped separate it but it made me think… “how close are we from something like this happening in D11 and at our events.” Two months later, when I had the team in Las Vegas, a similar incident occurred on the court next to us. I met with our ADs, talked with some principals, worked with my Executive Director, and we created the 365 policy that is attached.
The policy has not only worked as we had hoped, it has actually has worked BETTER than we had hoped. We have granted every appeal (3) that has come our way. Parents come in, they are apologetic and interestingly enough, a couple of them have said, “I will help keep our parents in line!” They “get it” once they are out of the emotional arena! The only person that has been ejected that didn’t appeal the suspension, cursed our staff out as they left, threatened to wait for Yann outside all while throwing slurs around that would make anyone cringe. I honestly don’t see myself not granting an appeal unless someone does something so egregious, that a year long suspension is appropriate. The policy is designed to force parents to come in and have a discussion. During most cases, athletic directors and principals join me for the appeal meeting.
The policy is designed for our adult fans. Student-athletes that get thrown out of a game, have CHSAA consequences and have to work with their ADs and coaches. Students (student sections, etc.) that are unruly and get thrown out, will be dealt with through the school admin.
Just a quick note to help keep you in the loop. There are a handful of districts that have either adopted the same policy, or are working through the steps to implement something very similar. Truly, us taking a stand is making a difference.
Christopher A. Noll, MA, CAA
Director Of Athletics & Activities
719-520-2690
PERSONNEL SUPPORT SERVICES
SB 22-070 Drop-In Virtual Sessions
In preparation for the shift to SB 22-070 for the 2023-24 school year the Educator Effectiveness office will hold 5 drop-in Virtual Office Hours sessions. The purpose of these sessions is to provide evaluators opportunity to learn about the new law and the impacts the proposed draft rules will have on current evaluation practices. Each of the drop-in sessions will cover the topics outlined below and include time for questions, discussion, and further learning. If interested in attending please pick the session that will work best in your schedule and use the session link to attend.
Dates and Times
· March 21, 2023 1-2 pm
· April 3, 2023 9-10 am
· April 14, 2023 2-3 pm
· April 26, 2023 3-4 pm
· May 11, 2023 10-11 am
Session Link
Senate Bill 22-070 Overview
Senate Bill 22-070, the Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade Licensed Personnel Performance Evaluations Act, updates and refines educator evaluation in Colorado. Implementation of this statute will occur in the 2023-24 school year.
The following is offered as a general overview. Specifically, S.B.22-070 directs CDE to develop and provide guidance and support for the following areas:
- Update the composition of final effectiveness ratings
- Shift the FER percentages from 50% professional practices and 50% measures of student learning/outcomes to 70% professional practices and 30% MSL/MSO.
- Refine/update aspects of the MSL/MSO portion of an educator’s final effectiveness rating, including:
- Collective measure(s) within the MSLs/MSOs cannot exceed 10%.
- Collective measure(s) within the MSLs for teachers and principals can only use data based on the performance of students enrolled at their school.
- Any educator who is new to a district/BOCES cannot have data from before they were employed used in the collective measure(s) of their MSL/MSO.
- Develop and make available an evaluation pathway and process for educators rated Highly Effective for three consecutive school years
- Develop and make available new rubrics for licensed personnel in a limited number of specialized teacher or principal roles
- Develop and require training for evaluators of licensed personnel – training to be provided or approved by CDE
- Adjust the timing for reporting of final effectiveness ratings (FERs)
- Requires that all FER data is reported to CDE annually by Oct. 15, i.e., FER data will no longer be collected within the HR data collection.
- For the 2022-23 school year, the new Staff Evaluation Snapshot to collect FER data will open in the spring of 2023 (due Oct. 15th, 2023). Additional details will be forthcoming.
Tanya Nash
Director of Educator Effectiveness
Colorado Springs School District 11
(719) 520 2108