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Category: Other Administrators

Published on

DATE: 
October 8, 2026

TO:  
Principals       
All Special Educators and Related Service Providers

FROM: 
Lisa Robinson, Administrator of Schools
Brain King, Director of Special Education

SUBJECT: 
Important Deadline--Please Read Immediately
SCRAM Data Due by the end of day Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Updating SCRAM for December 1 Funding Count

For the 2026-27 school year our procedure will be to Submit IEP (SCRAM) electronically through Embrace ONLY.

 Please be sure to Submit IEP (SCRAM) immediately after holding an IEP meeting or Amendments.

NEW PROCESS FOR CHANGES/CORRECTIONS:
Mark/Add changes and/or corrections ON the SCRAM report, sign it, and return to Jen Warkentine at the District Office. Do not Submit IEP (SCRAM) through Embrace for corrections, unless it’s for a NEW student or an Initial Eval.
Jen will verify the changes on the report and contact you if further action needs to be taken.
*Preschool/CDC, please refer to Merrie Allen for procedures.*
If you have any questions. Please contact the Teacher Specialist assigned to your school or Jen Warkentine, jen.warkentine@jordandistrict.org.

 Reminders:

  • Please take note of the date that the report was printed (top right corner) and be aware that if IEP (SCRAM) documents were submitted after the print date, they will not appear on the report, but submitting multiple events is not necessary and slows the entry process.
  • You must click Submit IEP button, to notify Jen Warkentine that there has been a change to the student's service and placement page, or the enrollment tracking.

This report reflects students served during the current school year. Carefully review the following:

Check mark (√ ) in front of the student’s name
Put a check mark in front of each student’s name, if ALL information is correct (the student is currently enrolled and scrammed at your school and receives the same special education/related services and minutes listed on the report). The SCRAM document must match the student’s active IEP.

  • If a student being served in special education is not on the SCRAM report, please Submit an IEP (SCRAM) document with the entry date reflecting the date services began for this school year by the end of day Wednesday, November 04, 2026. If they are not on this printout, they are not on record as receiving services at your school.
  • Cross out any students who are no longer receiving services at your school. Fill out the Enrollment tracking, and Submit an IEP (SCRAM) document. An IEP (SCRAM) can be submitted multiple times, so please be sure to click Submit IEP, to notify Jen Warkentine that there is a change to the enrollment. If an exit date is already listed in the SCRAM exit column on the report, nothing else needs to be done. Students who are released from services and are still active at your school will continue to appear on the report until the end of the year with the date they were exited from services.
  • If you are not aware of a student that is listed on the printout (and the student has not been exited from services), you should follow-up with that student who is now in your building. Sometimes teams are not aware of students who have entered their school and should be receiving services. Please Submit an IEP (SCRAM), which either identifies the services the student will receive or which exits the student from services (procedures must be followed for terminating a student from services).
  • If the IEP team has changed a student’s services, the changes must be documented on the Service and Placement page and a new IEP (SCRAM) document must be submitted by clicking Submit IEP. Remember that parents must be involved in any decision to amend IEP services and must receive a copy of the revised IEP.
  • Students classified as Developmentally Delayed (DD) must be re-classified prior to their 9th birthday (regardless of the 3-year re-evaluation due date). Students who maintain a DD classification after their 9th birthday cannot be submitted for funding and will not be counted towards your schools’ numbers for staffing purposes.

Every section of the Service and Placement page must be filled out completely, and IEP (SCRAM) document submitted, or the student’s record cannot be submitted to the State for funding (this includes the student number, school name, eligibility, all services and amount of time per week, start/end dates, environment and regular percent codes, health services, etc.). If information is missing, the record will not be sent to the State for funding counts.

Please make sure to correctly fill out the Assessment Addendum form, with current year and next year participation of the Alternate Assessment by marking PAA in the appropriate boxes, if the student will be taking the DLM/alternative testing as per their IEP. Additionally, students classified as EBD, SLI or SLD should not be marked as DLM/alternative testing, as the state does not consider them to have significant cognitive disability. If they do qualify, they will need to be re-classified.

We recognize that the timeline for submitting this required information is short, but all data must be entered into Skyward by December 1 to make the submission deadline for the Utah State Office of Education.

 If you have questions contact the Teacher Specialist assigned to your school or Jen Warkentine at (801)567-8207. Thank you for your conscientious efforts to complete this critical information. The deadline for returning SCRAM reports and all corrected information and/or new SCRAM information is listed below:

Friday, November 4, 2026

Published on

TO:
JSD Administrators

FROM:
Carolyn Gough, Administrator of Teaching & Learning
Curtis Jenson, Assistant Director of Teaching & Learning

We had the chance in this week’s Principal meeting to spend the day with Jan Hoegh talking about how our work over the past year with Proficiency Scales translates into next steps with assessment and reporting. While we do that work, we have the unique chance to participate in a book study with Jan this spring using her book Planning & Teaching in the Standards-Based Classroom.

 The book study will happen during three 75-minute virtual sessions with Jan Hoegh. While dates are still being finalized, they will occur in February, March and April of 2027. We will provide all participants with a copy of the book to use throughout the book study and beyond. All JSD administrators are invited to participate in this optional book study.

Interested? Let us know here and we’ll get you a copy of the book.

We’ll keep you posted on exact dates and times for the book study. We just want it to be on your radar while it’s fresh. It’s unusual to get the chance to talk in this setting with the leading expert in the field while we’re actually doing the things she’s writing about. If you’re interested, let us know and we’ll get the book for you. If the final dates for the book study don’t work for you, at least you have access to the source material.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources
Jane Olsen, Administrator of Talent Acquisition

Current JSD Administrators serving as directors, consultants, or assistant principals are eligible for principal assignment consideration at any time. Each November, the Superintendent's Cabinet also conducts an optional interest interview for current JSD Administrators, who may participate every four years.

Eligibility:

  • Must be a current director, consultant, or assistant principal.
  • Have not been interviewed for a Principal position in the last four years.
  • Interested and eligible current JSD Administrators should complete the application in Frontline.

Additional Information:

  • The application window is from August 15th through November 1st, 2026, at 11:59 P.M.
  • Selecting a preference for a principal assignment in an elementary, middle, high, special education, or District Office area is required.
  • Interviews will be held on November 11, 2026, in the District Office Executive Conference Room.

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources
McKinley Withers, Administrator of Employee Experience and Wellness

Administrators,

You’re invited to a special 30-minute mindfulness session created FOR YOU, the hard-working leaders of our schools and district. The Employee Experience & Wellness Team is offering a quick virtual mindfulness reset for Administrators once per month throughout the school year, come once or come every month. Each session will be led by Anna Smyth and will occur live, virtually, from 12:30-1:00 on the dates listed below.

We acknowledge that there isn’t an easy time for administrators to attend to their own wellness, but we hope that you can carve out 30-minutes one time per month to center on your needs. If multiple administrators would like to attend from a school site, we suggest rotating supervision obligations to accommodate attendance on different months. We hope to see you sometime this year!

Use this link to add October’s session to your Google Calendar.

Come as you are! No experience necessary. Zoom information and future dates are pasted below: 

Mindful Leadership: A Monthly Reset

Give yourself 30 minutes to pause, recharge, and reconnect with how you want to lead. These monthly drop-in Zoom sessions offer school and district administrators a space to rest, reset, and gather practical tools for navigating challenges with greater clarity, steadiness, and compassion.

 Anna Smyth is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Mindful Leadership: A Monthly Reset
Time: Oct 14, 2026 12:30 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)

 Join Zoom Meeting
https://slcc-edu.zoom.us/j/89897030325?pwd=DLw8BU3IIb9BUpJlqO1aeiB4adtABt.1

 Meeting ID: 898 9703 0325
Passcode: 990803

October 14, 2026 @ 12:30-1:00 February 17, 2027
November 11, 2026 March 17, 2027
December 9, 2026 April 21, 2027
January 13, 2027 May 19, 2027

 

Published on

TO:
All Administrators

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of Human Resources
Brittany Bauer, Administrator of Data & Operations

Administrators who are resigning or retiring effective at the end of the current contract or calendar year may be eligible for a tiered early-notification incentive. To qualify, administrators must submit their official resignation or retirement notification online on or before the applicable deadline listed below.

The incentive amount will be based on the date the official online notification is received.

Mid-Year Resignation (December) Notification:

  • August 15, 2026 $1,000.00
  • September 15, 2026 $600.00
  • October 15, 2026 $200.00

End of Contract Year Resignation (June) Notification:

  • December 1, 2026 $1,000.00
  • January 15, 2026 $600.00
  • February 15, 2026 $200.00

The incentive will be paid on the last regular paycheck. Notifications of resignation or retirement received after the dates listed above will not qualify for an incentive. The official District resignation/retirement notification form is found in Qmlativ under “Employee Access”. Please see District policy DP318 or DP319 for more detailed information regarding resignations and/or retirements. If you do not know your Qmlativ username or password, please contact the Help Desk at 801-567-8737.


Published on

TO:
All Administrators
All Administrative Assistants

FROM:
April Gaydosh, Administrator of HR
Rebecca Eastman, HR Generalist

If you are a contracted employee and need to take Annual/Personal Leave before or after Thanksgiving on a “Critical Day” for any reason not listed in policy DP335NEG or DP335B, you must submit a request as follows:

How to Request

During the window, the employee must send the request through email. Please include your name, school, position, and the date you are requesting the leave. Requests left on voicemail or over the phone will NOT be accepted.

Licensed employees submit their request to licensedpersonalleave@jordandistrict.org

Education Support Professionals submit their request to classifiedpersonalleave@jordandistrict.org

The employee will receive an email confirmation within two working days after submitting the request. If the employee does not receive a confirmation email, then Human Resources has NOT received your request and your leave will not be approved.

*Critical Days are the first student attendance days before or after a school holiday. If a non-student attendance day falls before or after a school holiday, the Critical Day is the day before or after that non-student attendance day when students are in attendance.

Licensed
Licensed Annual/Personal Leave Taken on a Critical Day 26-27

ESP
ESP Annual/Personal Leave Taken on a Critical Day 26-27

Published on

DATE: 
October 8, 2026

TO:
Principals and Assistant Principals

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

SUBJECT:  
Wearable Emergency Alert Devices

2026 Utah H.B. 84 requires silent wearable alert devices in schools. The District has elected to work with Centegix for the new wearable emergency alert devices. We want to make you aware that as part of the grant process, individual school administrators were listed as points of contact per the form requirements. However, this grant and rollout will be handled at the district level through Student Services, Facilities, and Information Systems. More information regarding the rollout, training, and implementation of the devices will be coming in the future. No action on the part of the schools is required at this time.

If you are contacted by Centegix or USBE directly, please refer them to Matt Alvernaz, School Safety Coordinator, or Buddy Alger, Director of Student Services.

For questions or concerns, contact the School Safety Coordinator, Matt Alvernaz, at matt.alvernaz@jordandistrict.org or by phone at (801) 567-8623.

Published on

TO:
Administrators
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Lisa LeStarge, Administrative Assistant

Final Reminder:
The Business and Auxiliary Services Department Training will be held October 15, 2026 from 8:00 a.m. to noon at the Auxiliary Services Building Presentation Room. This training opportunity is for new administrators and interns; and new school or department personnel who would like a complete overview of the Business or Auxiliary Services Departments. The draft agenda is attached.

If you would like to participate in this session, please send an email to Lisa LeStarge, at lisa.lestarge@jordandistrict.org.

Published on

TO:
Administrators

FROM:
McKinley Withers, HR Administrator

Employee Wellness is coming to you!

Throughout the 2026-27 school year, the Employee Wellness Team will be doing site visits in partnership with the Employee Benefits Team.

All you need to do is pick a day that works for your school/worksite! We will set up in a faculty room or shared space for employees to bring treats, information, and handouts, along with an open-ended invitation for employees to share their experience and suggestions for our growing wellness program.

To schedule your worksite visit, use this appointment scheduler link. The default site visit time is during your school/worksite’s lunches (10:30-1:30). If you’d like to arrange a different time (before or after school) or have questions about expectations, contact McKinley Withers (cell: 801-448-1404, mckinley.withers@jordandistrict.org). We look forward to seeing you at your worksite!

In addition to these scheduled Site Visits, our team would love to conduct a brief professional development for your staff. Contact McKinley to schedule professional development for ANY employee group.

Published on

DATE:
October 1, 2026

TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals
School Safety Specialists

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

SUBJECT:
Monthly Drill Preparation (LOCKDOWN)

Our monthly drill preparation meeting will be held on October 7th at 2:40 PM, 3:10 PM, and again at 3:40 PM. Each session will last about 20 minutes. This month we will be covering LOCKDOWN.  Each School Safety Specialist is expected to attend along with administrators assigned to oversee school safety.  All other administrators are welcomed to attend as well. The meeting is also open to any staff who may be interested.

After each monthly training, all school staff should be trained by the administrator over school safety and the School Safety Specialist. After being trained each month, teachers should educate their students on each safety drill. Additionally, schools should communicate with their patrons regarding Standard Response Protocol(s) (SRP) and the drill being conducted each month. Videos, handouts, and other resources can be found at the link(s) below.

Information regarding the LOCKDOWN response protocol can be found in the Jordan School District Safety Manual on pages 12-14.  We will discuss how to implement and execute the drill.  This will be an opportunity to ask questions and share ideas amongst the schools.

We will be holding this meeting over ZOOM so please join using this link.

 

Published on

TO:
Principals
Assistant Principals
Elementary Administrative Assistants
Secondary Attendance Secretaries
Secondary Registrars

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Buddy Alger, Director, Student Services
Scott Festin, Student Services Administrator of Planning

Student Services will be hosting training opportunities for staff to prepare for the 2027-28 permit season on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. The Open Enrollment window opens on Sunday, November 15, 2026 this year. This training will be geared towards Administrators overseeing permits in their building and office staff that process applications. It is especially appropriate for administrators and staff that are new to permits. Sessions will not be targeted at any specific audience, so individuals are welcome to attend either session.

Both sessions will be held at the District Office, Room 129. Due to updated security protocols at the District Office, please remember to bring your ID badge.

Please register for all sessions using this link: 2027-28 Permit Training Signup

Date Time Location
Wednesday, October 28 9:00-11:00 AM District Office, Room 129
Wednesday, October 28 1:00-3:00 PM District Office, Room 129

Permit questions should be addressed to Scott Festin, Student Services Administrator of Planning, scott.festin@jordandistrict.org, x88370

Published on

TO:
All Employees

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Sandy Reisgraf, Director of Communications
Mike Heaps, Director of Information Systems
Steffany Ellsworth, Manager in Information Systems.

SUBJECT:
Notice of Upcoming Emergency Notification Drill – 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 16

Do you want to know if schools, District offices, and departments are closed due to a snow day this winter? Are you properly set up to receive emergency alerts in ParentSquare so you know when it happens?

Having up-to-date contact information is critical if you want to receive important messages. If your contact information is incorrect in Qmlativ Employee Access, you won’t receive essential alerts from both your school and Jordan District in the event of an emergency, severe weather event, or unexpected school or districtwide closure. 

Jordan School District will be conducting an emergency notification drill on Friday, Oct. 16 at 11 a.m. The purpose of this drill is to test our mass notification capabilities and ensure that all employees are properly set up to receive timely, accurate information during an unexpected emergency or school closure, like a snow day. The test will be conducted simultaneously through phone calls and SMS text messages. 

As referenced in JEM dated Aug. 18, 2026, all employees were asked to log into Qmlativ Employee Access to review and update their contact information. Our emergency alert system relies entirely on the contact information provided by you. If your details are outdated or inaccurate, the system will be unable to reach you. 

  • What to expect during the drill? 
    • What: Automated phone call and text messages, clearly identifying the communication as a DRILL/TEST.
    • When: Friday, Oct. 16, 2026 at 11 a.m.
    • Who: All employees 
  • What to do after the drill? 
    • Check with your co-workers to confirm if they received the test call and text message. 
    • If you did not receive the notification, log into Qmlativ Employee Access and follow the instructions in the JEM previously sent in August. 
    • Reach out to the Information Systems help desk if you have any trouble updating your phone contact information at 801-567-8737 or extension 88737. 

Published on

DATE:
October 1, 2026

TO:
All Administrators
All Office Staff

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Michael Heaps, Director of Information Systems
Steven Harwood, Assistant Director of Application Development

SUBJECT: Skyward Student System Maintenance

The Skyward Student System, including Family and Student Access, will be unavailable during a system upgrade from 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 30th, until noon on Saturday, October 31st.

We appreciate your patience while we perform this system upgrade.

 

Published on

DATE:
October 1, 2026

TO:
All Administrators
All Office Staff

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Michael Heaps, Director Information Systems
Steffany Ellsworth, Manager - Support Services, Information Systems

SUBJECT: 
2026 Utah Skyward User Conference

Happy fall, y’all! With fall comes the annual Utah Skyward User Conference. This year, it’s even more exciting as you’ll get a sneak peek at Qmlativ, the new student management system that we will be implementing! Join us on Thursday, November 5th at Canyons School District in their Support Services Center. Please see the agenda for the address and session times. 

This conference is a great opportunity to learn directly from Skyward experts, as sessions are taught by their staff. This year’s lineup includes several outstanding sessions focused on both Qmlativ Finance and Qmlativ Student. This conference is a great chance to preview how the Qmlativ Student system looks, operates, and can make your daily work easier. 

During these sessions, there will be an opportunity to ask questions. However, if you have an issue that may be more timely to resolve, we ask that you contact our helpdesk for assistance. 

We hope this year’s conference will inspire you with new insights, practical tips, and a deeper understanding of what’s possible in Skyward. There is no need to register in advance. For questions about attending the conference, please feel free to call the Help Desk at extension 88737.

Published on

DATE:
September 24, 2026

TO: 
Principals and Assistant Principals

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Buddy Alger, Director of Student Services
Michelle Reyes, CARE Team Specialist

SUBJECT:
Panorama Student Feedback Survey Dates, Opt-In Report & Survey Coordinator Resources

The Panorama Social-Emotional Wellness survey may only be administered to students whose parents have opted-in. Parents are asked to opt-in to the student feedback survey during the yearly school registration process. When the online registration process closes on Oct. 1 schools will need to manually enter the opt-in consent received after that date into Skyward. Attached is a digital copy of the parent opt-in consent from the online registration information.

2026-27 Panorama Survey Windows:

  • Fall- October 5, 2026-November 6, 2026
  • Winter- January 22, 2027 – February 19, 2027
  • Spring- April 19, 2027 – May 11, 2027

Action for Schools

  • School Panorama Survey Coordinators should print out the list of students who have opted-in and provide teachers administering the survey with the list of students in their classes that have opted-in. The student opt-in list can be accessed through Skyward using this data mining report.
    • Most secondary schools use the advisory period teachers to administer the survey and post the link panoramaed.com/utahjordan in Canvas or Google Classroom
    • Most elementary schools share the link panoramaed.com/utahjordan in Canvas or Google Classroom and use grade level teachers to administer the survey

The following information is provided to inform and assist you as you administer student surveys:

  • The list of students who may take the survey (opted-in) will be provided to Panorama before and at mid-window during the administration of the survey by Student Services. Only opted-in students will be able to log in and take the survey. If students are unable to login to take the survey, it is likely that they have not been opted-in. Teachers should refer to the list.
    • If there are students who are on the opted-in list, but are having log-in issues, the school survey coordinator should contact Panorama directly for assistance at support+utahjordan@panoramaed.com. Student Services does not have the ability to manage access to surveys.
  • Survey coordinators and administrators should view the Administering Panorama Survey presentation for information, instructions, and guidance regarding the student feedback surveys.
  • The updated Panorama Dashboard with your school data will be available 7 days after the survey window closes.

Questions? Contact Buddy Alger (buddy.alger@jordandistrict.org) or Michelle Reyes (michelle.reyes@jordandistrict.org) at 801-567-8183.

Published on

TO:
Administrators and Administrative Assistant/ All Staff

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Sarah Palmer, Director of Payroll

With the beginning of the new school year comes new pay rates along with new deductions. All employees are encouraged to log in to Skyward Employee Access and review the following:

Salary placement and Hours Per Day (FTE)
• ASSIGNMENTS tile - make sure you are in the 2026-2027 (Current) year at the top of the screen
• Open the assignment by clicking the arrow to view the assignment details

Paycheck - insurance premiums, deductions, name, address, phone, tax exemptions (from your Form W4)
• PAYROLL CHECK HISTORY tile

Paychecks that are not direct deposit will be held in Human Resources for pickup. You can sign up for direct deposit through Employee Access (DIRECT DEPOSIT PRIMARY ACCOUNT tile).

Your actual paycheck is available to view up to two (2) days prior to payday each month in the PAYROLL CHECK HISTORY tile. If you have questions, please contact the following:

Help Desk: 801-567-8737 (Employee Access login & password assistance)
Payroll: 801-567-8154 or email payroll@jordandistrict.org
Insurance: 801-567-8146 or email insurance@jordandistrict.org
Human Resources: 801-567-8150 or email hr@jordandistrict.org

** This information and tutorials can also be found on Payroll’s website at payroll.jordandistrict.org/employee.

• Name Changes (EMPLOYEE NAME CHANGE REQUEST FORM tile)
• Address Changes (EMPLOYEE PROFILE tile - ’Edit by Online Form’ next to
EMPLOYEE DETAILS- CONTACT INFORMATION UPDATE tile)
• View W4 Tax Information (MENU/PAYROLL/TAX INFORMATION)

 

Published on

TO:
School and District Administrators

FROM:
Michael Anderson, Associate Superintendent
Michelle Love-Day, Director LCS

Please enjoy the September Language and Culture Newsletter. In this edition you will find:

Dates for administrator compliance workshops (link)
ELLevation strategies (flyer attached)
Information about our ML Family night (flyer attached)

Published on

TO:
New Administrators & Interns
New School or Department personnel
Administrative Assistants

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
Lisa LeStarge, Administrative Assistant

Training will be provided by the Business and Auxiliary Services Departments on October 15, 2026 from 8:00 a.m. to noon at the Auxiliary Services Building Presentation Room. This training opportunity is for new administrators and interns; and new school or department personnel including principals, assistant principals, administrative assistants, clerks, aides or others with responsibilities correlating with the Business or Auxiliary Services Departments. The draft agenda is attached.

If you would like to participate in this session, please send an email to Lisa LeStarge, at lisa.lestarge@jordandistrict.org. The total number of participants in this session will be capped at 60 (plus presenters). Attendees will be provided with a link to hand-outs provided by the presenters so they can be viewed during the training or downloaded for future use.