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Author: shooper

Published on

TO:
Elementary Administrators
Elementary Administrative Assistants

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources
Brent Burge, Assistant Director, Human Resources

With the implementation of the new Rotation Assistant (RA) position in elementary schools for the 2026-2027 school year, the following information outlines the requirements and the process to move or hire employees who are teaching a rotation for STEM, PE, Fine Arts, etc.

Requirements

    1. RAs must be paid for through a school budget only.  “0050” may not be used.
    2. The maximum number of hours per week is 25.
    3. The RA assignment may only be used for STEM, PE, and Fine Arts.  Media or other assistants do not qualify for the RA assignment.
    4. To qualify for an RA assignment, the employee must meet the following qualifications:
      1. Requires one (1) year of experience working in a classroom setting; AND
      2. Must be “highly qualified-HQ” which includes one of the following:
        1. An Associate’s degree; or
        2. 48 semester hours from an accredited college; or
        3. Passed the ParaPro assessment ($80); or
        4. Project Para Title I ($15)

For information about becoming highly qualified, click here.

5. RAs are hired at lane three (3) unless they are a current or former licensed teacher.  The non-licensed RA may be eligible to advance to lane four (4) upon completion of one year as an RA and upon completion of a training program provided by Teaching and Learning.  Upon completion of the requirements, submit the Rotation Assistant salary change form to Teaching and Learning.

Procedures

  1. For current classroom assistants who taught a rotation in 2025-26, the school must submit a change form in Qmlativ to modify the employee(s) title, budget, FTE, etc.  You must include the subject they are teaching in the notes.  These employees will be allowed to continue, even if they do not meet the HQ status.
  2. If you are interested in moving a current part-time employee at your school into an RA position, you must first ensure they meet the HQ requirements.  The school will need to submit a change form in Qmlativ. Please note: If the employee does not meet the HQ standard, the employee will not be eligible to be hired, and the change form will be denied.
  3. To hire someone from outside your school into an available position for which they qualify, the school will need to submit a requisition in Frontline to post.  Please use the Rotation Assistant template.   The school will need to conduct interviews and references.  Before a hire sheet is submitted in Frontline, you must verify that they meet the HQ requirements.

If you have any questions on the process, please contact Human Resources.  For questions about the training, please contact Teaching and Learning.

Published on

TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals
Instructional Coaches
Kindergarten Teachers

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Michelle Lovell, Literacy Consultant
Mandy Thurman, Literacy Consultant

The following letter, as well as the attached Planet Kindergarten Newsletter, will be sent to all kindergarten teachers this week. Please celebrate them with us.

Dear (Kindergarten Teacher),

As a literacy team, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks for your incredible work this year. We recognize that it was a year filled with new challenges: quarterly goals, new curriculum, learning Mastery Connect, and new voluntary professional development opportunities. You not only stepped up to the plate, but you truly hit it out of the park!

Hundreds of teachers and coaches attended each session of the Planet Kindergarten PDs. We know this required sacrifice of your time and energy, but your extra effort in Tier 1 instruction, small groups, and data tracking has made a real difference. Thanks to your dedication, we have more proficient kindergartners in literacy skills moving on to first grade than ever before!

Please know how grateful we are for everything you’ve done. As you begin planning for next year, don’t hesitate to reach out for any support you need.

If you'd like a refresher of Letter Launch or dive deeper with the Letter Launch Workshop, we'd love to see you there.

Wishing you a wonderful summer filled with well-deserved rest and relaxation.

Thank you for changing the lives of students in Jordan District!

Published on

DATE:
June 8, 2026

TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals
School Safety Specialists

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Matt Alvernaz, School Safety Coordinator

SUBJECT:
2026-27 Monthly Drill Schedule

This schedule is designed so that our district will remain in compliance with state regulations.  The design is set up so the district can help prepare and support each of your schools throughout the year to better implement these drills.  This schedule is to be followed throughout the district.

Secondary schools are required FOUR (4) evacuations a year.  You may do more if desired.

Elementary schools are required to conduct an evacuation EVERY OTHER MONTH.  These evacuations can follow any drill and DO NOT have to be in conjunction with a fire drill.  Due to this regulation and the mandated fire drill after winter break, an evacuation drill will need to be conducted in both December and January in order to remain in compliance.  This only applies to elementary schools.

Three virtual drill preparation trainings will be held back-to-back on the first Wednesday of each month at 2:40, 3:10 PM, and again at 3:30 PM.  The ZOOM LINK will remain the same for each session throughout the year.  School Safety Specialists are expected to attend.  Other administrators or interested employees are always welcome as well.

MONTH DRILL TYPE NOTES
August Fire First 10 days of school
September Secure
October Lockdown Evacuation required for elementary schools
November Shelter
December Hold Evacuation required for elementary schools
January Fire First 10 days of school after winter break
February Secure
March Lockdown Evacuation required for elementary schools
April Earthquake Great Shakeout. Evacuation is optional
May Drill of Choice Choose whichever drill is appropriate for your school

If there are any questions, concerns, or conflicts, please contact the District Safety Coordinator Matt Alvernaz at matt.alvernaz@jordandistrict.org or by phone at (801) 567-8623.

Published on

DATE:
June 8, 2026

TO:
Principals

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Matt Alvernaz, School Safety Coordinator

SUBJECT:
School Safety Specialist List Update/Confirmation

Beginning the 2026-2027 school year, the School Safety Specialist must be an administrator. The School Safety Specialist also attends, completes, and participates in the following:

  • All trainings required by USBE for School Safety Specialists (dates and times will be shared by USBE later this summer)
  • Monthly safety/SRP trainings (held on the first Wednesday of each month) provided by the District’s School Safety Coordinator, Matt Alvernaz (specific dates and times will be shared in an upcoming JAM).
  • SRO trainings are held annually and each quarter (a future JAM will provide dates, times, and locations).
  • Standard Response Protocols, Incident Command, and other duties as outlined here.

Please complete the spreadsheet linked below for the 2026-2027 school year on or before Friday, August 14, 2026. The information entered needs to be accurate for them to receive communications from the District and the USBE, as well as getting enrolled in the USBE Canvas course.

2026-2027 School-Based Safety Specialists

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to:

Matt Alvernaz
School Safety Coordinator
Matt.alvernaz@jordandistrict.org
(801)567-8623

Published on

To:
All Administrators
All Office Staff

From:
Steffany Ellsworth, Manager - Information Systems
David Bowman, Assistant Director of Systems and Security

This is a reminder of a previous JAM sent on March 26th regarding a system downtime on the Juneteenth holiday.

Information Systems wants you to be aware of upcoming essential maintenance that will affect the availability of the internet and core systems during the upcoming observed holiday on Monday, June 15th.

The following major systems will be inaccessible on this day:

Skyward Finance & Student Systems
Phone Systems Including Voicemail
Internet Connectivity
Department and School Websites

Thank you for your understanding and patience.

Published on

TO:  
All Administrators

FROM:
Jordan School District Cabinet Members

The Administrative Leadership Conference is scheduled for Tuesday, August 4, 2026, and Thursday, August 6, 2026.

  • Time: Breakfast at 7:30 AM, Conference begins at 8:00 AM
  • Location: West Hills Middle School, 8270 S Grizzly Way (5400 W), West Jordan

Administrative Leadership Conference Workshops

See the Workshop Program Information document for descriptions of the workshops before registering for the sessions you'd like to attend. Please register for Workshop Sessions by June 30th.

  • Workshop sessions will be limited to 25 participants, unless otherwise noted. Please register early.
  • Many sessions will require you to bring your own device - a laptop, Chromebook, or iPad
  • All Administrators are expected to attend the workshop sessions 3-6 on Thursday.
  • Principals’ level meeting will be held on August 6th from 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM.
  • Principals will attend 3 workshops after the principal meeting (Sessions 4, 5, 6).

 

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Brad Sorensen, Administrator of Schools
Cody Curtis, Administrator of Schools
Odette Desmarais, Administrator of Schools
Meredith Doleac, Administrator of Schools
Becky Gerber, Administrator of Schools
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources

This is a mandatory 2-day in-person training for all administrators.

DATES:  The trainings will run June 10 & 11 or June 17 & 18, 2026

LOCATION:  JATC-S Building

TIME:  8:00-3:30 pm each day

Lunch will be on your own. Please see the attached agenda for more details.

Click HERE to see which training date you signed up for.

Published on

DATE:
May 21, 2026

TO:
Middle School Principals

FROM:
Scott Thomas, Administrator of Auxiliary Services
Paul Bergera, Director of Transportation
Kittisack Soumpholphakdy, Field/Activity Trips Coordinator

SUBJECT:
Lagoon Day – Monday, June 1, 2026

We look forward to helping you provide an exciting, successful, and safe experience for your students at Lagoon this year. Following the same procedure as last year, we encourage you and your staff to load buses as they arrive at your school. As each bus is loaded with an advisor/chaperone on board, please let it depart for Lagoon. There is no need to wait for all buses to arrive, then leave together. Your assistance with this process last year helped alleviate much of the unnecessary waiting on the bus and congestion at the ticket gates.

Your assigned bus driver may ask you to verify the condition of the bus before boarding students, then at Lagoon and finally when they return to the school. This is to make sure no students or personal property are left on the bus. This is also to ensure the bus has remained clean and trash has been properly discarded. Again, please ask your students and advisors/chaperones to take everything off the bus with them once it arrives at Lagoon. It is extremely unlikely that the same bus that transports your students and advisors/chaperones to Lagoon will be the same bus that transports students and advisors/chaperones back to their school. If the temperature exceeds 85º F, load a cooler with ice and water bottles on one of the buses at your school in the event heat and potential delays become an issue as students are waiting to board buses at Lagoon. Your cooler will be returned within a few weeks.

As the day comes to a conclusion, plan on buses arriving back to Lagoon at 5:00 p.m. For the safety of everyone involved, please make sure all designated advisors/chaperones report to their assigned school bus loading area at 4:45 p.m. Students will then load at 5:00 p.m. with all buses departing by 5:15 p.m.

As a reminder, instructions and signs will be posted on the North side of Lagoon in the employee area. Look for your school’s sign, which will be visible on large cones at the same location where buses unloaded at Lagoon during morning drop off. Each advisor/chaperone will be given a colored paddle. When your school has 50 students and at least one advisor/chaperone, we will load the bus. Once a group of your school’s students and advisor/chaperone head to the designated bus, please ask the advisor/chaperone to pass the paddle to the next advisor.

Thank you for your support and cooperation.
Jordan School District Transportation

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
Bonnie Brennan, Director of Insurance Services

Please let your employees know that the Benefits Open Enrollment dates have changed.  This year, open enrollment will be held from July 20, 2026 - August 20, 2026, and all changes will be effective September 1, 2026. You will also be receiving posters like the attached flyer.  Please post them where your staff will see them.

If you or any of your staff have questions, please have them reach out to Insurance Services, insurance@jordandistrict.org, (801) 567-8146. Thank you.

Published on

DATE:
April 15, 2026

TO:
All Administrators
All Financial Administrative Assistants

FROM:
Dr. Anthony Godfrey, Superintendent of Schools
John Larsen, Business Administrator

SUBJECT:
Staff Appreciation Funds (formerly known as Staff Discretionary Funds)

As a reminder, Staff Appreciation Funds have been allocated for all staff members (both licensed and ESP) for snacks, meals, etc. Please see the attached memo for an update clarifying unspent funds in that budget.

Published on

TO:
Principals
Department Heads

FROM:
Mike Haynes, Director of Jordan Education Foundation

Only one week remains to nominate an ESP for the Outstanding ESP Awards. Don't miss out on the opportunity to let support staff know just how much they mean to the Jordan School District community! Nominate Now!

Top nominees will receive a $1,000 award, a commemorative plaque, and be recognized at the JSD Board of Education meeting in May.

Nomination Criteria & Guidelines
Please use the following criteria as a guide for your submission:

  • Who is eligible? All Education Support Professional employees within JSD, including part-time staff, are eligible.
  • Who is not eligible? Employees who have previously won this award are not eligible.
    👉 View the Past Recipients List
  • Can I nominate my entire staff? Sorry, only one nomination per department or school will be accepted each year.
  • Who determines which employee to nominate? All nominations must be approved by the employee’s Principal or Department Head prior to submission.
  • How are the top nominees selected? A volunteer committee from the JEF Board of Directors will review the nominations and select ten individuals as Outstanding Education Support Professional Employees of the Year.

Know who you want to nominate? 👉 Submit Your Nomination Here

Published on

TO:
Assistant Principals

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent

The May Assistant Principal meetings will be held on May 7 (8:00-11:00 am) and May 12 (8:00-11:00 am). All meetings will be held in person at JATC-South. All assistant principals and intern assistant principals are invited.  A beverage service will be provided, beginning at 7:30 am at each of the meetings.

As a reminder, you only need to attend one of the sessions offered. Both sessions will provide the same information. Please sign up for the day you would like to attend. If you have any questions, please call Shannel Hooper at 801-567-8204 (x88204).

Published on

TO:
School Administrators

FROM:
Brad Sorensen, Administrator of Schools
Cody Curtis, Administrator of Schools
Odette Desmarais, Administrator of Schools
Meredith Doleac, Administrator of Schools
Becky Gerber, Administrator of Schools
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools

PRINCIPAL MEETING WILL BE HELD AT THE JORDAN LEARNING CENTER (JLC - 3706 W 9800 S, SOUTH JORDAN).

A beverage service will be provided at 7:30 a.m. Lunch will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there!

Published on

DATE:
April 23, 2026

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
David Bowman, Systems & Security Manager, Information Systems
Steffany Ellsworth, Support Services Manager - Information Systems

SUBJECT:
 Apple Devices with Outdated Operating Systems

As part of our ongoing commitment to network and data security for students and staff, the Information Systems department will be implementing a necessary security measure on Apple devices that have an operating system which cannot receive the latest software and security updates. These devices will be disabled as of April 30, 2026.  Many of you have already had conversations this school year with your building IT tech. For those who have not, please reach out to your IT tech as soon as possible to get a list of the devices that will be disabled at your school or department. 

The majority of the Apple devices that meet this criteria are 8+ years old. Disabling the device will render it unusable; however, data will not be wiped from these devices. If needed, your tech can work with the user to transfer data to a replacement device. 

To prevent disruptions like this in the future and to ensure your staff and students are working with secure, reliable technology, you are strongly advised to implement a regular device rotation. 

If you have any questions regarding this security measure or need assistance planning your device refresh cycle, please feel free to reach out to your IT tech.

Published on

TO:
Administrators

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Chris Richards-Khong, Associate Administrator of Teaching and Learning

School-Based Associates Opportunity
The Jordan School District is excited to announce the renewal of the School-Based Associates (SBA) Mini-Grant Program for the 2026–2027 school year.

This program offers past participants of the BYU/Public School Partnership (CITES) the opportunity to bring powerful, research-based learning experiences back to their colleagues. SBA serves as a catalyst for energizing staff, deepening the understanding of public education’s purpose, and fostering collaboration on the foundational principles of teaching.

These mini-grants are funded through a one-year award from the USBE and are available on a limited basis. A key feature of the program is a compensation stipend for teacher leaders who serve as site facilitators. Complete the SBA Grant Interest Form and call Chris Richards-Khong with any questions at 801-567-8158.

JSD Site Based Associate Flier Link

SBA GRANT INTEREST FORM

JSD School-based Associates Program Grant Application Guide (26-27)

Published on

TO:
Elementary Principals

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Mandy Thurman, Consultant in Teaching & Learning

2026-27 Literacy Planning Tools

We have updated our literacy resources for the 2026–2027 school year. These documents are available to assist in instructional planning and are linked directly in this memo and can also be found on the elemliteracy.jordandistrict.org website.

Available Resources:

K–2 Instructional Support

We are excited to build on the success of this year’s Planet Kindergarten sessions! To support our K–2 literacy goals, we are expanding our professional learning line-up for the upcoming year:

  • Kindergarten: We are bringing back our core Planet Kindergarten classes for those new to the grade level. For those who have already attended, we are adding new collaboration sessions to dive deeper into the content.
  • 1st & 2nd Grade: We are launching brand-new themed classes specifically designed to support your grade-level literacy targets.

These optional classes are a great way to grab new strategies for your toolkit. Registration details, dates, and themes are all included in this document.

Published on

TO:
Administrators
Counselors

FROM:
Michelle Love-Day, Director, Language and Culture Services

Join Language and Culture Services for a training session on Discriminatory Language. We will explore the impact of discriminatory language in K-12 settings and provide recommendations to administrators and counselors on how to address discriminatory language. Several resources will be shared with participants, including a facilitated discussion guide to use with students.

You can select a morning session or an afternoon session.

Published on

DATE:
April 17, 2026

TO:
Elementary School Administrators
Middle School Administrators
High School Administrators

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Stacee Worthen, School Counselor Consultant

SUBJECT:
May School Counselor Training and Professional Development

May School Counselor training and professional development opportunities. Please direct any questions to Stacee Worthen, School Counselor Consultant, at 801-567-8309.

Wednesday, May 6, CSCP Steering Meeting, District Office, Room 129
All Secondary Lead Counselors
8:00 am - 12:30 pm

Thursday, May 7, CSCP BRISC Training – Consult Call, Zoom
All School Counselors
10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Thursday, May 21, Copper Hills Feeder Meeting, District Office, Room 129
Copper Hills Feeder Counselors K-12
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm