The schedule for upcoming School Improvement and Planning training webinars is available.
The Adult Resilience and Stress Management within a We-Care Culture webinar will explore how school climate impacts indicators of staff wellbeing and how a culture of we-care is essential to supporting teacher resilience and stress management. This interactive webinar will provide social-emotional wellness tools and resources and is designed for anyone who works in schools or who supports schools including, but not limited to, teachers, cafeteria staff, transportation employees, administrators, paraprofessionals, office staff, and custodial staff.
Objectives:
Join The Schools of Choice Unit for the Rural and Non-Metro Charter School Support Webinar at 9 a.m. on Friday, May 6. This training provides essential guidance and highlights relevant topics impacting charter schools in rural school communities. Plan to join or forward this opportunity to your charter schools.
Schools across Colorado face similar challenges in navigating the ongoing challenges of teacher recruitment and retention, declining enrollment and supporting staff and students' social-emotional well-being. Learn innovative and impactful strategies from rural school leaders, advocates, and support organizations to reignite your passion and enhance your chartering practices.
Topics highlighted during this webinar include:
Colorado Teacher Appreciation Week is May 2-6, which is the perfect time to thank Colorado educators for being role models for adaptability and resilience, especially in the hard times we've experienced these past few years. CDE invites everyone to express gratitude for the teachers in their schools and districts.
Next week, share a post, image or video with a sign thanking a teacher on any social media site using the hashtag #ThankATeacherCO. To help districts and schools celebrate, CDE has created a number of resources to spread the word. Access social media graphics, sample posts, and more on the Teacher Appreciation Week webpage.
We have also highlighted Teacher Appreciation Week resources that parents and families can use. Send them to the resources for parents webpage for ways they can participate.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced further guidance on operations for summer 2022 and School Year 2022-23:
Other waivers that state agencies may request include Food Service Management Company contract duration, Local Wellness Policy triennial assessment due date, and on-site reviews and reporting. CDE’s School Nutrition Unit is applying for all waivers to provide as much flexibility as possible to sponsors. These flexibilities will not be in place until the waivers are approved by USDA. Register for the next On the Menu call on Thursday, April 28, to learn about the waivers in more detail.
The deadline is approaching for Colorado’s educators who teach literacy to K-3 students to submit proof via the Colorado Online Licensing system that they completed their evidence-based training in teaching reading.
Teachers must complete the training by Monday, Aug. 1, and should submit their documentation by Monday, Aug. 15.
Please note that the READ Act training requirement is not mandatory to maintain a teacher’s license status in any way. The benefit of adding the READ Act training designation to an educator’s license is that the proof of completion will stay on the educator’s Colorado credentials for future years as they may change grade levels, schools, or districts.
Visit the K-3 Teacher Evidenced-Based Reading Training Requirements webpage for additional information.
The Office of Facility Schools seeks applicants for three open seats on the Facility Schools Board. The three open seats are:
The term is three years, and the board meets monthly. Members of the board serve without compensation, except for reasonable reimbursement of expenses. Applications are due Tuesday, May 3, and can be emailed to Judy Stirman at [email protected]. For more information, contact Judy Stirman at 303-866-6684.
School districts operating a four-day school week, less than 160 scheduled days per school year, are required to submit a request for approval.
To be considered for the 2022-23 school year, complete the application via the Directory in Data Pipeline by Wednesday, May 11. Districts requesting approval are not obligated to follow their proposed calendar if their local planning is not finalized.
In addition to submitting the four-day application through Data Pipeline, districts Accredited with Priority Improvement Plan or Accredited with Turnaround Plan that is submitting a district-wide application for all schools within the district to be on a four-day school week need to submit the following additional information separately to Jhon Penn at [email protected]:
CDE will review the additional materials for the use and prioritization of instructional time. The executive director of field services and the associate commissioner of school quality and support must recommend approval of the application before it is forwarded to the commissioner for consideration.
Visit the Data Pipeline Year-Round Collections-Directory for additional information.
Districts/Local education agencies requesting a New School Code, School Name Change, School Grade Change, and/or Request for Closing a School is required to submit the application, including the superintendent's/executive director's signature, on or before Thursday, June 30, for the 2022-23 school year.
The process for a school code change request is as follows:
Failure to submit the request before the June 30 deadline could result in a denial.
Visit the Data Pipeline Year-Round Collections-Directory for additional information.
Watch the Unified Improvement Plan 101 video series for an introduction to the elements of the school UIP and the UIP online system. The series consists of eight 5-10 minute videos.
