Dear Educators,
With May on our calendars, state testing in the rearview mirror, and Teacher Appreciation Week around the corner, you deserve a tremendous amount of gratitude. As we enter the last month of school, I wanted to express my particular thanks for feedback that many of you have shared as we plan for 2024-25, as well as share what I've heard.
You highlighted meaningful progress we've made in several areas:
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CKLA and Caminos Curriculum Implementation and aligned curriculum assessments and tasks within new curriculum adoptions.
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Identifying curriculum prior to summer professional learning sets up conditions for a more effective fall roll-out. Teachers are prepared for the start of the school year.
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Learning and development within collaboratives and with curriculum teams have helped implement effective strategies. The commitment to continuous learning and development has facilitated the effective implementation of innovative strategies in our classrooms, enhancing the overall learning experience for our students.
These positive examples have come to life because of our ongoing dialogue with one another. When we co-create ideas and refine the implementation together, we are Team DPS working towards our shared goals for students!
As we celebrate our successes, it's important to address the challenges that continue to hinder our impact:
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There is a need for greater central capacity to address attendance and deeply examine the complexities highlighted in recent reports.
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There is a need for more accessible data and HR processes. Data systems are incoherent and there are challenges with accessing data reports within various platforms (e.g. Principal Portal, Infinite Campus).
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Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): While SEL is recognized as important, academic priorities often overshadow SEL efforts.
I want to reiterate my appreciation for your unwavering dedication to Team DPS, and most importantly, our students. By building upon our successes and addressing our challenges directly, I am confident that together, we will continue to build a school system where Every Learner Thrives.
Respectfully,
Dr. Tony Smith
Deputy Superintendent
