Jordan School District
TO:
All Principals
FROM:
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Ed.
Brian King, Assistant Director of Special Ed.
Mike Trimmell, Assistant Director of Special Ed.
Attached is the Special Ed Newsletter for January 2026
TO:
All Administrators
FROM:
JSD Cabinet Members
Principals and Department Directors should arrange for lunch or breakfast for all your employees one day from January 30th–February 5th. Please do not schedule meals on February 6th so all employees feel free to participate in the Health and Wellness Day activities occurring that day.
Traditional schools (i.e. the 42 elementary schools, 13 middle schools and 7 high schools) will receive an additional $13 per employee in the school’s supply budgets. Traditional schools may then charge the cost of this meal to 10 E xxx 0050 1090 639 by submitting the receipt to Accounting through the normal P-Card or NPO process.
All other schools (i.e. Kauri Sue Hamilton (including the Child Development Center), River’s Edge (including the Jordan Family Education Center), South Valley, JATC North, JATC South, Valley High School, and Southpointe Adult High) will also have $13 per employee available. However, these schools will need to charge the cost of this meal to 10 E xxx 9054 1090 639 by submitting the receipt to Accounting through the normal P-Card or NPO process.
District departments will also have $13 per employee available. Departments should charge the cost of this meal to 10 E xxx 9054 yy90 639 by submitting the receipt to Accounting through the normal P-Card or NPO process. The “yy” listed in the account above will differ for each department as follows:
Superintendent – 24
Associate Superintendent – 24
Administrators of Schools – 24
Accounting, Budgets, and Audits – 25
Auxiliary Services – 26
Business Administrator – 25
Career & Technical Education – 22
Central Warehouse – 26
Communications – 28
Custodial and Energy – 26
Equity & Compliance – 21
Evaluation, Research & Accountability – 10
Facilities – 26
Human Resources – 28
Information Systems – 28
Instructional Support Services – 22
Insurance Services – 25
Jordan Education Foundation – 22
Language and Cultural Services – 21
Nurses – 21
Nutrition Services – 26
Payroll – 25
Purchasing – 26
Transportation – 27
Special Education – 22
Student Services – 21
Teaching and Learning – 22
Transportation – 27
TO:
All Administrators
FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources
Jane Olsen, HR Specialist
We are thrilled to announce the much-anticipated Annual Teacher Transfer Fair, scheduled for February 17th, 2026, from 4:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. Join us at Herriman High School for an evening filled with exciting opportunities and professional growth.
Event Highlights:
● Important Details: Parking and additional event specifics will be shared in January. Please ensure that at least one school administrator attends the fair. A flier is attached for your convenience to distribute among your educators.
● Exclusive Invitation: This event is exclusively for current JSD educators, JSD interns, and student teachers for the 2025-2026 contract year. Please note that Education Support Professionals (ESPs) and substitute teachers interested in teaching positions are invited to attend the Jordan Job Fair on March 2nd, 2026. Kindly refrain from inviting ESPs and substitute teachers to the Teacher Transfer Fair, as they will not be admitted.
● Interview Opportunities: Even if your school currently has no available positions, we strongly encourage you to interview all interested candidates. This fair offers a prime opportunity to prepare for anticipated or potential openings. Interviewing internal candidates, including interns and student teachers, helps create a tailored pool of candidates ready to apply for openings at your school as they arise.
Transfer Process Information:
● Comprehensive details regarding the transfer request process will be available in January.
● The transfer application window will open from Sunday, February 1st, to Saturday, February 28th, 2026.
● Any unfilled positions will be publicly posted on Monday, March 2nd, 2026.
Mark your calendars and prepare for a dynamic event that promises to be an invaluable experience for all involved. We look forward to seeing you at the Teacher Transfer Fair, where opportunities and futures align.
DATE:
January 8, 2026
TO:
All Principals
FROM:
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Melanie Dawson, Program Administrator of Behavior
SUBJECT:
ETT: Principal Nomination for Winter Cohort
Effective Teacher Training (ETT) is available for a Winter 2026 cohort! We are seeking principal nominations for a portion of this session’s enrollment. If there is a licensed teacher in your building who you would like to take ETT, please complete the principal nomination form by Monday, Jan. 12th.
Enrollment will open to all teachers in the district on Thursday, Jan. 15th, so spread the word to additional teachers in your building who would benefit from the class, so they can sign up for the course on Canvas Catalog. See flyer and information below:
This course is designed for: All general education and special education teachers
Also welcome: Specialists, interventionists, and mental health providers
(Not available to ESPs)
Topics include:
Antecedents, behavior basics, class-wide and individual interventions, increasing academic effectiveness, data-based decision making, students with unique needs, and personal wellness.
Format:
This 7-week course will be offered online in an asynchronous format. Learners will engage with content and activities via Canvas. *Although pacing is flexible, participants must successfully complete the first module within the first week or their spot will go to someone on the waitlist.
1 USBE credit and a stipend is available to licensed employees who successfully complete the course and meet proficiency on all modules. The ETT stipend is $500.
Note for instructional coaches: You can request to be an observer in the course instead of registering as a learner. Please email taryn.cox@jordandistrict.org if you are interested.
TO:
Educators and Administrators
FROM:
Michelle Love-Day, Director of Language & Culture Services
The Jordan Education Access Committee and Language and Culture Services cannot wait to see you at the annual What I Wish You Knew Conference. This year the theme is "Our Stories Matter."
This year the conference will be highlighting and showcasing leadership from our wonderful District departments. Please come to learn from our Keynote, Kyle Reyes, Author of Lenses of Humanity.
Where: West Jordan Middle School
Time: 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Date: January 20, 2026
Stipend: $175
TO:
All Administrators
FROM:
Scott Thomas, Administrator of Auxiliary Services
Brandon Conti, Risk Management Coordinator
Ice & Snow....Take it slow! See the flyer below for safety tips on winter driving.
TO:
All Administrators
All Administrative Assistants
FROM:
Steffany Ellsworth, Support Services Manager, Information Systems
Great news - Information Systems has turned on pre-transfers! You are now able to view your students for next school year, run enrollment reports, and get a jump on scheduling. Below are a few reminders about pre-transfers:
• A pre-transfer is an active student who is currently attending Jordan School District and will be attending next year at a different Jordan District school. The student's record will pre-transfer to the student's next year boundary school based on their current address, or permitted school as applicable.
• When pre-transfers are turned on, the School Path tab displays current year permits under Previous Reason Code and next year permits under Reason Code.
• Current permits for 6th and 9th grade students have been removed for next year. This allows these students to pre-transfer to their boundary school for the upcoming year.
• In addition to pre-transfers being turned on, the Course Master has been rolled over for next year's scheduling preparation.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the pre-transfer process, please contact the Help Desk at (801) 567-8737 (ext. 88737).
DATE:
January 5, 2026
TO:
Principals
Special Education Teachers (Resource & Cluster)
FROM:
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
SUBJECT:
Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) Testing Checklist
Attached is the DLM checklist for all special education teachers who will be administering the DLM assessment to any of their students during the 2025-26 school year. You are required to complete and return the checklist to Jen Birrell for all Elementary teachers and Lucia Evans for all Secondary teachers at the District Office by Thursday, March 5, 2026. This form is also available online at specialed.jordandistrict.org/staff/forms on the Special Education website.
Please direct any questions or concerns to Jen Birrell for Elementary Teachers and Lucia Evans for Secondary Teachers.
Jen Birrell: 801-567-8905 or jennifer.birrell@jordandistrict.org
Lucia Evans: 801-567-8295 or lucia.evans@jordandistrict.org
DATE:
January 15, 2026
TO:
All Principals
All Special Education Staff
School Psychologists
Elementary School Counselors
FROM:
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Melanie Dawson, Program Administrator of Behavior
SUBJECT:
Required ASPEN Training For Special Education Personnel, School Psychologists, and Elementary Counselors 2025-2026
This is the final reminder of the remaining ASPEN training sessions for the 2025-2026 school year. ASPEN training is required during the 2025-2026 school year for all licensed special education teachers, SLPs, school psychologists, elementary school counselors, as well as all Education Support Professionals (ESPs) in SEB and Autism self-contained support classrooms who do not have a current Mandt certification. Staff members working in any other special education setting may choose to attend ASPEN at the discretion of their building administrator and at the cost of their school. Please see the attached memo for dates and registration information as well as other pertinent information.
For questions, please contact: megan.ruff@jordandistrict.org or cassidy.hansen@jordandistrict.org
DATE:
January 8, 2026
TO:
All School Administrators
FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
McKinley Withers, Health and Wellness
SUBJECT:
FREE Mental Health Education for Parents and Caregivers
Jordan District has partnered with the Cook Center for Human Connection to provide ongoing mental health education for parents and caregivers. This collaboration offers FREE access to live, virtual educational sessions covering various topics. Please share the following resources with your school community:
● A calendar for January’s Mental Health Series sessions is attached. Sessions are offered in both English and Spanish. Previously recorded seminars can be accessed through a comprehensive library of sessions and resources for each topic. You can access the library of recorded sessions at any time by visiting this Parent Guidance site.
● Ask a Therapist live virtual event is an anonymous opportunity to ask questions from a licensed family therapist about your child’s mental health. It is a live event on Tuesday January 27, 2025 with access to the recording afterwards.
● Included in the mental health series is a "Watch Together Series" to highlight for families. While the Mental Health Series is designed for parents, these “Watch Together” events are for the whole family, especially teens and young adults. In this series, each month, you'll meet a new animated character facing real challenges that teens and young adults experience. Together, you and your family can watch their story and learn how to start meaningful conversations at home
○ January Event: Together teens and parents will watch the animated story about Dante. Dante feels pressure to fulfill his father’s expectations. This session highlights identity struggles, especially for LGBTQ+ youth, and the emotional toll of being misunderstood or unsupported. Through Dante’s journey, families will learn the importance of validation, how to practice listening without judgment, and how adult mentors outside the home can provide life-changing support. In this interactive session parents and teens will talk through how to encourage empathy and emotional regulation.
○ Wednesday, January 14 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm MST REGISTER NOW
Please share the attached flyers/resources with your school communities. Should you have any questions please reach out to Angie Rasmussen at angie.rasmussen@jordandistrict.org.
DATE:
January 5, 2026
TO:
Middle School Administrators
High School Administrators
FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Stacee Worthen, School Counselor Consultant
SUBJECT:
Optimizing Counselor Impact with Panorama Pathways (Formerly Mesa OnTime)
As counselors continue to prioritize student success and postsecondary readiness, the administrative burden of verifying graduation requirements, as well as communicating on/off track status quarterly remains one of counselors most significant challenges. Counselors spend hours manually auditing transcripts, cross-referencing graduation requirements, and managing complex schedules. Panorama Pathways is a data-driven software platform that allows counselors to monitor students’ on-track and off-track graduation status in real time. The system helps counselors quickly identify academic risk factors, track progress toward graduation requirements, and support timely interventions for students who need additional support. By automating the technical "paperwork" of graduation, counselors gain more capacity to focus on what they do best: building relationships, providing social-emotional support, promoting academic achievement, and guiding students through the complexities of college and career planning.
Panorama Pathways is designed to shift this dynamic, moving counselors from "data auditors" to "student advocates." Counselors will receive training on Panorama Pathways on Friday, January 9th, from 7:30 am to 9:30 am at the JATC South Campus. All secondary administrators and counselors now have access to the platform. Administrators are invited to attend the upcoming training to learn more about Panorama Pathways and its implementation along with every secondary school counselor.
View a short video overview (6 minutes) of Panorama Pathways.
Please direct any questions to Stacee Worthen, School Counselor Consultant, at 801-567-8309.
DATE:
January 8, 2026
TO:
All Administrators
Elementary and Secondary Administrative Assistants
Secondary Attendance Secretaries
Secondary Registrars
Special Education Staff
FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Kim Lloyd, Director, Special Education
Travis Hamblin, Director, Student Services
Caleb Olson, Enrollment Consultant, Student Services
SUBJECT:
Emergency Safety Intervention (ESI) Documentation in Cumulative Folders
In the December 16, 2025 Principal Meeting, training on an updated process for retaining documentation of Emergency Safety Interventions (or ESIs) was provided. In the training, principals were directed to store a copy of the Emergency Safety Intervention Report and a copy of the email(s) sent to the parent/guardian in the cumulative folder. Please be mindful of the following when retaining this documentation:
1. Retention of the paperwork in the Skyward cumulative folder is in addition to the requirement to submit the same documentation to jbat@jordandistrict.org and to complete the Qualtrics form.
2. Documentation should be promptly scanned and uploaded into the cumulative folder.
3. A copy of the email (either printed directly to a PDF or printed and scanned) and the ESI form should be combined into a single PDF file.
4. The file should be uploaded to the student’s cumulative folder under the category “ESI-Emer Sfty Interv”. The description should include the date and time of the ESI.
Your cooperation with promptly submitting the documentation to the JBAT team and retaining it in the cumulative folder is appreciated.
Please direct questions about the ESI documentation process to Melanie Dawson at River’s Edge. Questions about the cumulative folder in Skyward can be directed to Planning & Enrollment or to the Information Systems Help Desk.
TO:
All Principals
FROM:
Mike Haynes, Director of Education Foundation
Outstanding Educator Nominations are OPEN. We are excited to recognize an outstanding teacher at your school. Submissions are due by midnight January 20, 2026. The application and additional details can be found on the JEF Website.
If you have questions, contact Carla at extension 88125
TO:
All Principals
FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Brandee Burgum, Secondary ELA Consultant
To support 2026-27 7th-grade registration, please complete mid-year 6th-grade Acadience and Star Reading assessments by Friday, January 9, 2026. This data is vital for our student placement rubrics (attached). Thank you for your patience and for your work in using data to advocate for our students.
TO:
All Administrators
FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Dan Ellis, Director of Accounting, Budgets, and Audits
The mileage reimbursement rate is based upon the IRS rate. Effective January 1, 2026, the reimbursement rate is $0.725 per mile. Please use the attached form when submitting for mileage reimbursement. All 2025 mileage reimbursement requests should be submitted as soon as possible. Click HERE to access the mileage form online.
DATE:
Thursday, January 8, 2026
TO:
Middle School Principals
High School Principals
FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Amanda Bollinger, Associate Administrator, Teaching & Learning
Nathan Foster, Health & PE Specialist, Teaching & Learning
Lynsey Williams, Secondary Science Specialist, Teaching & Learning
SUBJECT:
Secondary Sex Education Updates - HB 281- Additional Courses
Principals,
Please share this information with your Science, Health, CTE, and Psychology Teachers.
Secondary Sex Education Update: The updated parental consent forms (including translations) and law and policy course are available on the USBE Health Education webpage. Given the fact that there have been changes to the law, we highly recommend ALL educators teaching any aspect of sex education complete the updated Canvas course as there were significant law changes due to HB 281. The online training course is designed for Utah educators teaching sex education topics as part of health education, CTE, science, and psychology courses. This Canvas course covers Utah law and policy for sex education addressing Utah State Law (53G-10-402) and Utah State Board of Education rule (R277-474).
Educators will enroll from the USBE Canvas Catalog and upon completion, they will be issued a certificate of completion in their Student Dashboard of the USBE Catalog.
If you have any questions please reach out to the following:
Nate Foster - Health/PE Specialist - nate.foster@Jordandistrict.org
Lynsey Williams - Secondary Science Specialist - lynsey.williams@Jordandistrict.org
DATE:
January 8, 2026
TO:
District Employees Who Qualify for Mileage Reimbursement
FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Dan Ellis, Director of Accounting
SUBJECT:
Defensive Driving Course Requirement for Mileage Reimbursement
Our insurance carrier, State Risk Management, has asked that every person who receives mileage reimbursement take the Utah Defensive Driving Course. We ask that you complete this free course as soon as possible using the instructions attached to this memo.
A new District Mileage Reimbursement form can be found at this link https://jordandistrict.org/wp-content/uploads/083_MileageReport.xlsx This new form has a box under the title for the individual to enter the completion date of the course. Please note that beginning in January 2026, Accounting will only reimburse mileage that includes the completion date of the Risk Management Defensive Driving Course. The course must be completed every two years. Supervisors approving mileage reimbursement – please remind your employees to complete this course and enter the date at the top of their mileage reimbursement form to avoid delays in reimbursement in January 2026.
The link below provides access to the course in the Utah Learning Portal. Your username is your district email. Click “Sign Up” and fill out the required information. Note that the security key word is Jordan and you may create your own password.
Once you have passed the course, record the completion date on your mileage reimbursement form and print the certificate. You may use the print option at the top of the final page of the online assessment or print your certificate from the attachment that will be emailed to you. Retain the certificate at your location for audit purposes.
If you have questions regarding the mileage reimbursement form, please contact Dan Ellis, Director of Accounting, Budgets, and Audits at 801.567.8389. If you have questions about the Risk Management Defensive Driving Course, please contact Brandon Conti, Risk Management Coordinator at 801.567.8876.
TO:
All Licensed Personnel
FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Jordan School District Board authorizes up to four (4) full-time employees to be selected for leave.
Sabbatical Leave
Sabbatical leave provides a 1-year leave for professional study. Educators who have completed at least 7 years of continuous service in JSD may apply. Employees on sabbatical leave receive one-half of their salary. Please read Policy DP333 Neg – Sabbatical Leave for complete information. Applications are reviewed by the Local Professional Improvement Committee and approved by the Board.
Educational Leave
Educators who have worked in Jordan School District for at least three (3) consecutive years may apply for an Educational Leave. Educational leaves are for continued study and must include an outline of studies along with the application. Please read Policy DP332 NEG – Educational Leave for complete information. Educational Leave is without pay.
Applications for 2026-2027 Sabbatical and Educational Leaves are due February 1, 2026. Additional questions can be referred to Chris Westra, 801-567-8657.
TO:
All Elementary Principals
All Elementary Assistant Principals
All Elementary Administrative Assistants
FROM:
JAESP
It's time to submit a principal to be recognized!
Each year, the Utah Association of Elementary School Principals (UAESP) gives the Jordan Association of Elementary School Principals (JAESP) the opportunity to celebrate elementary principals for the great work they are doing in their schools. The categories are:
If you feel that an elementary principal has done exceptional work, we invite you to nominate them for an award by clicking on the link below.
Click Here 2025-2026 Principal Recognition Award Form
This survey closes on Friday, January 30th at 11:59 pm.
TO:
All Elementary Principals and Assistant Principals
All Middle School Principals and Assistant Principals
FROM:
JAESP
If your school goes beyond academic achievement to foster inclusive, thriving learning communities, it deserved a gold star. Principals and assistant principals, apply by Jan. 31, 2026, to be recognized as a 2026 National Gold Star School.
