Jeffco Public Schools

Superintendent's Corner

Dear Jeffco Families & Community,

Today, the Colorado legislature gaveled out for the final time this year. The 2019 legislative session brought several positives to Colorado’s schools, and we are grateful to all our legislators for the time and effort they put in considering educational policy issues.

The landmark accomplishment of this session will no doubt be the funding of full-day kindergarten in the state. Many times over the years full-day-kindergarten has been put forth by legislators on both sides of the aisle, but the state's revenue constraints (which are written into the Colorado Constitution) have never made sufficient dollars available for us to achieve this goal.

This year, Governor Polis made full-day-kindergarten the central and signature policy goal and expended the necessary political capital to get it done. Notably, the state's revenue problem has not been solved – so what this effectively means is that more of the state's limited resources are going into education, specifically into full-day kindergarten.

For Jeffco, our schools are already offering full-day-kindergarten and are paying for it through tuition fees from parents or from the dollars the school receives for other older students. Now, we will stop collecting tuition checks from parents and schools will all have the resources necessary to offer full-day-kindergarten without cannibalizing other resources. This will be a relief for many of our families and a major boost to equity in programming options across the district.

Read more.

Jeffco students, parents, families, staff, and community members may engage with Dr. Glass via Facebook, Twitter @COJasonGlass, and through his blog, advancejeffco.blog.

OUTDOOR LAB FOUNDATION GIVES OVER $60,000 TO JEFFCO MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN TUITION SUPPORT

The mission of the Outdoor Lab Foundation is to inspire community support and advocate for the Outdoor Lab program. Advocating and supporting Jeffco schools is at the heart of the program. This year, the Foundation sought student tuition support from outside funders at an inspiring pace. On Monday, April 15, nearly $60,000 was delivered in the form of a surprise and many principals and administrators had emotional reactions.

This year was an especially important year to show support — it’s the first full year that many sixth-grade students in Jeffco were housed in middle schools instead of elementary schools. This challenged the middle schools to support some students’ Outdoor Lab tuition for the first time.

The following organizations supported the Outdoor Lab Foundation for 2018-19 Outdoor Lab student tuition funding, totaling over $75,000 given out this year to local schools.

• City of Golden, Citizens Assistance Fund: $5,000
• City of Lakewood, Lakewood Legacy Foundation: $10,000
• City of Wheat Ridge: $18,500
• Community First Foundation: $25,000
• Golden Civic Foundation: $2,250
• Westminster Legacy Foundation: $5,000
• Virginia W. Hill Foundation: $10,000

The Outdoor Lab program is over 62-years-old and has become a rite of passage in Jeffco. The work the Foundation is doing to support local Jeffco students is necessary to keep the legacy alive.

NEW CHIEF STUDENT SUCCESS OFFICER SELECTED

Jeffco Public Schools is pleased to announce Susan Leach, Psy.D., was selected as the new Chief Student Success Officer beginning July 1. Dr. Leach is filling the position opened by the retirement of Kevin Carroll. Carroll has worked in education for 30 years and served as Chief Student Success Officer for the past three years.

Dr. Leach is currently a Director of Special Education for Jeffco Public Schools, a position she has held since August 2018.

Prior to Jeffco, she was with Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) in Jacksonville, FL for 12 years, the twentieth largest school system in the U.S. Her most recent position at DCPS was as Director of Exceptional Education and Student Services where she led a team of over 300 professionals who ensured that the approximately 20,000 students with disabilities in the district received the supports and services necessary to find success in the public school system. Dr. Leach is a licensed and certified school psychologist and previously served as the Supervisor of Psychological and Social Work Services, as well as a regional Special Education Supervisor and school psychologist. Her research interests are related to issues impacting public school students, particularly those marginalized by race and socioeconomic status.

“I relocated to Colorado to be closer to my daughter,” said Dr. Leach. “She has lived here since 2016. As a first-generation college graduate, I am passionate about public education and its potential to transform lives. I am so excited about this new leadership opportunity in Jeffco!”

The Chief Student Success Officer is responsible for developing, directing, and rolling out systems and programs to serve students and families who require educational, physical, and emotional support beyond standard programming. Departments and programs under this position include Special Education, Gifted and Talented, Health Services, Homebound Instruction, Student Services, Healthy Schools, and Student Engagement.

“We were excited to have a high-caliber internal candidate for this district leadership position,” said Superintendent Dr. Jason Glass. “Mr. Carroll has a lot of organizational knowledge and moved these departments forward in the last few years, so it’s helpful that Dr. Leach is already familiar with Jeffco. She also brings perspectives from a different district, other regions, and the research community. This position oversees areas critical to the well-being of our students, and making sure special needs are addressed ensures our kids have the support they need to learn.”

MAY 6-10 IS TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK!

Research shows that teachers are the biggest factor in how students do in school, that's why Educators Matter! During Teacher Appreciation Week, May 6-10, say thank you and share why Educators Matter to you. During this week, Jeffco Public Schools invites everyone to participate and give thanks to Colorado's teachers!

Share a post, image or video on any social media site with a thank you message and the hashtag #ThankATeacherCO. Post why Educators Matter or give a shout out to a teacher who has made a difference in your life. Tag us on Facebook (@JeffcoPublicSchoolsColorado), Twitter (@jeffcoschoolsco), and Instagram (@jeffcoschoolsco) too. Let's celebrate Colorado Teacher Appreciation Week!

Good News in Jeffco

Chatfield High School breaks school record on German AATG National Exams. Read more.

Ralston Valley High School World Languages Department recognized by the Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers. Read more.

Lakewood High School hosts area elementary schools for the Young Writers Conference. Read more.

For more good news, visit the Good News Blog and see Jeffco in the News.

HAPPENING IN JEFFCO

2019 Graduations

Click here to view the full schedule of 2019 high school graduation ceremonies.

Transportation & Construction Career Days for Girls
June 17-21 or July 15-19

The HOYA Foundation, one of Jeffco Public School's community partners, sponsors a free opportunity for girls to explore career pathways in transportation and construction industries. Over one week, girls ranging from eighth grade to 20 years old, make five stops to engage with women, ask questions, and tour work sites. Each company puts together a day-long insight into their company and into the industry. Click here for more information, or visit Jeffco Career Links.

Student Pulsing for
Transforming the Task

As a part of district efforts to understand the implementation of the Strategic Plan, Jeffco Public Schools is pulsing all secondary students using a short online survey regarding their learning experiences, specifically transforming the student task.  No action is needed on your part unless students have questions. 

A survey link will be emailed to every secondary student (grades 6-12) using their Jeffco Google email. Responses will remain confidential. Results will be available before the start of school.

Click here to view the survey questions.

MENTAL WELLNESS TIP

“Surround yourself with good people.” - Golden High School student

Brought to you by The Golden Rotary's  Mental Health committee. This project is in partnership with Golden High School students.  

IMPORTANT DATES

• May 23 - Last day of school
• May 27 - District closed

BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS

• Wednesday, May 8, 9:00 a.m., Study Session
• Thursday, June 6, 5:00 p.m., Study Session
• Thursday, June 6, 6:00 p.m., Regular Meeting

Meetings are held at the Jeffco Ed Center Board Room, 1829 Denver West Drive #27, Golden. Meeting schedules and agendas are posted on BoardDocs.

ATHLETICS & ACTIVITIES

Check Out the Latest from JPS-TV

Emmy®-nominated JPS-TV is the official YouTube channel for Jeffco Public Schools. It features stories about Jeffco kids, teachers, and staff! Click here to check out the latest from JPS-TV!

Keep Up with Jeffco Athletics

To get the latest on Jeffco’s high school athletics, be sure to check out the CHSAANow.com/jeffco website, JPS-TV Sports, the Jeffco Athletics Facebook page, and scores and photos via @JeffcoAthletics on Twitter. Click here to check out the latest from JPS-TV!