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The Teaching and Learning Department will offer GT endorsement classes during the 2021-2022 school year.  Please see the attached documents for detailed information and relay this information to anyone on your staff who may be interested in earning a GT endorsement.

Teachers can work with a JSD Cohort to complete the Professional Level USBE Programming & Software Development Endorsement. Cohort begins May 10, 2021. Some of the endorsement requirements are waived through working in this cohort. Plan is approved by USBE and USU. One college course will be taken per semester, with the Professional Level Endorsement completed by Summer 2023. Tuition costs may be reimbursable through the STEM Endorsement Incentive Program.

Interested teachers should complete the Cohort Survey by May 5th. Link to Survey

If you need more information or have questions, please reach out to Kami Taylor, kami.taylor@jordandistrict.org, 801-567-8621.

Memorial Day Annual/Personal Leave Lottery Request

If you are a contracted employee and need to take Annual/Personal Leave before or after Memorial 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.

School Holiday Date of Holiday Window
Memorial Day May 31, 2021 April 16 – April 26, 2021

https://employment.jordandistrict.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/Annual-PersonalLeaveBeforeAfterHoliday-20-21-Rev.pdf

District support staff are among the unsung heroes of the Jordan School District.

Each year Jordan schools and departments are invited to nominate one non-teaching/support staff employee for recognition. Through a designated committee, Jordan Education Foundation Board of Directors will select up to five individuals to be recognized as Outstanding Education Support Professional Employees. Each recipient will be given $1,000 and a commemorative award at the Board of Education meeting in May.

All full-time Jordan School District Education Support Professional employees are eligible. Past winners of this award are not eligible for nomination. One nomination per department/school will be considered. Please make sure the Nominee's Department Head or Principal has approved this nomination. Nominations will be accepted until 11:59 pm, Monday, April 12, 2021

Thank you all for taking the time to honor our amazing Education Support Professionals!

PLEASE VISIT THE FRONT PAGE OF OUR WEBSITE:  WWW.JORDANEDUCATIONFOUNDATION.ORG for more information and to nominate an outstanding education support professional.

DATE:
March 8, 2021

TO:
All Principals
All Budget Directors

FROM:
John Larsen, Business Administrator
June LeMaster, Ph.D., Administrator, Human Resources
Daniel Ellis, Director of Accounting, Budgets & Audits
Derek Anderson, Director of Accounting, Budgets & Audits
Cheryl Matson, Director of Insurance Services
Michael Heaps, Director of Information Systems
Sarah Palmer, Director of Payroll
Kurt Prusse, Director of Purchasing

SUBJECT:
Year-End Processing Deadlines


Please observe the following critical deadlines, listed in the memo below, regarding the financial year-end processes for the 2020-21 year. Please review these dates as they could have a major effect on your location’s ability to operate.

We are pleased to announce that the 2021 nomination and application cycle for the Sorenson Legacy Awards for Excellence in Arts Education is now open. We would like to enlist your help to increase awareness of this prestigious award to those in your area before our April 2, 2021 nomination deadline.

Philanthropist Beverley Taylor Sorenson worked tirelessly to promote the arts as an avenue for Utah’s students to develop voice, sustain engagement in school, and evoke reflection and response. Through support from the Sorenson Legacy Foundation, Art Works for Kids, and the Utah State Board of Education (USBE), the Sorenson Legacy Awards for Excellence in Arts Education recognize the essential nature of education in the arts for Utah’s students, distinguish those educators who embrace the arts with excellence in their practice, and ensure that Beverley's legacy will continue on.

Following are several ways you can help us spread the word:

  • Nominate an arts teacher within your district.
  • Post the attached award announcement in your faculty lounge or other communal areas.
  • Include information about the Sorenson Legacy Awards on your district or school website.
  • Share information about the awards at faculty or community meetings.

Administrators, teachers, parents, students, and other community members are all welcome to submit a nomination. Nominees must be licensed and endorsed public school educators. We also encourage re-nomination  of those who may have been previously nominated but not selected. Individuals are not allowed to nominate themselves.

Complete information and a link to the nomination form can be found on the Utah State Board of Education website at: https://schools.utah.gov/curr/finearts?mid=4609&tid=8

Questions? Contact Cathy Jensen, Utah State Board of Education cathy.jensen@schools.utah.gov | 801-538-7793

DATE: 
January 28, 2021

TO:   
All Principals
Department Directors

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

SUBJECT:  
Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG)


The Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG) have been adopted by USBE as “the” threat assessment to be used in Utah (R277-403, HB120, §53E-3-401(4)). While there is no implementation deadline, each school will need to have a threat assessment team with at least one (1) CSTAG trained individual. The CSTAG model utilizes multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), positive behavior intervention and supports (PBIS), trauma informed responses, and social-emotional learning (SEL). The focus of the CSTAG model is making decisions within a restorative framework for prevention rather than crisis response.

Student Services has arranged for some initial trainings and there is an opportunity for you or your designee(s) to receive CSTAG training. The training is a ‘trainer of trainers’ model and consists of two (2) levels:

  1. Level 1 – 8 hours of online self-paced training. ($166.00 each participant)
  2. Level 2 – Virtual ‘in-person’ training with Dr. Cornell (the developer of CSTAG) and/or his staff in late March or early April 2021. (Paid by Student Services)

The Level 1 cost per-person is $166 – which the school or department would need to pay. There is also an optional manual that costs $50 each. Each school should consider having at least one manual on hand. Student Services will pay for Level 2 training in March 2021.

Space is limited. If you are interested please email Travis Hamblin (travis.hamblin@jordandistrict.org) with the name(s) and email address(s) of those you would like to receive the training on or before Friday February 4th 2021. After Student Services sets up Level 1 training participants will receive an email with the information to begin. Level 1 training must be completed prior to receiving Level 2 training in late March or early April (date TBD).

Please contact Travis Hamblin (travis.hamblin@jordandistrict.org or 801.567.8439) with any questions.

Employees resigning/retiring at the end of the current contract year, that give official early notification of resignations/retirement, will be eligible for a tiered incentive. To qualify, notifications must be submitted online on or before the follow dates:

December 15, 2020 - $500.00
January 15, 2021 - $300.00
February 15, 2021 - $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 Skyward under "My Access."  Please see District policy DP318 for more detailed information regarding resignations. If you do not know your Skyward username or password, please contact the Help Desk at 801-567-8737.

The purpose of the Educational Support Professionals Improvement Committee is to encourage, guide, and reward the professional development of education support professionals staff (https://policy.jordandistrict.org/aa421b/). We encourage ESPs to improve their skills and knowledge. As such, ESPs may find development opportunities on the following website:

Educational Support Professionals Professional Improvement!

If there is a course that ESPs would like to take that is within the realm of their position in the Jordan School District, they may submit a request to have the committee pay for the course (up to $300 per year). The committee meets once a month to review and approve requests.

If you would like to take a course, please fill out the following form and submit it to Chris Westra in the Teaching and Learning department:

https://tl.jordandistrict.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2020-21-Classified-Prof-Dev-Form-fillable.pdf

For further questions, please contact Chris Westra in Teaching and Learning at 801-567-8657 or christine.westra@jordandistrict.org.

All administrators will be moved to an interim evaluation for the 2020-2021 academic school year. The interim will be completed online in Perform. As part of the evaluation administrators will need to complete the Beginning of the Year form located in Perform under My Folder-Tasks. The form includes the self-evaluation and the required 3 goals in one complete form. Please review the attachment with this notice for logging in and more information. 

DATE:  
October 29, 2020

TO:  
Department Directors/Administrators

FROM:   
HR Administrators

SUBJECT:     
FTE Audit Report 2020-21


Electronic FTE Audit Process:

  • November 2, 2020 – HR will share with directors and department administrative assistants the FTE Audit Report via Google Sheets. Please review the report with your administrative assistant. The report will include verification of faculty/staff, FTE, title and budget code(s). Please refer to the “Instructions” sheet in the document for assistance in completing the audit.
  • November 9, 2020 – DUE DATE for the FTE Audit Report to be completed for HR to process. Check the “yellow” box on the front page to indicate audit completion.
  • THE BEST NEWS OF ALL – All corrections made on the FTE Audit Report will be made by HR upon return. Change forms will not be required; however, new hires not listed on the report will require the submission of a hire sheet to HR.

Please feel free to share any feedback regarding this process with an HR administrator. We will consider all suggestions and work to improve this process for future use.

Thank you for your time and assistance.

Beginning of the Year Interims are due October 31, 2020. Remember that this includes the following: self-evaluation, 3 required goals (UETS goal, JPAS goal, Stakeholder & Student Growth goal), and administrator approval with date. Interims for all educators (teachers, teacher specialists, psychologists, secondary counselors, etc.) will be found on JPLS.

Cabinet members will be interviewing all administrators currently employed by Jordan School District who wish to be considered for an elementary, middle or high school principal position between now and October 2021. Your participation in these interviews is the way for you to declare your interest in a principalship. Similar interviews will be held each fall for anyone who has not interviewed previously. This year’s interviews will be held on Thursday, November 19th and Friday, November 20th.

Any administrator interested in being interviewed this year should email Angela Montague at angela.montague@jordandistrict.org by Monday, October 19th at 5:00 p.m. Please indicate whether you would like to be considered for an elementary, middle or high school principal position. This process is not designed to select principals for newly-constructed schools nor any school in particular. No application or documentation is required.

Any questions should be directed to a Cabinet member. We look forward to getting to know you better.

The Board of Education has approved $4 million for the Educator Grant program.  Please make your faculty aware that all licensed educators can now apply for pandemic and innovative work grants.

As part of the pandemic work grant application, Principals will need to verify the pandemic work completed in the Spring of 2020, so we want you to be aware of this process:

1)    The individual applies for a Pandemic Work grant.

2)    They must request Principal Confirmation of work completed.

3)    This form in the grant application will automatically send you an email to verify their work. You will be able to click on a link to a description of the work and then click to confirm that the work was completed within the Pandemic work period.
The deadline for Principal Confirmation is October 30, 2020. We ask that you complete these quickly, as applicants will not receive a pandemic award if there is no verification by this date.

4)    If you are not the Principal that was working with this individual during the Spring of 2020, please forward this Principal Confirmation email to the correct Principal.

For more information please see the memo below.

 

DATE:
Thursday, August 27, 2020

TO: 
All Principals and District Department Directors/Consultants

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

SUBJECT: 
2020-21 Required Testing Ethics Professional Development Procedures for Education Support Professional (Classified) Employees


Licensed teachers will do their testing ethics training as part of their annual crucial policies and procedures review. Principals do not need to train their teachers on testing ethics for the 2020-21 school year; however, principals will need to conduct a training for any education support professionals (classified employees) who will assist with state- or federally-mandated testing. This will include computer lab assistants who function as the school’s test coordinator, any classroom aides that assist with testing (including DLM testing), literacy aides who assist with Acadience Reading testing or progress monitoring, or any office staff that assist test coordinators with state- or federally-mandated testing.

The three required procedures for completing this testing ethics professional development are listed on the “2020-21 Principal’s Testing Ethics Checklist for Classified Employees” form, which is due to Evaluation, Research & Accountability by Friday, September 18, 2020.

As has been done in the past, principals may provide in-person training on testing ethics using the pdf slide deck attached with this memo. Alternatively, principals may refer education support personnel to the YouTube video that provides the same ethics training. Once education support personnel have been trained, either in-person or using the video, they are required to sign the “2020-21 Standard Test Administration and Testing Ethics Policy Training Signature Form.” Principals are asked to keep these signed forms on file at the school.

There are several materials attached with this memo for your use:

  • 2020-21 Principal’s Testing Ethics Checklist – This form needs to be filled out and sent to Evaluation, Research & Accountability by Friday, September 18, 2020.
  • Testing Ethics Presentation, 2020-21 – This is the pdf slide deck if principals choose to present the training in-person.
  • 2020-21 Standard Test Administration and Testing Ethics Policy – This document should be distributed to every Education Support Professional that assists with state or federally-mandated testing.
  • ESP Testing Ethics Video – This is the training video that may be used in lieu of in-person training. The video may also be found at this link:

https://youtu.be/ZjffVcR5FkE

  • Standard Test Administration and Testing Ethics Training Signature Form, 2020-21 – Principals should retain a signed copy of this form for all Education Support Professionals who assist with state- or federally-mandated testing.

Please contact Ben Jameson or Gaylene Miller in Evaluation, Research & Accountability with any questions.