April 22, 2005
Teacher Accord Reached; Ratification Next Step
Representatives from the Denver Classroom Teachers Association and Denver Public Schools announced Thursday (April 21) details of a tentative agreement for the 2005-2006 school year. The tentative agreement was reached late Wednesday (April 20) following four days of negotiations managed by mediator Judy Mares-Dixon.
The proposed settlement must still be ratified by membership of the DCTA and formally approved by the Denver Board of Education. DCTA president Becky Wissink said membership voting would be completed within the next two weeks. A Board of Education vote is not yet scheduled. Specific contract language will be shared with DCTA membership and the Board of Education prior to ratification.
"This agreement makes significant progress in areas Denver teachers identified as critical to school improvement efforts," said Becky Wissink, president of the DCTA. "We have enhanced the overall compensation and fairness of the salary schedule and given teachers a real voice in improving teaching and learning in Denver classrooms."
The improvements to the salary schedule – with the return of the additional step – yields a range of individual annual teacher pay increases from $250 to approximately $4,000.
In all, the agreement adds $11.7 million to total teacher compensation, which includes $3 million in additional funding anticipated through the state School Finance Act, which is pending in the state legislature.
"We’re very happy that as a result of the joint market compensation survey that was done, we are able to restore the step that was strongly recommended," said Board member Elaine Gantz Berman. She also thanked the state legislature for recent adjustments to the School Finance Act. Those changes generated $3 million that was not anticipated when the original budget roadmap was developed in February.
"The reality is we are one team in this district," said Berman. "Without teachers, we don’t have anything happening in our classrooms."
The pay proposals include an increase in the pay rate for daily substitutes, from $81.20 currently to $85 next year. In addition, all retired teachers would be paid at a rate of $100 per day to fill substitute requests.
The tentative, three-year agreement includes:
- A new article that addresses teacher involvement in student achievement, instruction and education reform at the district, area and school site levels.
- Professional discretion over teacher time.
- Enhancements to the salary schedule include the return of a salary schedule step that was frozen in 2002-2003. That step was identified earlier this year by the Joint Market Compensation Task Force, which was created during last year’s teacher contract negotiations.
Mitchell Plan Is PACE
The Board of Education this week approved implementation of The PACE Model as the means of transforming Mitchell Elementary School.
PACE – Parents, Accountability, Collaboration, Expectations – was selected from among four proposals that were submitted after Superintendent Jerry Wartgow earlier this year asked the broader Denver community for its best thinking and ideas for how to improve achievement at Mitchell.
PACE was developed by two literacy coaches who currently work at Mitchell. The plan would "leverage existing DPS curriculum and feature a series of reforms including monthly parent contacts and regular home visits; professional growth plans for all staff; data-driven instruction; an inclusive leadership team; and full-day kindergarten," according to a staff report.
PACE calls for a thorough effort in reaching out to Mitchell parents, including hiring a bilingual liaison to facilitate parent committees, offer parent training sessions and coordinate school-based parent events.
The plan calls on the school’s instructional leader to require all members of the Mitchell community to be involved in continual self-assessment. It also envisions the staff at Mitchell working as a complete Professional Learning Community that will extensively use data to drive and differentiate instruction and will engage in intensive staff development programs, among other elements.
"High expectations will permeate the culture at Mitchell," states the PACE plan.
Jennifer Barton, currently principal at Cole Middle School, which shares a campus with Mitchell, recently was named principal at Mitchell by Superintendent Wartgow.
DPS Draws Kudos for Arts Education
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts this week singled out Denver Public Schools for its outstanding support of high-quality arts education, bestowing the prestigious 17th annual Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network and National School Boards Association award.
"The Denver Board of Education’s commitment to the arts has truly made them a model for arts education in Colorado and throughout the country," said Darrell Ayers, education vice president, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. "Despite struggling with budget cuts and deficits, Denver Public Schools allocates an impressive 5.01 percent of their total instructional budget for the arts."
New funding from Denver voters – $6.5 million – puts a strong focus on elementary arts programs as a foundation for secondary programs. Over the course of an elementary experience, each child experiences arts instruction at the primary and intermediate levels in all five arts disciplines – vocal music, instrumental music, visual arts, dance and drama.
"Our talented staff and supportive Denver citizens deserve this award for their commitment to restoring elementary arts in Denver Public Schools," said Superintendent Jerry Wartgow. "Thanks to voter support behind the 2003 mill levy initiative, schools today are sparking artistic imaginations among students and helping them develop a life-long appreciation for music, dance, visual art and theater."
The award was presented April 19 at the National School Boards Association annual conference in San Diego, Calif. Since 1989, this prestigious award nationally has recognized 36 school boards in 23 states for their support of arts education.
Increased Flexibility Proposed for Graduation Requirements
A proposal being considered by the Board of Education would provide increased flexibility for high school students and allow them more post-secondary options. The proposal would make college a much more affordable option, said Abraham Lincoln High School principal Scott Mendelsberg.
The proposed change would allow students to be awarded a diploma under the APEX program if they earn 35 hours (rather than 85 hours) of elective credit and meet the requirements to earn an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree from a community college. APEX stands for Achieving Personal Excellence. None of the non-elective requirements would change.
"This is something of great interest to all of our high school principals," said Wayne Eckerling, Assistant Superintendent of Planning, Research, and Special Projects.
Ford, Stedman Elementary Schools Introduce Plans For Revitalization
The Board on Thursday considered plans to revitalize two additional schools – Ford and Stedman elementary schools. In this first round, 13 schools in all are spending up to $2.5 million from voters to improve student learning and attract families back to their neighborhood schools.
Ford Elementary School
The Ford Elementary School revitalization committee proposes converting the school to a "comprehensive instruction system for student-centered learning." The four areas of focus would be teaching and learning, climate and culture, parental engagement and community engagement.
Under the teaching and learning component, the school would: fully implement a Professional Learning Community among staff to apply best teaching practices school wide; emphasize the academic success of English Language Learners; deliver literacy and math instruction using elements of the expeditionary learning model; and expand early childhood education and all-day kindergarten classes.
The plan also calls for: a school-wide approach to positive behaviors and character education; partnering with all parents to develop in-school, home and community activities that directly support the instructional delivery at Ford; and further developing a broad range of participation and support opportunities for neighboring businesses and community organizations.
The $242,500 year one budget includes hiring an expeditionary education site specialist, a parental and community engagement specialist, an ELA specialist and a paraprofessional, and a half-time math coach.
Stedman Elementary School
The Stedman revitalization committee plan proposes elements similar to the Ford plan with the intent of transforming the school into a "high achieving learning community for student success."
The four main areas of focus are: academic achievement, school climate and culture, parental engagement, and marketing and communication.
The Stedman plan would: fully implement a Professional Learning Community; deliver science and social studies curricula through experiential education, including creating an outdoor learning laboratory and hiring a full-time technology teacher; expand full-day kindergarten; build a state-of-the-art Learning Landscape; implement a school-wide approach to positive behaviors and character education; involve all parents in their child’s education; and develop a formal marketing plan and materials.
The $272,500 year one budget includes hiring an experiential education teacher, technology teacher, parental engagement position, math coach and half-time kindergarten teacher.
An Independent Center for International Studies?
Since 1985, the Center for International Studies (CIS) has offered its unique approach to learning from within West High School.
Under a proposal forwarded to the Board of Education, the program would become a stand-alone magnet for grades 6-12 in its own location. Where? The recommended sites are Gove or Baker middle schools (recently closed by the Board) or the Byers building, the former site for Denver School of the Arts. When? Beginning in August 2006 if approved.
The plan envisions 600 total students – 300 each in an upper and lower division. At the opening, the lower division would start with grade six only. Other lower division grades would be added each year for the following two years. The upper division would begin with all grades, 9-12.
"As a world-class school focused on international and intercultural affairs," said a report delivered to the Board, the new school "will prepare students in world languages, the study of cultures and cross-cultural communication, international issues and conflict resolution, and the connection between community issues and the larger global challenges."
Today, CIS sends students around the world on learning exchanges and teaches seven foreign languages.
Board member Kevin Patterson said it’s important to be "mindful" of the potential impact on aggregate achievement levels at West High School should CIS move to a new location.
Board member Lucia Guzman said the plan calls for "two movements" – one to support CIS and its effort to produce "citizens of the world" – and the other to support the "reality" at West High School.
Board Notes
In other action this week, the Board of Education approved:
- A plan for the Community College of Denver (CCD) and the new middle school program – KIPP: Cole College Prep – to share the Cole Middle School building, infusing more secondary options into the neighborhood. They will share the building’s common spaces – the auditorium, community room, lobby corridors and custodial rooms. CCD’s lease of 20,000 square feet (or 13 percent of the building) would bring $80,000 per year to the district.
- A three-year contract between the district and the Denver Peak Academy, a new charter school that will serve students ages 15 to 20 who are experiencing homelessness or unstable living situations. The school plans to collaborate with Urban Peak Denver, Colorado Youth Charity and the Jared Polis Foundation. Projected enrollment for 2005-2006 is 40 students, growing to a total of 130 students (and no more than 200 students) over time.
- An amendment to the Ridge View Academy Charter School contract to begin serving up to 40 adjudicated female students at the Betty Marler Youth Service Center in southwest Denver.
- The timeline for considering charter school applications for the 2006-2007 school year. Applications must be submitted to the district by Monday, August 22, 2005.