TO:
Administrators and Administrative Assistants
FROM:
Sarah Palmer, Director of Payroll
Please post the attached flyer for employees to see.
Category: Elementary Info
2026-27 Additional Preparation Days for Kindergarten Teachers
DATE:
April 16, 2026
TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals
Kindergarten Teachers
FROM:
Anthony Godfrey, Superintendent
Becky Gerber, Administrator of Schools
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Meredith Doleac, Administrator of Schools
Odette Desmarais, Administrator of Schools
SUBJECT:
Additional Preparation Days for Kindergarten Teachers
The Jordan School District Board of Education has approved up to 3 additional preparation days per session taught for each kindergarten teacher. Teachers will receive a stipend of $500 per day worked up to the maximum allowed. These days may be used any time before the start of the 2026-2027 school year to meet with parents and students and make preparations for a child’s entry into kindergarten.
Principals should meet with kindergarten teachers to inform them that the preparation days are available and make a plan for how best to utilize the time.
Please complete the Kindergarten Prep Days Stipend timesheet that will be shared with you, or can be found in your Quick Links, print a hard copy with teacher and administrator signatures, and send it in District mail to Shannel Hooper by Friday, August 28, 2026, for payment on the September paycheck. Each principal will need to submit a group timesheet for the days worked.
cc: Cabinet
Sarah Palmer, Director of Payroll
Elementary Administrative Assistants Trade Days and Summer Hours
DATE:
April 16, 2026
TO:
Elementary Principals
Head Administrative Assistants
FROM:
Odette Desmarais, Administrator of Schools
Meredith Doleac, Administrator of Schools
Becky Gerber, Administrator of Schools
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
SUBJECT:
Elementary Administrative Assistants Trade Days and Summer Hours
Elementary administrative assistants are calendared to work 206 days in a school year, including 5 days in which students and teachers are not in the building. These days generally occur on the Friday after parent-teacher conferences (2) and on grade transmittal days (3). The PTC days can already be traded for the Friday compensation day if the administrative assistant works both evenings of the PTC. They are also allowed to be paid for up to 10 additional optional days during the summer months, which are not included in their 206-day contract. These days are intended to provide additional pay for them to keep up with work, such as student enrollments, over the summer.
Beginning immediately, greater flexibility may be provided to Elementary administrative assistants by:
● Trading up to 5 non-student/teacher work days during the school year to work in the summer months, and/or
● Converting up to 5 optional summer days into pool hours for office assistants to work additional hours from July 2026 to June 2027.
Option 1
Elementary administrative assistants may choose to trade up to 5 contracted days (three grade transmittal and two PTC compensation days) to use as additional work days the following summer. This could provide up to 15 additional work days in the summer.
Option 2
Elementary administrative assistants may choose to convert up to (5) five of their optional summer days into additional pool hours for their office assistants to work July 2026 - June 2027. For every full day that is not used as an additional day by the administrative assistant, 10 hours will be added to the pool hours to be used by the office assistants to work from July 2026 to
June 2027.
Option 3
Elementary administrative assistants may choose to do a combination of options 1 and 2, not to exceed 5 trade days in the school year and not to exceed 5 converted pool hour days to use for office assistants.
Tracking
For Option 1 - Administrative assistants will have an option in the Skyward Time Off System to log the grade transmittal day as a “Trade Time - Days” with the reason code “Trade Time Day Taken Off” for building principals to approve. When they work the day in the summer, they will need to log it in the Skyward Time Off System as a “Trade Time - Days” with the reason code “Trade Time Day Worked”. This information will also need to be documented on the Pool Hours spreadsheet.
For Option 2 - A Google form will be available in the checkout materials to declare the number of optional days that will be converted to pool hours for the upcoming school year. These hours will then be documented and tracked in the Pool Hours spreadsheet by the district AOS administrative assistants.
A Google form will be distributed as part of Principal Checkout. Building principals will need to approve these converted days on the Google form and submit it as part of the checkout process.
cc: Cabinet
Sarah Palmer, Director of Payroll
Student Meal Deficit End of Year Reminders
DATE:
April 10, 2026
TO:
Administrators of Schools
Elementary and Secondary Principals
FROM:
Scott Thomas, Administrator of Auxiliary Services
Katie Bastian, Director of Nutrition Services
SUBJECT:
Student Meal Deficit School Responsibilities
District approved procedural guidelines for meal deficit collection can be found on the Nutrition Services website under the online payments tab.
Reminder: Funds that have been donated to the school for the purpose of paying off student meal
debt cannot be used to pay off a student account and then have that account sent to collections.
The purpose of specific Nutrition Services donated funds are to help families that are in the
deficit. The school can use any other school funds to pay off student accounts so they can then be
sent to collections.
If schools would like to send any student accounts to collections before the end of the school
year, Principals must submit all Skyward Deficit Tracking documentation to our Meal Deficit
Liaison by Friday, May 22nd. This will allow time for the collections process.
Per approved guidelines:
-Students transferring within the district with a deficit meal account balance of any dollar
amount, must be paid at the time of transfer and is the responsibility of the school the student is
leaving.
-Inactive students, graduating students or students moving up grade levels to another school (i.e.,
6th to 7th, 9th to 10th and seniors) with uncollectable meal deficits, of any dollar amount, are the
responsibility of the school and must be paid by the principal at the end of the current school
year.
-All staff meal deficits must be paid by the end of the year. If a balance remains, it is the
responsibility of the school and paid by the principal.
Wasatch Front Regional Civics Training for Teachers
TO:
Administrators and Teachers
FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Kaye Rizzuto, Social Studies Consultant
Theme: Celebrating the Declaration’s 250th in the Classroom
Location: Utah Valley University, Orem
In collaboration with: BYU–Public School Partnership
Dates:
• Secondary: June 8, 2026
• Elementary: June 9, 2026
• 3rd & 5th Grade Follow-Up: June 10, 2026
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Teachers Receive:
• 0.5 hours USBE credit
• $100 honorarium
• Resource materials
• Lunch & snacks
• Mileage reimbursement (for those 20+ miles from UVU)
To Register:
Scan the QR code on the attached flyer, or for more information contact Michelle Smith at SmithMi@uvu.edu.
This event is an excellent opportunity to gain resources, network, and enrich your classroom with engaging civics content. Please consider attending.
American Constitutional Government and Citizenship Standards
TO:
Administrators and Teachers
FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Kaye Rizzuto, Social Studies Consultant
American Constitutional Government and Citizenship Standards
The draft standards for the new American Constitutional Government and Citizenship course are now available for public review and comment until April 24th. Please take time to review the proposed standards and provide feedback.
Social Studies Graduation Requirement FAQ
Draft American Constitutional Government and Citizenship Standards
Planet Kindergarten
TO:
Kindergarten teachers, Instructional Coaches and Building Administrators
FROM:
Teaching & Learning
New updates are now available for Planet Kindergarten and launch dates have been released for the 2026-27 school year!
Special Ed April 2026 Newsletter
TO:
Principals
FROM:
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Kim Lloyd, Director of Special Education
Brian King, Assistant Director of Special Education
Mike Trimmell, Special Education Administrator
Attached is the Special Ed Newsletter for April 2026.
USBE Educator Engagement Survey Results Available in Tableau
DATE:
Thursday, April 16, 2026
TO:
All School Administrators
FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Assessment, Research and Accountability
SUBJECT:
USBE Educator Engagement Survey Results
The window for USBE’s Educator Engagement Survey closed on March 31st. Survey results are now available in Tableau. 1,255 JSD educators responded to the survey this year, which is a 38% response rate (considered a good response rate with an excellent response rate being over 40%).
Educators responded to a variety of multiple-choice and open response questions. Dashboard viewers may view results at the district and school level for the following categories:
- Survey participation
- Mentoring
- Preparation and expectations
- School leadership
- Teacher collaboration
- Professional learning resources
- Career growth and advancement
- Job satisfaction
Open responses may be viewed according to school-based permissions.
For questions about the Educator Engagement Survey, please contact Ben Jameson in Assessment, Research & Accountability.
Qmlativ Transition Information and Deadlines for Payroll
TO:
All Administrators
Admin Assistants
FROM:
Sarah Palmer, Director of Payroll
Please see the attached documents from payroll for Information and deadlines regarding the Qmlativ transition. Please post the time tracking and sub deadlines in an area where the employees can see them.
ESL Endorsement Sign up
TO:
Administrators
FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Michelle Love-Day, Director, Language and Culture Services
Language & Culture Services will be starting new ESL Endorsement cohorts in August, 2026. It takes one school year to complete (August, 2026 - June, 2027) and is competency-based.
Format: Hybrid - virtual modules with one in-person session per month.
Credit options: USBE credit (free) or SUU credit ($69 per course). Both credit options can be applied towards a lane-change. Participants will receive 15 credits (3 per course) and 1 more USBE Credit upon completion of a Capstone Portfolio.
Please view the information linked within the application and reach out to Krista Mecham or Chelsey James if you have further questions.
Apply for the 2026-2027 ESL Endorsement Cohorts here.
Second Instructional Coaching Endorsement Administrator Cohort
DATE:
Thursday, April 9, 2026
TO:
Administrators
FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Amanda Bollinger, Associate Administrator, Teaching & Learning
Jared Covili, Administrator of Digital Teaching & Learning
SUBJECT:
Second Instructional Coaching Endorsement Administrator Cohort
We are excited to announce the launch of our second cohort of Instructional Coaching Endorsement for Administrators. This professional development opportunity is open to all administrators and is designed to deepen your skills in instructional coaching and leadership.
Please see the attached memo for additional information and a link to the endorsement sign up form.
Qmlativ Finance Workshops
Date:
April 9, 2026
To:
All Administrators, All Admin Assistants
From:
Steffany Ellsworth, Support Services Manager, Information Systems
Subject:
Qmlativ Finance Workshops
Now that you’ve attended a few Qmlativ training sessions and had the opportunity to explore Qmlativ, it would make sense that you’ve got questions ~ Come get answers!
Join the Information Systems team for an open-house style workshop designed to help you navigate the Qmlativ finance database with confidence. Sessions will be held multiple times beginning April 17th through May 22nd. April Sessions are focused on hands-on practice in the training database, while May Sessions will have real-time support in our live database.
Below are the dates and times for these workshops. Reserve your spot as workshops may fill up quickly.
| Date | Time | Location |
| April 17 | 9:00 am - 3:00 pm | Auxiliary Services, PDC 101 |
| April 22 | 9:00 am - 3:00 pm | District Office, Room 129 |
| April 23 | 9:00 am - 12:30 pm | District Office, Room 129 |
| April 27 | 9:00 am - 3:00 pm | Auxiliary Services, Presentation Room |
| April 29 | 9:00 am - 3:00 pm | Auxiliary Services, PDC 101 |
| May 13 | 9:00 am - 3:00 pm | District Office, Room 129 |
| May 15 | 9:00 am - 3:00 pm | District Office, Room 129 |
| May 20 | 9:00 am - 3:00 pm | District Office, Room 129 |
| May 22 | 9:00 am - 3:00 pm | District Office, Room 129 |
Research Project Approval – Formative Assessment and Differentiated Instruction
DATE:
Thursday, April 9, 2026
TO:
All Elementary School Administrators
FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Assessment, Research and Accountability
SUBJECT:
Research Project
The Research Review Committee has reviewed a research project in which your school has been asked to participate.
Project Title: Supporting Students’ Diverse Reading Needs Using Formative Assessment and Differentiated Instruction in Tier I Small Groups
Applicant: Lisa Hendricks, Michigan State University
The project has been approved by the District Research Review Committee. The applicant has been directed to contact you to discuss the extent of the project. Participation in the study is at your discretion. If you have questions or concerns relating to participation, please contact Ben Jameson at 801-567-8243.
Participation in the study is optional. Participating teachers will take a survey and, depending on willingness and eligibility, may be asked to participate in subsequent focus groups about their use of formative assessment in instruction.
Thank you for your assistance.
SafeUT Clarification
DATE:
April 9, 2026
TO:
All administrators
FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
McKinley Withers, Health and Wellness Consultant
SUBJECT:
SafeUT Updates
Please note the following clarifications regarding SafeUT:
Imminent Risk
Imminent risk is considered when a SafeUT clinician (not a District employee) has determined there is a high enough risk for harm to themselves or others that the individual requires immediate attention. These are situations such as: an individual expresses both a desire and intent to die or harm others, has a specific plan and access to lethal means, or is reported by a reliable informant to be in such a state, active self-harm, active abuse, or is reported by a third party to be in such a state.
Tip Delivery Protocol
- Non-Imminent Risk Tips
-
- Sent during regular school hours (Mon–Fri, 7:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.).
- Batched during non-school hours and weekends for the following school day at 7 a.m.
- Imminent Risk Tips
- During school hours: Sent using the school’s priority contact list.
- Outside school hours: SafeUT attempts to gather sufficient information to contact parents or law enforcement for a welfare check. SafeUT will contact individuals according to assignments in the Dashboard, for which Matt Alvernaz is the after-hours priority for all schools. If Matt cannot be reached, McKinley Withers is the next contact. If neither is available, SafeUT may contact school administration or the AOS for assistance. If an after-hours contact handled the concern, it will be documented in the notes of the tip.
- Email and Text Notifications
Text and email notifications are based on an individual’s settings in the SafeUT Dashboard, if you are not receiving text notifications and would like to, email Angie Rasmussen (angie.rasmussen@jordandistrict.org) and include your cell phone number.
- Even if a tip is handled by an after-hours contact, it may still come through as a text/email after hours to ensure follow-up and awareness of the concern. There may also be instances where after-hours tips are sent by SafeUT, and the after-hours contacts are not called. If school staff log in to the dashboard after hours, it will show SafeUT that the tip was received by school staff, and they may not call the after-hours contact.
If you have any questions, please contact McKinley Withers or Angie Rasmussen.
Spring Panorama Student Feedback Surveys
DATE:
April 9, 2026
TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals
Survey Coordinators
FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
SUBJECT:
Panorama Student Feedback Survey Window – Spring 2026
The Spring 2026 Panorama student feedback survey window will open on Monday, April 20, 2026 and will close on Friday, May 15, 2026. Schools may access their student opt-in list by running this data mining report. Student Services provides the opt-in list to Panorama the week prior to the window closing and at least one time midway through the survey window. For additional information and resources please see the Panorama Student Feedback Survey Dates and Opt-In Report JAM sent on July 17, 2025. Other resources for administering surveys, survey questions, or general information about Panorama may be found on the Student Services website here.
Survey response rates may be accessed through your Panorama login and results are typically available the week following the last day of the survey window. Panorama has recently expanded the survey reporting tools and schools now have access to detailed disaggregation by demographics, cohort, trending, etc. There are also optional enhanced survey response training sessions from Panorama that are free for Jordan District. Please sign up here if you or anyone is interested at your school.
To assist with future scheduling, the 2026-27 survey windows are as follows:
- Fall
- Tuesday, September 8 – Friday, October 9, 2026
- Winter
- Friday, January 22 – Friday, February 19, 2027
- Spring
- Monday, April 19 – Friday, May 14, 2027
Schools wanting additional Panorama training should reach out to Travis Hamblin (travis.hamblin@jordandistrict.org).
May Guidance Meeting
DATE:
April 8, 2026
TO:
School Psychologists and School Psychology Interns
FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Fulvia Franco, Program Specialist – Guidance
SUBJECT:
May School Psychologist & School Psychology Interns Meeting
A meeting for school psychologists and school psychology interns has been scheduled for Friday, May 1, 2026, from 12:00 to 3:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Auxiliary Services Building (7905 South Redwood Road). We will start at 12:00 p.m. with a pot luck luncheon. Sam Goldstein, Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist at Huntsman Mental Health Institute, will provide us with a presentation titled “The Resistance Shield: Building Protective Systems Around At-Risk Youth.
Part-time Staff: I would appreciate it if you could adjust your schedules in order to attend this meeting.
cc: Principals
Threat Assessments (CSTAG) and FERPA
DATE:
April 9, 2026
TO:
All Administrators & Threat Assessment Teams
FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
McKinley Withers, Health and Wellness
Angie Rasmussen, Student Safety and Wellness Specialist
SUBJECT:
CSTAG and FERPA Short Training Video
Ensuring the safety and well-being of our students and staff is our highest priority. A well-understood threat assessment process is a vital component of a safe school environment. Health and Wellness is creating a series of "mini" training videos, focused on the critical aspects of the school threat assessment process. Each training video is under 5 minutes in duration and will review important components of CSTAG with the goal of increasing the use and benefits of threat assessment with fidelity.
5th Topic:
CSTAG and FERPA
This brief video is designed to provide all threat assessment team members with a review of critical components of threat assessment. This video demonstrates a CSTAG-focused team discussion following a very serious substantive threat assessment finding. The discussion reviews general points regarding FERPA and CSTAG.
Other important CSTAG reminders: If you want to train a staff member or threat assessment team member in CSTAG level 1, please email the request with the person’s name, title, and email address to Angie Rasmussen (angie.rasmussen@jordandistrict.org). CSTAG Level 1 is web-based through Navigate 360, and the training costs $100 per person. A request for reimbursement will be sent to the school after the staff member has been added.
To access CSTAG documents and resources use this link: CSTAG Resources
JSD Teacher Fellowship Applications Are Now Open
TO:
Administrators
FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning Department
Chris Richards-Khong, Associate Administrator of Teaching and Learning
The Jordan Teacher Leader Fellows program is searching for sixteen educators from a variety of teaching experiences. During their 2-year cohort, Teacher Leader Fellows will earn an annual $1500 stipend while engaging in a variety of professional learning experiences focused on teacher leadership skills and educational advocacy.
Check out our website for more details about the JSD Teacher Fellows Program at https://teacherfellows.jordandistrict.org
Applications close on May 15th, 2026.
Jordan District Teacher Fellows Application Link.
Will Your School Take Home the $1,000 Prize?
TO:
Principals
FROM:
Mike Haynes, Director of Jordan Education Foundation
The 2026 Challenge Run is back, and the stakes are higher than ever! This year, Jordan Education Foundation is awarding a $1,000 Grant to the school with the highest percentage of participation. This could be YOU!
The Challenge Obstacle Run is a family-friendly fundraising obstacle course run open to all ages and created to make a difference in Jordan District classrooms! Sponsored by local businesses and Jordan Education Foundation, 100% of proceeds go directly toward JEF Classroom Grants benefiting students & teachers in Jordan District!
Teachers are invited to participate for free by using promo code "Teacher2026".
The Challenge Run is open to the community with participation from all of our schools. The Run begins at 9 a.m. and ends with a free, fun family festival with lots of giveaways. Encouraging your school community to select your school when registering will increase your chances of winning the $1,000 Grant.
If you haven't participated in the Challenge Run, we would encourage you to give it a try either by participating in the race, or just dropping by for the post-race party! Bring your family, friends, and neighbors for a super fun morning!
Date: Saturday, May 9, 2026
Time: The race starts at 9 a.m., and the party will conclude around 12:00 PM
Location: Veterans Memorial Park, West Jordan
Note: A T-shirt is included in registration
Come see what all the fun is about! Click here for more details and to register online.
