Dear Educators,

You are invited to a private DPS Educators exhibit/tour of AfroMexican Journey: Yanga, Slavery and Freedom, in partnership with Latino Arts. The tour will be held on May 27, 4-7 p.m., at Museo de las Americas (861 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO 80204).

This exhibit serves as a preview to the Juneteenth National Symposium, exploring the narrative of Gaspar Yanaga, the first liberator of the Americas, and the AfroMexican experience, including the Gullah route from West Africa, the Carolinas, Florida and into Mexico, using a variety of art mediums to tell the story. Participants can expect to gain valuable insights, engage in discussions and access resources on Juneteenth's historical significance and impact. Attending this tour and symposium will enhance your understanding of Juneteenth and equip you with tools to foster inclusive, culturally-responsive learning environments. If you are a lifelong learner interested in varying historical perspectives, this is an event you don't want to miss. Learn more about the Juneteenth Symposium and register for the DPS Educators Tour.

Thank you for your commitment to educational excellence and creating equitable opportunities for all students.

Respectfully,

Dr. Tony Smith
Deputy Superintendent

Thank you for your collaboration in nominating DPS school leaders who champion our Shared Core Values. Below are the school leaders who have been selected for this honor so far this school year, and we need your help to select our final round of honorees for 2024-25.

• Students First: Sally Whitelock, Cesar Sanchez, Arnetta Koger

• Equity: Ed Salem, Néstor Bravo, Liliana Melendez Villarreal

• Integrity: Nick Lopez, Dr. Johanna Strong, Gilberto Muñoz

• Collaboration: Ken Burdette, Cristhina Shaikh, Erin Olson

• Accountability: Mia Martinez-Lopez, Megan Bohanan, April Mclaughlin

• Fun: Joey Denoncourt, Neisa Lynch, Emily Reily

Submit your nominations for our final round of 2024-25 awards by completing this form. Winners will be announced at Principal Quarterly on June 4.  Thank you for your support in recognizing those who exemplify our educational community and sharing the commitment that Every Learner Thrives.

Top Five Things to Know

All ILT Members

Over the past few years, we've made several exciting changes to the LEAP framework and evaluation cycle process. To align with our district's continuous improvement goals, we must gather insights about how effective these changes have been, both from the evaluators using the system and the teachers being evaluated.

Your feedback will help us ensure that LEAP continues to be a supportive tool for both teachers and evaluators, enhancing instructional practices, which ultimately benefits our students' learning and achievement. Please complete the LEAP Feedback Survey 2024-25 by Thursday, May 22 to have your voice heard. Your input is truly appreciated! If you have any questions, email LEAP@dpsk12.org.

ECE-12

A quick reminder to complete your End-of-Year reflections and ratings in the GPS tool—everything is now live and ready for use.

If you did not attend a webinar, visit the Growth and Performance page on The Commons to watch the recording. Additionally, access quick reference guides to help you avoid frustration as you begin to complete evaluations.

The deadline to share ratings with an educator is Friday, May 16. 

Thank you for your continued partnership. If you have any immediate questions, email GPS@dpsk12.org.

ECE-12

The 2025 Summer Professional Learning Session Guide is ready! Review and register for all required sessions based on your role.

We’re offering a range of required and optional sessions, including specialized support for those adopting new curriculum and/or assessments for the 2025-26 school year. 

• Multiple attendance options are available for required sessions.

• Educators are compensated at the contractual extra duty rate for both required and optional summer professional learning courses.

Note: Training is required for teachers using any newly-adopted curriculum and/or assessments. If you are unsure which curriculum or assessment your school is adopting, please check with your school leadership team. Be sure you’re signed up for the learning that supports your success next year!

If you have questions, email professional_learning@dpsk12.net.

ECE-12

Effective June 30, all DPS educators will lose access to the Illuminate platform as the district transitions to the new assessment system, Performance Matters. Following this date, access to any data within Illuminate, including classroom tests, exit tickets, reports and practice items will be permanently unavailable. Department of Technology Services (DoTS) cannot recover any Illuminate content due to contract expiration. To retain any desired content, users must copy or export it from the platform before June 3. Note that items from the Illuminate item bank are not permissible for future use and should not be saved. Ensure all necessary materials are preserved before access is discontinued.

ECE-12

If you are a new-to-role DPS teacher leader or dean, in the 2025-26 school year, you are required to complete four in-person summer onboarding trainings:

1. Facilitating Adult Learning 

2. Shared Leadership and Tactical Planning        

3. Coaching for Equity

4. Leading for Equity 

To complete these, choose and register for one of the two-day sessions below:

• June 9-10: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. each day | Emily Griffith Campus

• July 21-22: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. each day | Lowry Conference Center

• July 28-29: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. each day | Lowry Conference Center

Teachers under the DCTA contract will receive extra duty pay upon completing all four courses. Per the DSLA contract, deans will not receive extra duty pay.

Learn more about the additional resources and information.

• ECE-12: Share ProComp Trust Board Opportunity with the Community

• ECE-12: SLOs, SSOs and MSOs: End-of-Year Resources

• K-5: Mini Professional Learning: Anchor Walls

• ECE-12: 2025-26 PDUs are Here

• ECE-12: 2024-25 Ombuds Annual Report

Past editions of Teacher Weekly

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