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Friday, March 12, 2021

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DERA

As a reminder, all SC codes for KELPA are due to Samantha by Tuesday, 3/23.  They must be entered on that day to be accepted by the state.  The link to the opt-out form is here –https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdiTk1q92p3ICoVaaJYjKyKN993XlC9d8Q95iUUqjpqPxK3RQ/viewform

Families can either complete this form via this link, or you can complete it on their behalf if you have had contact with them.  As a reminder, a Spanish form is also available for families who might need it – please email Ben if you need it resent, or see Ben’s email from 2/4.  Please be sure to enter your name at the bottom of the form if you complete it on behalf of a family.

Diversity & Inclusion

March Building Rep Meeting Recap

Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning we met with your equity and inclusion building reps. We used two protocols, a full articlebased protocol and a quotes based protocol. These are great protocols to use with staff, groups of 4-7 seem to be ideal, to allow equity of voice and to be able to build and deeply reflect on what others are sharing. The instructions for how to use each protocol are in the attached slideshows. You can find more detailed notes about our discussion here.

April Building Rep Meeting Agenda and Dates

With all of us heading back to buildings, April will be an asynchronous activity on physiologically safe spaces. We will also hold open “office hours” for a check in with all reps when they are available.

Dates and times of open office hours:

Monday, April 12, 2021from 3 – 5 pm
Tuesday, April 13,  2021 from 7 – 9 am
zoom link- https://zoom.us/j/4966668660?pwd=Z0FjbDlXOGIzTEpPV3ZoZ1JTNks1QT09

Asynchronous activity instructions:

Watch this video: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/kckssp2/1

  • Start at 41:30, stop at 1:07:22 (we’ll watch the second half, 1:07:23-1:40:52, for May’s meeting, feel free to watch her whole segment now though, it’s perfect timing for reentry and the conversations that we are wanting to embark on)

  • Post your new learnings thoughts and ideas on this padlet. Everyone please post at least once and comment on at least one person’s post (you know how this works, think college discussion style, but there is no word minimum or maximum)

What We…

  • are reading: Why are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria by Beverly Daniel Tatum

  • are watching: Oprah’s Interview with Harry and Meghan

  • are listening to: Small Things Often from the Gottman Institute

Women’s History Month

This was shared with principals to share with staff:

Women’s History Month has been observed nationally since 1987. It began in 1978 by a school district in California as a weeklong celebration of women’s contributions. In 1980, President Carter issued the first presidential proclamation declaring the week of March 8th as National Women’s History Week. The following year, Congress passed a resolution and 6 years Congress expanded the event to an entire month. You can read more about Women’s History Month here.

The last week of March we will have a week of themes to incorporate into classrooms, discussions, and learning.

Women’s History Month themes and dates:

Monday (3/22)- Celebrating you, celebrate identifying as a female
Tuesday (3/23)- Take Action, Gender Equity
Wednesday (3/24)- Celebrating Female Voices
Thursday (3/25)- Differing perspectives
Friday (3/26)- Influential Women

ESOL

Attn: Secondary Administrators

Audience: Principals, Counselors, and ESOL Staff 

In maintaining a commitment to equity, excellence, and alignment, the Department of ESOL has made adjustments to the course offerings that support emergent bilingual students. Changes go into effect for the 2021-2022 school year with the following ESOL Course Descriptions. The ESOL Department will send recommendations based on student’s language proficiency scores to buildings; any changes to the lists are due by March 26, 2021.

Federal Programs

Audience: ALL SCHOOLS

SUBJECT: Family Surveys for KESA, District Strategic Plan, School Improvement Plans

And the WINNERS of the Family Survey RUMBLE are:

  • Washington High School
  • Arrowhead Middle School
  • Emerson Elementary
  • Hazel Grove Elementary

CONGRATS to these schools who will receive an EXTRA $1,000.00 in their general supply budgets!

Thanks to everyone’s efforts in engaging families to participate in this annual survey.  Participation was up from last year’s surveys and although there is still work to do, we are headed in the right direction!

Subject:  ALL SCHOOLS Enter RE-ENTRY Info In KansaStar –  – DO THIS, Not That!

As Re-Entry occurs and building teams make plans for the return of students and staff, a reminder to capture ALL RE-ENTRY Building Leadership/PLC Team notes in KansaStar, versus a separate Google Doc or Planning Sheet.

SHARE your KansaStar account credentials with trusted members of your building leadership team so they can enter in information as different PLCs plan and facilitate this important work.

Every RE-ENTRY plan should align to one of your SIP Indicators in KanaStar and we want your building to get credit for your AMAZING EFFORTS!

Remember –

  • A written plan provides clarity to all stakeholders – One plan, One effort;
  • A written plan helps keep people grounded and focused on things that are important;
  • A written plan will clarify the most important priorities;
  • A written plan is an essential communication tool;
  • A written plan keeps a team from spending time on tasks that won’t get them closer to their goals.

At the end of this year, each of you will SUBMIT your SIP in KansaStar to KSDE.  Your submitted SIP will impact our District KESA accreditation, as well as our ability to move OFF of state improvement lists and access additional funding set aside for CSI and TSI schools.

Audience: ALL PRINCIPALS and DEPARTMENT LEADERS

Subject: 3rd Quarter Title IX Coordinator Training Follow-Up

As students and staff return a reminder that any form of sexual misconduct, regardless of how small it might appear to be, must be screened through the District’s Title IX process.  At the onset of receiving a report of sexual misconduct, send the ‘Please Call’ email to titleix@kckps.org.  The District Title IX Coordinator or District Title IX Investigator will call you to determine the appropriate approach, based on the details of your incident.

Please refer to the new Title IX Reporting & Investigations page in the HR Admin Guide for all Title IX forms, as well as a detailed guide to each step of the Title IX process.  If you need additional assistance or have questions that cannot be answered via the HR Admin Guide, please don’t hesitate to contact Lisa Walker, District Title IX Coordinator or Curtis Nicholson, District Title IX Investigator.

Human Resources

Non-Renewal

Leaders –

We’re reaching out to provide an overview of the Non-Renewal process for your certified staff in advance of the deadlines so that you can prepare. Please note that this is a message to all and action is only needed if you intend to non-renew a staff member.  The following steps should provide some framework for you:

  1. Identify Teacher(s) you are considering for Non-Renewal

    • For a teacher to be non-renewed, your teacher should have 3 or fewer years of experience with KCKPS and an unfavorable evaluation must have been completed this school year.  The evaluation should not mention or make reference to non-renewal.  However, the evaluation should reflect the employee’s deficiencies.

    • For a teacher currently on Intensive Assistance, an unfavorable evaluation must have been completed this school year.  The evaluation should not mention or make reference to non-renewal.  However, the evaluation should reflect the employee’s deficiencies and not having met the intensive assistance goals set forth in the original notification.

    • For teachers currently on IA who did not successfully complete IA, Ronnie and Jody may provide approval following your conferences for those teachers to be automatically considered for non-renewal.

  1. Send an email to ariel.kittling@kckps.org with the NAME and grade level/content of the teacher(s) under consideration for non-renewal at the close of the 2020/21 school year.

    • Names will be added to our tracking but, should you later decide against this action, you can remove them from consideration.

    • Final Confirmation of names will be March 15, 2021

  1. Provide supporting documentation to Ariel Kittling for review

    • Documentation should include any information relevant to their deficiency in the classroom and reflective of the supportive measures you’ve already attempted to put in place. Please include any current year evaluation forms and a copy of the teacher’s growth plan from iObservation. We can access prior year evaluations from the system so there is no need for you to try and provide those as well. Any other documentation about the teacher’s performance that has been shared with the teacher should be submitted as well.

  1. Conference with Jody and Ariel to reach a decision regarding non-renewal determination by March 26, 2021.

    • This can be done by Zoom or Teams.

    • If approved, you will be sent a confirmation email with a letter template to begin the process of notification via formal letter

    • Provide a copy of the signed and prepared letter to Ariel in advance of providing to the employee.

5. Provide the Letter to the employee no later than March 30, 2021.

    • You are required to hand deliver a copy of the letter during a scheduled meeting by Tuesday, March 30 as their name will be processed for the following board meeting.  Before meeting with the employee to provide them with the non-renewal letter, you must extend a 24-hour notice allowing them the opportunity to invite union representation to the meeting.  This meeting is, technically, considered disciplinary in nature.

    • You can offer to release them from duty for the remainder of the day, after you secure class coverage if you feel they are unable to remain composed enough to return to the classroom. This is important to note in the instance you cannot meet with them at the end of a workday.

6. Manage behaviors and instructional deficiencies for the remainder of the school year as you would normally

    • These dates are mandated by the negotiated agreement and Kansas statutes; we recognize that it is not ideal to notify someone of this action considering there are still valuable days left in the semester that we need them to focus on.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

New Progressive Coaching Form

Administrators,

HR would like to announce the development of a new form to use for progressive coaching. Previously, supervisors and administrators have been required to use the Letters of Concern, Reprimand and Suspension. We understand that writing these letters is time consuming and do not allow effective communication of coaching or disciplinary actions.

We will begin using the attached form for all coaching and disciplinary concerns effective Monday, March 15, 2021. The Administrator’s Guide has been updated to reflect information surrounding how to use the new form and who to contact in HR for assistance. We will also be hosting Zoom sessions to provide guidance on using the form and answer any questions that you may have. The dates/times of the Zoom sessions have been listed below. If you have any questions, please contact Elizabeth Faircloth at Elizabeth.Faircloth@kckps.org.

Zoom Session 1: Mon. March 15th at 2:30 p.m.

         https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84585665412?pwd=cnBIOEpYVlYxMjJIMTZ0QW9xL1NEQT09

Zoom Session 2: Wed. March 17th at 9:00 a.m.

         https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87096891006?pwd=RUlBR0xPMHloZjBFY2R4UlZCNU1Odz09

Zoom Session 3: Fri. March 19th at 1:30 p.m.

         https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85986289740?pwd=RW43TXg4UTFFK2F2a2xIWHdLblBUUT09

Attachments: Progressive Coaching Action Form

Board Policy Review-Classified Staff 

Message: On Wednesday, March 4th, HR will be hosting a board policy review via zoom for classified staff only. This is an opportunity for classified staff who are not able to complete the board policies review activities through Frontline. The training will begin right at 4:00 pm and because the videos are short, we will not allow staff to enter the meeting after that time.
The zoom link and details are included below.

If you have any questions, please contact Jared.Alexander@kckps.org or Ana.Perez-Sievert@kckps.org.

Board Policy Review- Classified

Time: Mar 24, 2021 04:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81169347368?pwd=cWFMaVpRNmlTejhTWTdudzFETWYvZz09

Meeting ID: 811 6934 7368
Passcode: 645144

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Meeting ID: 811 6934 7368
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdRzPUIQac

IARC (Fine Arts)

Elementary Principals

Principals,

This is a friendly reminder the customized dyslexia training provided by IARC last month satisfies the requirement for both module 2 and module 3 for the music, art, PE and strings teachers.  Please reach out if there are questions.

Instructional Technology

KCKPS Mobile Minute – IDP Points for Canvas learning, Minecraft EDU and more!

Purchasing

THE DEADLINE FOR ENCUMBERING FUNDS FOR FY 2020-21 SATURDAY, APRIL 10, 2021 This means all funds to be spent from the current year budgets (including grants, fees, etc.) must be ENCUMBERED in BusinessPLUS and submitted to Workflow on or before 11:59pm on April 10, 2021. Please note the following: 

  1. All requisitions to cover expenses that will occur during the months of April and May must be entered as a “B” type (Blanket) requisition. You are to estimate what will be spent for those months and enter a requisition for each vendor from which you anticipate making a purchase.You must do this not only for supplies, but also for any services, equipment, or furniture purchases. Remember, the goods or services that you purchase must match the purpose of the budget line. You must buy supplies with a supplies object code (56100). You cannot buy equipment (57300) or furniture (57330) with a supply (56100) object code.

2. All funds encumbered under PO’s that are not PAID on or before June 15, 2021 will be disencumbered, and funds will return to the District to use for districtwide projects.

a.“Paid” means that a check has been printed and mailed by Accounts Payable, receiving a PO in BusinessPLUS (POUPRC) DOES NOT pay an invoice. Please review the status of all open POs in your budget regularly to ensure invoices are received so payment can be made no later than the last board meeting in May.
THE LAST DAY TO SUBMIT INVOICES TO AP FOR PAYMENT WILL BE JUNE 15, 2021 (NOON)!
If invoices are not received, it is the responsibility of the school/department to contact the vendor to get the invoice to AP before the June 15 deadline.

b.In past years, several schools/departments waited to order items from POs until close to the PO cancelation date. As a result, items were shipped late, items were backordered, or invoices were not received timely to meet the payment deadline. It is the responsibility of the school/department to ensure items are ordered timely to meet the deadline. Invoices coming after June 15, will need to be paid from the school/department 2021-22 budget.

3. Any expenditures to be made between April 10 and the end of the school year MUST be encumbered before April 1st. This includes travel, transportation, services, mileage, etc.

4. Storeroom and Print Shop orders must be placed by April 10, if you wish to use current year funds.5.Estimates of salary costs (other than staff regular pay) to be paid between the deadline and the end of the school year MUST be estimated on or before the deadline. While salary costs cannot be encumbered via PO, you MUST email Brad Isnard with details of the name of the person, the date the work will be performed, the estimated cost and the account number the costs are to be charged to. Email must be received in Brad’s office on or before the deadline.a.Once the work is performed, timesheets must be submitted within one pay period of the work was performed, but no later than on or before June 15, 2021.b.Please recall that for the timesheets to be paid, the work MUST be submitted to HR for approval through Board. This information will need to be sent to HR on or before the deadline also.c.Any salary costs not meeting these requirements will be charged to the school/department 2021-22 budget.6.Professional Development subs, please email Melissa Shields the information to encumber funds for subs.a.The name of the teacher requiring a subb.The date the sub is used

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c.What budget is to be used

7.Visa Usagea.VISA purchases in June will come from next years’ funds. Enter a requisition by April 1 for as much as your budget allows for spending on VISA in your supply funds for April-May spend needs. Please code to the appropriate budgets as best you know today.b.All reconciliations (Envelopes) must be turned in by June 15c.June spending will be coming out of your FY 2021-22 budget8.Closing Purchase Ordersa.All December issued PO’s will close April 13b.All January issued PO’s will close May 3c.All February issued PO’s will close June 2d.All PO’s issued after March 1 will stay open for invoices paid on the June 22nd Board9.Planning deliveriesa.All delivery of product must happen in time for you to also have invoices created on the schedule above. Plan accordingly.b.Staples will create backorders for items not in stock. This could delay the invoicing of your shipment. As you follow your orders, if you find an item is not delivering, contact Staples for an update. If delayed, we suggest you cancel that item/s so the rest of the shipment can bill. You can always place another order after July 1.c.Staples bills for weekly deliveries over the weekend. To hit our timeline, you should place your last orders with Staples by May 28th (at the latest), to deliver and bill in time.

Special Education

RE: SPED Expectations for ReEntry

Greetings Principals, SPED Teachers, Related Service Providers and School Psychs!

Once we return to full in person, IEPs, Evaluation and ReEvaluation meetings will need to be held in person on the school campus with social distancing and mask. Parents should be given an option to attend their student’s meeting in person on the school campus or via zoom or phone.

SPED Teachers and Related Service Providers will be able to pull students from various cohorts/pods to go into a separate room locations for services a written in their IEP, but students should social distance while in that group, and the service schedule must be consistent and include specific student names for contact tracing.

SPED Teachers who need to pull a small group of students from various cohorts/pods to provide collaborative services in the gen ed classroom, will be able to pull students into the required classroom and should social distance in a consistent specific space in that classroom. The service schedule must be consistent and include student names for contact tracing.

Students who attend Parochial schools will be able to attend in person on campus for their specific time and services as written in their IEP. Students will be able to join the gen ed classroom and must have an assigned seat where they can maintain social distancing and student names for contact tracing.

If the SPED teacher needs to group students from the Parochial school together for services, they should go into a designated classroom where they can socially distance and the service schedule must be consistent and include student names for contact tracing.

Related Service Providers are expected to provide services in person for their students who are in person.

School Psychologists are expected to test students in person.

If there are any questions, please contact me.

Thank you!