Skip to content

Category: Middle School Info

Published on

TO:
Principals

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Amanda Bollinger, Associate Administrator, Teaching & Learning
Amy Lloyd, K-12 Math Consultant, Teaching & Learning

On February 12, 2026, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., we will be hosting a professional learning session on “Leveraging Language Objectives” in your math class.

This hands-on workshop will equip teachers with practical strategies to foster academic language and deepen students’ conceptual understanding. Participants will learn how to design lessons that integrate math vocabulary and encourage meaningful classroom discourse, supporting student success. Middle school teachers have received invitations via email, and district-covered substitutes will be provided.

Here is a link to a flyer with registration information.

Thank you for your support in reminding teachers of this opportunity!

 

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources
Brittany Bauer, HR Specialist

We are pleased to announce an important update regarding the license renewal process; the Board has changed administrative rules to reduce the burden for active educators. Educators holding a Professional Educator License with experience in a Utah educational agency, school, school district or charter for the past five (5) years are no longer required to complete the license renewal form or obtain an administrator’s signature.  Educators complete more than 100 hours of professional learning and collaboration within the context of their jobs. Use this quick tool to determine if the form is required for you. For additional information, you may refer to the Step-by-Step Guide to Educator License Renewals.

Steps to Renew

  • Complete renewal form with administrator signature, if required (Do I have to complete the renewal form? tool).
  • Login to USIMS.schools.utah.gov.
  • Complete the USIMS Professional Educator License Renewal Process (Link to detailed steps - Google Doc). 
    • Utah Educator Ethics Review
    • Complete ALL CHECKLIST TASKS
      • USBE Student Data Privacy Course is no longer required. You may check the box indicating, “I have completed the student data privacy course” in USIMS even though you have not done it. This is a temporary work around.
    • Report 100 renewal hours completed, if required.
    • Complete/Finalize “Professional License Renewal”.
    • Go to “License Info/Print License” to verify your license has been renewed; new expiration date will be 6/30/2030.

If you have not worked for all of the previous five (5) years, you must complete the Professional Educator License (PEL) Renewal Form to renew your license. The form may be completed either digitally (PDF) or printed and filled out manually. The educator must document a minimum of 100 hours of renewal activity. 

Complete the online renewal process in Utah Schools Information Management System (USIMS). Educators should only finalize the renewal in USIMS once ALL requirements have been completed and the form has been reviewed and signed by a licensed administrator or other approved authority. The signed/approved form is then maintained by the educator and is not submitted to USBE unless the educator is notified of a monitoring review. Failure to maintain documentation and follow licensing procedures may result in a repeal of your license renewal and referral to the USBE Utah Professional Practices Advisory Commission (UPPAC).

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources
Angela Montague, HR Administrative Assistant Lead

New for the 2025-2026 school year, administrative substitutes should be requested under the following guideline:

• Principals (all levels) who will be absent from the building for three (3) or more consecutive days.
• Assistant Principals (elementary level) who will be absent from the building for three (3) or more consecutive days.
• Assistant Principals (secondary level) who will be absent from the building for five (5) or more consecutive days.

All requests for an administrative substitute should be made through the following link on the Admin Only HR webpage.

• Under HR Resources, select Substitutes – the google form to submit your request is found under Tutorials.
• Under Information, you can view a list of Current Admin Subs or any Admin Sub Bio’s.
• All admin sub requests will be filled by Angela Montague, HR Administrative Assistant.
• You will receive an email confirmation when the assignment is filled and Angela will enter the sub assignment in Frontline as well as request badge access for the admin sub.

Please contact Angela directly with any questions at 801-567-8222 or angela.montague@jordandistrict.org.

Published on

TO:
Principal

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Amanda Bollinger, Associate Administrator, Teaching & Learning
Amy Lloyd, K-12 Math Consultant, Teaching & Learning

On January 26, 2026 from 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., we will be hosting a professional learning session on “How the Brain Learns Math” in the Presentation Room at the ASB. Middle and High school teachers have been invited via email to attend this session and substitutes will be covered by the district.

The session includes an engaging workshop with Dr. Amber Gardner focused on how the brain learns math. Your support in reminding teachers about this valuable professional learning opportunity is greatly appreciated. This session will provide the opportunity for teachers to collaborate, with a focus on enhancing instruction, increasing student engagement, and improving student achievement.

Here is the link for the registration.

Thank you for your support!

Published on

DATE: 
January 15, 2026

TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals
Survey Coordinators

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Travis Hamblin, Director of Student Services

SUBJECT:
Panorama Student Feedback Survey Window – Winter 2026

The winter 2026 Panorama student feedback survey window will open on Thursday, January 29, 2026 and will close on Friday, February 27, 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.

The Spring survey window is April 20, 2026 - May 15, 2026.

Schools wanting additional Panorama training should reach out to Travis Hamblin (travis.hamblin@jordandistrict.org).

Published on

TO:
Administrators

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Kaye Rizzuto, Social Studies Consultant

The America 250 Student Awards program is an exciting opportunity for students and their families to celebrate the founding of the United States through creative projects, community service, and more. This initiative is open to all K-12 students.

Key Details:

* How to Participate:
• Students select activities from the official list.
• Activities can be completed individually or with family involvement.
• Students collect signatures as they complete each activity.
• Completed forms must be submitted (by photo or scan) by April 10, 2026.

* Recognition:
• Awards will be presented at a special celebration in May (details forthcoming).

* Action Steps for Principals:
• Share this opportunity with students, teachers, and families.
• Encourage school-wide participation.

Let’s help our students make history and show their American pride. More information, including submission links and the official activity list, will be provided as available.

Published on

DATE:
Thursday, January 15, 2026

TO:
All School Administrators

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching and Learning
Ben Jameson, Director of Evaluation, Research and Accountability
Michelle Love-Day, Director of Language & Culture Services

SUBJECT:
Navigating Parental Exclusion Requests with the WIDA Access

The annual administration of the WIDA Access is mandated by the federal government, which uses this assessment to hold schools accountable for providing an equitable education for multi-language learners.  This accountability stems from the 1974 Supreme Court case Lau v. Nichols where a California school district was sued because it was not providing language services to many of its ML students.  This Supreme Court case essentially preserves a student’s civil right to an equitable education and the federal government has chosen to use the WIDA Access as a way to hold school districts accountable for providing an equitable education to English learners.

The WIDA Access is federally mandated, which means that parents cannot opt their students out of taking the test.  Because of the part this assessment plays in a student’s educational rights, parents do not have the power to revoke a student’s civil right to take the WIDA Access.  Thus, the state was required to remove the WIDA Access from the parental exclusion form a few years ago.

So, what happens when a parent insists that their child not take the WIDA Access? USBE has provided the following guidance:

“Parents/guardians can elect to exclude students out of language services, but they cannot exclude students from WIDA ACCESS.  LEAs must provide the student with the opportunity to test.  LEAs should document everything if parents/guardians refuse to allow their student to test.  Parents/guardians always have the ultimate right, but LEAs cannot provide parents/guardians a testing exclusion form to sign in order to opt the student out of testing.  The only way a student can be deemed proficient and be reclassified as a former EL is by taking ACCESS.”

The following are the recommended procedures to follow when a parent/guardian wants to opt their student out of the WIDA Access:

  • The school administration should discuss any or all of the attached talking points with the student’s parent. School administrators may also provide this parent handout created by USBE for the WIDA ACCESS.
  • If the parent still insists that their child not participate in the WIDA Access, then the school should document the parent’s refusal using their school opt out log already available to school test coordinators to note the parental exclusion.
  • Schools may accept a parental exclusion in writing, but they cannot provide an opt out form to exclude students from the WIDA Access.

Please contact Ben Jameson in Assessment, Research & Accountability with any questions or concerns regarding these procedures.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
JSD Cabinet Members

In an effort to include more staff members, schools and departments may now offer their Health and Wellness breakfast or lunch beginning on Friday, January 30, 2026.

See below for more details.

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

Published on

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.

Published on

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.

Published on

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
  • There is a $175 stipend for teachers that attend.
  • Hourly employees who do not work that day, can submit a timesheet.
  • For hourly employees that are working a contract day, please get prior approval from your supervisor to attend.

Published on

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).

Published on

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.

Published on

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.

Published on

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.

Published on

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.

Published on

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.