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Associate Academic Vice-President John Rosenberg has sent this email out to all Teacher Education programs at BYU and asked them to forward the letter to every current student teacher. This does not apply to intern teachers.

Dear UCOTE members and EPP program coordinators,

As you are aware, information on COVID-19 continues to be generated and actions taken to control the spread of the coronavirus. As we have considered the most recent information about how the public school districts and state universities are handling the situation, we have decided that our student teachers may return home immediately, consistent with the instructions we have given all BYU students. However, since the semester is not over and the students are still enrolled as student teachers, they are asked to remain actively engaged with their host schools in delivering instruction remotely under the direction of their mentor teachers. Major program coordinators and university supervisors should reach out to individual students to address their questions and to discuss the remaining requirements for bringing the student teaching experience to a successful conclusion.

Thank you for your patience at this difficult time.

DATE:  
Thursday, March 19, 2020

TO:  
All Principals

FROM:    
Shelley Nordick, Ph.D., Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability

SUBJECT:  
State Data Gateway Operational


The state’s Data Gateway is now fully operational. School administrators may find the following data for the 2018-19 RISE and Utah Aspire Plus testing and school accountability:

  • Proficiency and growth
  • Proficiency over time
  • Proficiency movement
  • Demographically similar school report
  • Student level data that will include overall proficiency and growth, proficiency by reporting category and a comparison to teacher, school, district and state data.

Teachers may also access all of the above information as well as their previous students from last year or their current students’ data on the Data Gateway. They just need to register for an account using their Cactus ID number, if they haven’t already done so.

To access the Data Gateway, please use this link: https://datagateway.schools.utah.gov/

If you are having trouble logging into the Data Gateway, please contact Ben Jameson.

Jordan District Appeal Hearings are postponed until students return back to school.

Home & Hospital

  • H&H teachers should not be going out to homes or libraries working with students.
  • Schools that are providing the H&H teachers for their students may want to consider directing their students to do the online work from their assigned classroom teachers.
  • At this time, if any parent is requesting H&H services for their student, please direct them to the online instruction that is being provided by their current classroom teachers.  After students return back to the school, those students will be placed on Home & Hospital if it is still needed.

SafeUT is still available as a resource for students, parents and schools during this stressful time. There are master's level clinicians available to chat or call 24/7/365 and will continue to be available throughout the outbreak.

With schools closed they will be following the summer protocol until further notice.

There have been several recent inquiries about interview questions. The approved questions are available on the admin only website. These questions have been generated and vetted by administrators over the years. We use these questions for consistency. Questions that are not on the list need to be submitted to a Human Resource Administrator and can be used after they are added to the list.

DATE:  
March 12, 2020

TO:  
All Principals
2020 Graduating Interns

FROM: 
June LeMaster, Ph.D., Administrator, Human Resources
Brad Sorensen, Administrator of Schools
Laura Finlinson, Administrator of Schools

SUBJECT: 
Intern Graduations 2020


It is a long-standing practice in Jordan School District to allow full time, in state partnership university teacher interns to take one (1) day leave to attend either their own university commencement or convocation, without penalty.  This year, this practice is expanded to allow all full time university interns including teacher interns, school psychologist and counselor interns, etc., the same privilege.  Interns attending both in state and out of state university commencement ceremonies are allowed one (1) day; therefore, some interns may need to choose between commencement and convocation.

If a substitute is needed for coverage, the intern is responsible for requesting a substitute through Absence Management (formerly AESOP).  The absence reason entered should be “other” and in the blue “notes to administrator box”, the intern should add the following information “District excused 0050 - personal graduation”.  For additional assistance, please contact Juli Martin at 801-567-8219.

See dates for the in state 2020 University Commencement and Convocation Ceremonies on the attached memo.

DATE:  
March 12, 2020

TO: 
All Principals and Directors

FROM:     
June LeMaster, Ph.D., Administrator, Human Resources
Brad Sorensen, Administrator of Schools
Laura Finlinson, Administrator of Schools

SUBJECT:   
Employee Attendance at Relative's Graduation Exercises


This year, all high school graduation exercises are on Thursday, June 4, 2020, with the exception of Valley High School graduation on Wednesday, June 3, 2020.

Principals and Directors are encouraged to direct parents or grandparents who may wish to attend these graduations, but who are scheduled to work in their own locations to District Policy DP335 NEG and DP335B NEG. This policy specifically states: "Personal leave shall not be taken during the first five days and last five days that students are in school except...to attend to personal or business matters which require the employee's attendance and scheduling is beyond the employee's control."

Since graduation scheduling is beyond the employees’ control, it is desirable that immediate supervisors will cooperate and provide employees who may fall into this category, an opportunity to attend graduation ceremonies of family members.

Licensed employees are responsible for requesting a substitute through the Absence Management system (formerly AESOP), if applicable.  In the blue “Notes to Administrator” box, the employee should add “graduation” along with his/her relationship to the graduate.

For additional assistance, please contact Juli Martin in the sub office at 801-567-8219.

Cc:
Administrators of Schools

JL/am

The following are new administrative assignments:

TEACHING AND LEARNING

  • Assignments Effective As Soon As Possible
    • Ross Menlove, .5 FTE assistant principal at Ridge View Elementary and .5 FTE administrator on special assignment in Teaching & Learning appointed 1.0 FTE administrator on special assignment in Teaching & Learning.
    • Elizabeth Pollock, 1.0 FTE teacher specialist in Teaching & Learning appointed .5 FTE assistant principal at Ridge View Elementary and .5 FTE teacher specialist in Teaching & Learning.

Many of you have probably heard how we should take precautionary measures with the ongoing outbreak of the Coronavirus. Not only should we be washing our hands frequently, but there are a number of other additional measures we should consider as well.

The virus has had an immediate impact on the global supply chain for a number of goods and services you purchase for yourself and that we purchase as a District. You may have already noticed empty shelves at your favorite store for some of these items such as toilet paper, cleaning products, bottled water, food items or hand sanitizer. Don't worry, the warehouse will have plenty of those types of items for your schools and departments. Although not as currently noticeable, your electronic and technology items will also be suffering sooner rather than later. Let's get ahead of it now!

Many of the technology items we use every day such as Chromebooks, iPads, iMacs, laptops or LED projectors are either assembled in China other Southeast Asia countries, or have components manufactured in these countries. We are seeing a number of factories shut down in these countries because of the widespread Coronavirus outbreak. This has lead to a ripple effect in the electronics global supply chain, causing stock depletion with our distributors. Experts have no idea when production of these electronic components or devices will resume.

It is time to plan ahead for your technology needs for the 2020-21 school year now if you do not want to experience long lead times next year. It is highly recommended that you order your needed technology for next year now while there is still plenty of stock in our distributor warehouses and while prices are still low. We anticipate seeing less supply and higher prices by the time school starts in the Fall (or sooner), and depending on the length of the outbreak, it may take until late 2021 for supplies to recover.

Current pricing for many technology items is available on the Purchasing Department webpage under Vendors > Technology Pricing. Please feel free to reach out to Tonya Hodges if you have any questions or need assistance with quotes. She can be reached at tonya.hodges@jordandistrict.org or at 801-567-8706.

DATE:   
March 4, 2020

TO:  
School Psychologists, Elementary Counselors, School Social Workers, Secondary Counselors, and Health and Wellness Team

FROM:  
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Fulvia Franco, Program Specialist – Guidance
Stacee Worthen, Secondary Counselor Specialist
McKinley Withers, Health and Wellness Specialist

SUBJECT: 
March School Psychologist, Elementary Counselor, School Social Workers, Secondary Counselor, and Health and Wellness Team Meeting


A meeting for school psychologists, elementary counselors, school social workers, secondary counselors, and the Health and Wellness Team has been scheduled for Friday, March 20, 2020, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Jordan School District’s Auxiliary Services Building (7905 South Redwood Road). Denia-Marie Ollerton, CMHC, Safe UT Clinical Supervisor, will provide us with training on intervention with a student in a suicidal crisis. The training will also address JSD procedures for responding to students expressing suicidal ideation. We are requesting that school counseling teams in the secondary schools work with their administration to allow up to half of their team to participate in this training.

Part-time Staff: I would appreciate it if you could adjust your schedules in order to attend this meeting.

cc:
Principals

The last two custodial workshops for this school year will be on March 18th and May 20th in the ASB presentation room from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM. These workshops serve to train all the Head Custodians, and to update any new information pertinent to their positions. In an effort to insure that these workshops are productive trainings, the Custodial/Energy Services Department would like to address any ongoing, widespread problems or concerns that you might have. Additionally we are also looking for positive examples of individuals that are doing things right.

  • If you are aware of any issues or concerns that you feel need to be addressed in this workshop, please let me know about them, so that they can be addressed.
  • As a department, we are very interested in recognizing any custodial staff members that are doing an exceptional job. If you have someone on your custodial staff that deserves some public recognition for the exceptional job they are doing, please let us know. We are hoping that by having very specific examples, we can use these examples as best practices in our custodial workshop training to improve the service provided by all Custodian in the District.
  • As always, I am also very interested in individual concerns or problems so that our office can help those individuals with their training needs in a more private setting.

Thanks!

Steve Peart
Director of Custodial/Energy Services
801-567-8770
steve.peart@jordandistrict.org

AUDITS ARE POSTPONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

 

DATE: 
March 6, 2020

TO: 
Applicable School Principals and Administrative Assistants (Financial and Membership)
All Area Administrators of Schools and Administrative Assistants
Caleb Olson, Planning and Enrollment
Steven Harwood, Support Services and Programming Manager

FROM: 
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Daniel Ellis, Director of Accounting and Audits
Jason Mott, Accountant/Internal Auditor

SUBJECT:  
External Audit Visits


Please see attached memo.

DATE:
March 2, 2020

TO:
All Principals

FROM:
Administrator of Schools
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services
Caleb Olson, Consultant of Planning and Enrollment
Scott Festin, Consultant of Planning and Enrollment

SUBJECT:
Student Enrollment for February 2020


Please see document below.

DATE:
March 4, 2020

TO:
All School Administrators
All School Lead Administrative Assistants

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Kurt Prusse, Director of Purchasing
Dan Ellis, Director of Accounting

SUBJECT:
School P-Card Authorization and Distribution


With more and more schools transitioning away from checkbooks to the consolidated financial system, we are pleased to expand the P-Card (procurement or purchasing card) option to more positions at schools.

The next page lists all school positions now authorized to have a P-Card and the allotted number of cards per school. The Principal, in consultation with the Lead Administrative Assistant, should determine who receives the allotment of cards among the positions listed. Just because a position is listed does not mean the person should receive a P-Card.

Although many would like to have P-Cards, it is simply not prudent to distribute large quantities of them. Therefore, we are targeting those positions we feel will benefit everyone the most (i.e. those making large numbers of small purchases throughout a year). Purchase Orders, NPOs, and reimbursing employees remains the better option instead of infrequent, irregular use of a P-Card.

This remains an optional program. If these positions do not need or want a P-Card, that is fine. Additionally, receiving a P-Card is a privilege not a right. If a supervisor, Accounting, or Purchasing feel the P-Card is being misused or that P-Card rules are not being followed, it can be revoked.

Thank you for your support, understanding, and assistance in this effort. If you have any questions or concerns, please call Kurt (x88701), Dan (x88389) or John (x88148).

DATE:    
Thursday, February 20, 2020

TO:  
All Principals

FROM: 
Shelley Nordick, Ph.D., Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability

SUBJECT: 
School Administrator Exploration of JPAS Data


We are excited to announce the availability of a series of Tableau dashboards that contain JPAS data for the past three school years at the district, school and teacher levels. These dashboards may be found in the following location in your Tableau Viewer account:

For School-Level Aggregate Data:
Explore > JPAS Analysis, 2017-2019 > JPAS Analysis Dashboard, 2017-2019

For Teacher-Level Data:
Explore > JPAS Analysis, 2017-2019 > [Your School’s Name] JPAS Analysis – Teacher Level

Because school administrators have never had access to JPAS data like this before, the Evaluation, Research & Accountability Department is offering data exploration sessions to principals and assistant principals to assist them in better understanding the data and its implications for instruction and professional development. All school administrators are strongly encouraged to attend a session.

School administrators need only attend one session:

Date Time Level Comments
Tuesday, Mar. 24, 2020 8:00 - 11:00 am Elementary All sessions will be held at the ASB in PDC 103.

 

Register on JPLS using course # 101544.

 

School Administrators need attend only one session.

 

Bring a device and your Tableau login information.

12:30 – 3:30 pm Elementary
Wednesday, Mar. 25, 2020 8:00 - 11:00 am Elementary
12:30 – 3:30 pm Secondary
Thursday, Mar. 26, 2020 8:00 - 11:00 am Secondary
12:30 – 3:30 pm Secondary

Save-the-Date:  Milestone Surveillance Software Training

All Schools are invited to attend a training on the Milestone surveillance software.  Principals, hall monitors, school resource officers, or the appropriate designee are welcome.  Anyone who needs training on how to access the camera system, pull recordings, setting up views, and any additional questions you may have, please invite them.

Training will be approximately 60 minutes and will be held in the Presentation Room at the Auxiliary Services Building. Please use Entrance C.

Tuesday, March 3, 2020, 10:00 a.m.