Toall Principals and Department Heads

Memo

DATEOctober 11, 2005

TOAll Principals and Department Heads

FROMAndré N. Pettigrew, Assistant Superintendent, Administrative Services

RE:Teacher Vacancies/Substitute Teacher Coverage

Teacher Vacancies

Generating a quality source of applicants in our high needs areas, Math, Science, Bilingual education, and Special Education, continues to be the on-going focus of the Human Resources Department.Currently, DPS has approximately 45 unfilled classroom teacher vacancies, excluding long-term substitute assignments. To mitigate both current needs and ensure that we have a steady source from which to draw, Denver Public schools is engaging in the following:

1. Teacher Preparation schools – Speak with prospective teacher candidates about Denver Public Schools teaching opportunities. Two recent examples include: On October 5, DPS HR presented to University of Denver teacher candidates on the opportunities and challenges of joining our teaching ranks and on October 10, DPS HR presented similar information to MetropolitanUniversity teacher candidates. Similar events will be scheduled at other state universities.
2. On-Campus interviews – DPS is participating in on-campus interviews at area universities in order to ensure that top teacher candidates know about and join DPS. Currently scheduled are University of Colorado at Boulder on December 9th and the University of Northern Colorado on December 15th. We also have pending dates for ColoradoStateUniversity, FortLewisCollege, and University of Wyoming. If you would like to participate, please contact Lissette Estepa at 720.423.3975 or via e-mail at
3. Teacher postings are found at Teachers-teachers.com, The Black Collegian magazine, iDiversity.com, as well as the career services office of universities in the states of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. We also collaborate with surrounding districts to compare pools.
4. Internship Program – The Internship Program provides the intern withpre-service experience and the responsibility involved in full time professional classroom instruction. DPS currently has established an Internship Program with Metro and is in the process of entering a similar agreement with University of NorthernColorado.
5. Student Teachers – Student teachers are a great talent pool. After student teaching, they know our kids and our schools. We know that many sites have student teachers, but we need to better coordinate where these new teachers are so we can actively recruit the very best.
6. Troops to Teacher – DPS is pursuing a partnership with Troops to teacher to fill high needs positions. Military members close to retirement (2 or 3 years) and studying to become a teacher in a high needs area interview with DPS. Once the applicant interviews and if the principal recommends, DPS offers an ‘intent to hire’ letter upon military retirement. Troops to Teachers conducts national and international dissemination of teaching opportunities in Denver Public Schools to potential troops to teacher applicants.
7. Foreign Teacher Program - Centro San Juan Diego, a community based organization, Colorado Department of Education (CDE), and DPS are piloting a foreign teacher program targeting Latino teachers. The program entails helping teachers of foreign countries residing in the state obtain their CO teacher license and improving English Language skills.

Substitute Teacher Coverage

Denver Public Schools’ substitute teacher pool has 1200 active substitutes. The Human Resources Department is actively recruiting substitute teacher candidates to add to the existing pool. In addition to augmenting the pool of substitutes we have also sought to improve the quality of the substitute pool. During the last 6 months, we have interviewed and hired approximately 400 new substitute teachers.

We have attached last year’s memo detailing the district’s policies and procedures with regard to class coverage and strategies for increasing the number of substitutes within the district. We continue to encourage principals to recruit paraprofessionals, interns, student teachers and others with BA degrees (who hold or are eligible to acquire, from CDE, a 3-year substitute authorization). All schools should have in place a contingency plan including pay procedures for class coverage. This is required in the DCTA contract.

Even though HR continues to make efforts to increase the pool of substitutes, it may still not be enough to provide coverage for your school. It is important to note that the individuals in the substitute teacher pool primarily view their employment as part-time. Many substitute teachers work in several different districts and limit their availability as well as their willingness to accept positions in all schools. The substitute system contacts all active substitutes in specific subject areas indicated by the teacher who is calling in absent. The substitute teacher can choose to accept or decline.

Our current substitute rate is equal or better to many of the Denver metro area school districts.

RATES / Denver Public Schools / AuroraPublic Schools / CherryCreekSchool Dist / Adams County Five Star Schools / Littleton Public Schools / JeffCo Public Schools
Daily / $85 / $85 / $80 / $100 / $90 / $80 w/3 yr
$95 w/5 yr
LTS / $153.21 / $150 / ----- / $140 / $135 on the 15th day / ------
Retiree / $100 / $140 / ----- / $140 / $135 / $95

DPS is continuing to actively recruit substitute candidates utilizing the services of DPS retired administrators to assist with interviews and reference checks.

Contingency Plans

According to the DCTA contract, each school should have in place early in the school year a contingency plan for class coverage. The plan needs to be detailed and describe specific situations in which coverage will be required, as well as who will provide the coverage. Maintaining a balance that distributes class coverage across a number of individuals is preferable. Each plan should also include a statement that encourages mutual professionalism at the building level regarding rotating class coverage and volunteering for class coverage when it is in the best interest of the educational program.

The plan should identify other employees, if available, who hold substitute authorizations, such as paraprofessionals, student teachers and intern teachers, who may be included in the rotation, provided the employee has been approved for hire as a substitute through the Human Resources department. Any para, or other employee not covered by the DCTA agreement, who covers a class as a substitute will not be eligible for their regular pay during the same hours they are paid as a substitute; this must be accurately reflected on pay transmittals.

Special Education teachers are required by contract to use their duty period to complete mandatory IEP’s. They should not be included in the contingency plan during their duty periods. Special Education teachers can be included in the contingency plan rotation if they are providing class coverage during their planning time.

A sample plan is attached.

Pay Procedures

The following procedures outline when coverage will be paid and not paid, and who is eligible for pay. DCTA members who meet the following conditions are eligible for pay.

A. DCTA Class Coverage.

1. Class coverage will be paid when a teacher:

a. Covers class during his/her planning time, or

b. Covers class during his/her duty free lunch time, or

c. The principal explicitly extends the teacher’s school day/week by the same number of hours for the purpose of paid class coverage, or

d. Splits students between classes

2. Class coverage will not be paid when a teacher:

a. Exchanges "duty for duty". For example, if a teacher is asked to cover a class in lieu of working a previously assigned duty (ex. Hall, playground or lunch duty, etc.), then the teacher will not be eligible for paid class coverage.

b. The following DCTA bargaining unit members are not eligible for paid class coverage unless the conditions of their class coverage assignment meets the requirements outlined above in item 1:

• Literacy or Math Coaches
• Library Media Specialists, Counselors, Student Advisors, Administrative Assistants, and Specialized Service Providers

Exempt employees including Administrators, Area Specialists, and Coordinators are not eligible for paid class coverage.

When submitting class coverage pay, the following information must be provided to Payroll: Lawson account number, dates of coverage, surname of the absent teacher, qualifying reason and pay code of 4150.

Lawson account numbers for class coverage pay

Elementary SchoolXXX 11 0010 0000 2 1 152

Middle SchoolXXX 11 0020 0000 2 1 152

High SchoolXXX 11 0030 0000 2 1 152

(Insert your school number in place of the XXX)

ATTACHMENT

SAMPLE CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR CLASS COVERAGE

Contingency Plan for Subs

1st Substitute Coverage

PeriodNameClass Coverage

1st______Mr. C 7:30- 9:00 a.m.

2nd ______Mr. V 8:00- 8:55 a.m.

3rd______Ms. B or Ms. W 9:00- 9:55 a.m.

4th ______Mr. U10:00-10:55 a.m.

5th______Ms. F11:00-11:55 a.m.

6th______Mr. G or Mr. W12:50- 1:45 p.m.

7th______Ms. B or Mr. G 1:50- 2:45 p.m.

8th______Ms. K or 2:50- 3:50 p.m.

Mr. Gor

Ms B

2nd Substitute Coverage

PeriodNameClass Coverage

1st Study Hall(see times above)

2nd Study Hall

3rdMs. W or Ms B

4thMr. H

5thMs.W

6thMs. P

7thMs.R

8thMs K orMs B

3rd Substitute Coverage-Students are distributed into classes for coverage.

PeriodNameClass Coverage

1st Study Hall or Mrs. B. (see times above)

2ndStudy Hall or Ms. C.

3rdMrs. B. or Mr. A.

4thStudy Hall or Instrumental Music

5thStudy Hall or Ms. F

6thStudy Hall

7thStudy Hall

Signed ______, Principal

______School

Denver Public Schoolsadministrative services

900 Grant Street • Room 501 • Denver, CO80203