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Education

  • 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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  • Glee Club empowers EMS students with message of strength

    If there’s one thing that members of the Evergreen Middle School Glee Club have learned this year, it’s that it’s OK to be themselves.

    And they have brought that message to the rest of the school.

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  • Stevenson to work for state association after leaving Jeffco district

    Jeffco Schools Superintendent Cindy Stevenson has been hired by the Colorado Association of School Executives to fill a new director position.

    “(Stevenson) will play a critical role in CASE’s ongoing work to assist school administrators as they seek to improve student results,” Bruce Caughey, CASE executive director, said in a statement.

    Caughey said Stevenson will serve as director of the CASE Leadership Initiative and will provide support to school leaders and districts for teaching, learning and improvement.

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  • School board politics dominates discussion

    Jeffco school board member Lesley Dahlkemper said in an Evergreen appearance Saturday morning that, amid the board’s new political orientation, the focus should remain on educating kids.

    But a substantial part of the morning was spent on audience questions about board politics.

    Dahlkemper spoke at the Mountain Area Democrats’ monthly breakfast and was greeted with questions and concerns about the future of education in Jefferson County.

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  • School district plans ‘classroom dashboard’ for data

    Jeffco Public Schools announced plans to move forward with equipping teachers with a “classroom dashboard” to access student data at last Thursday’s school board meeting.

    To the relief of many Jeffco parents, the plans didn’t include the words “inBloom” or “cloud.”

    Since 2012, the school district has been planning a classroom dashboard for teachers, who use numerous systems and access large amounts of student data daily.

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  • Former board members voice concern about open governance

    Several former Jeffco school board members attended last Thursday’s meeting and signed up for public comment, including Jon DeStefano, Judy Pierce, Dave Thomas, Debby Oberbeck, Sue Marinelli and Rick Rush.

    Former board member and president Dave DiGiacomo spoke for all the former members. DiGiacomo served on the board from 1991 to 1999.

    “We care deeply for the students, teachers, staff and administrators of this district,” DiGiacomo said. “We have become concerned with the actions of our newly elected school board members.”

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  • School board discusses process for hiring superintendent

    The Jeffco school board envisions a lengthy and deliberate process to replace retiring Superintendent Cindy Stevenson.

    At last Thursday’s study session, the board discussed the process for selecting a new leader for Colorado’s second largest school district. It will take six weeks just to find the professional search firm that will identify top candidates for the job.

    Stevenson announced her retirement in November, shortly after three new members were elected to the board; her last day will be June 30.

    The process

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  • K-M kids turn into a bunch of animals for performances

    A bunch of cute animals visited the kindergarten classrooms at King-Murphy Elementary on Thursday.

    The animals were costumed kids, ready to delight their families with play performances based on classic children’s books and traditional songs. Paulyne Fisher’s class performed “The Mitten” by Jan Brett, and Beth Schwecke’s class performed “The Gingerbread Man” by Catherine McCafferty. The plays have been long-standing traditions in both classrooms.

    Fisher said the plays have an academic twist.

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  • Marshdale pupils stock MRC pantry

    Principal Christian Kingsbury said that while Marshdale Elementary has held many food drives, nothing has compared to the 2013 edition.

    “All of the food would’ve overflowed one of our classrooms,” the principal said. “We had to deliver two different loads. Everyone is saying this is the biggest turnout (of items) we’ve ever had.”

    The school teamed with the Mountain Resource Center’s food bank, and the donations started stacking high Dec. 2, and the donation collection ended Dec. 17.

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  • New school board majority votes to hire law firm

    In a decision that brought boos from the audience, the Jeffco school board’s new majority voted Thursday night to hire an attorney to represent the board — not the school district — with little time for discussion and many unanswered questions.

    Board members Lesley Dahlkemper and Jill Fellman said after the meeting that they dissented not because they oppose the board having its own attorney, but because they objected to the way the motion was introduced and voted on.

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