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Education

  • Board set to vote on contract with teachers

    At the June 5 Jeffco school board meeting, the board will discuss and vote on the contract agreement reached by bargaining teams for the teachers union and the district.

    The agreement, reached last month, includes an average 2.5 percent increase in salary for teachers rated “effective” or “highly effective,” an increase in pay for new teachers, and class sizes remaining the same. 

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  • Stevenson gets $204,194 in separation agreement

     Former Jeffco schools Superintendent Cindy Stevenson received $204,194 in her separation agreement with the district after her last day Feb. 21.

    On Nov. 7, two days after the new conservative majority was elected to the school board, Stevenson announce she would retire effective June 30. On Feb. 8, she said she wasn’t trusted by the new board majority and asked the board to approve an earlier exit.

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  • DeAngelis’ successor named at Columbine High

    Jeffco Public Schools has announced that KC Somers will be the new principal at Columbine High School starting next school year, succeeding longtime leader Frank DeAngelis.

    “We are confident that Somers will continue to model and foster a welcoming climate and culture of excellence at Columbine,” said Dan Cohan, executive director of school effectiveness for Jeffco Public Schools. “He has already developed strong relationships with many families in the south area.”

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  • Jeffco schools’ leadership team acting as interim superintendent

    Jeffco schools’ leadership team will act as the district’s superintendent for at least one week, the Board of Education decided on Feb. 18.

    The leadership team is made up of Marcia Anker, chief school effectiveness officer; Heather Beck, chief academic officer; Lorrie Gillis, chief financial officer; and Steve Bell, the district’s chief operating officer.

    The arrangement will most likely be short-lived, however, as the board will discuss and vote on an interim superintendent at its Feb. 27 meeting.

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  • Iowa-based firm will search for new school superintendent

    The Jeffco school board has selected a search firm to help find the successor to former superintendent Cindy Stevenson.

    The board heard presentations from two search firms at its Feb. 18 study session, and Ray and Associates was selected to find potential candidates to lead Colorado’s largest school district. 

    Iowa-based Ray and Associates will charge $44,580 for its search, which will include conducting community meetings, recruiting, screening, interviewing and selecting a final pool of candidates.

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  • Twitter posts leave school board member offended

    School board member Julie Williams announced at last Tuesday’s meeting that she was offended by recent tweets from two Jeffco PTA members.

    Williams referred to a social media conversation that took place Jan. 30 between Jeffco PTA president and former school board member Michele Patterson and PTA vice president Shawna Fritzler. 

    On Jan. 30, the board was discussing which member should represent the board on the Jeffco PTA board. Patterson (@mmcpatt) and Fritzler (@DLMomofMorgan) had a conversation during and after the meeting.

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  • Search for new superintendent to continue as planned

    Even though Jeffco Schools Superintendent Cindy Stevenson will be leaving her position four months earlier than expected, it won’t change the process for finding a new leader for the district.

    “We are still on course and will continue to search for a new superintendent,” Witt said Saturday.

    The Jeffco Board of Education was tasked with finding a new superintendent after Stevenson announced her retirement Nov. 7. Her last day was slated for June 30, but she announced Saturday her last day will be Feb. 21.

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  • Board members at odds on assessment tool for preschoolers

    The Jeffco school board reversed a decision made in December and approved use of the Teaching Strategies Gold program for Colorado Preschool Program students, but an accompanying request for a waiver on student evaluation could imperil several million dollars in state funding.

    The board had voted to end the district’s use of TS Gold at its Dec. 13 meeting because of the behavioral data that are collected. Board President Ken Witt said he was uncomfortable that students were videotaped as part of evaluations.

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  • Ute Meadows tops them all in box-top contest

    Saving thousands of cereal box tops has paid off big time for Ute Meadows Elementary School.

    Last month the school received $75,000 as the grand-prize winner in the Super Cool School Contest Boxtops for Education, a fund-raising program started by General Mills. 

    The school will use the money to update its playground with disabled-accessible equipment, said principal Steve Weigum.

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  • Stevenson tenure ends early on acrimonious note

    Jeffco Schools Superintendent Cindy Stevenson announced Saturday that she will leave the district at the end of the month, ending her 12-year tenure amid friction with the new conservative majority on the school board.

    “I cannot lead and manage because I am not trusted or respected by this Board of Education,” Stevenson said. “I approached the board about this, and said I can’t make decisions and I cannot lead if they do not trust or respect me.”

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