More about Article 8
Article 8 contains workload and class size limits and guidelines for elementary classroom teachers and secondary teachers, as well as workload and caseload limits for Digital Teacher Librarians, Counselors, and other mental health providers. A few weeks ago we reviewed the Digital Teacher Librarian, School Counselor, Mental Health Provider, and Instructional Coach provisions in Article 8. Now let’s dive into the rest of the Article:
- Schools will use collaborative decision-making as described in Article 10 to determine the number of classroom educators needed. This includes educators hired specific to gifted and talented building-level programs (8-4-1-1). Likewise, schools will use the collaborative structures outlined in Article 10 to determine class configurations and workloads that are optimal for that school (8-5-2).
- Elementary Classroom Ranges are as follows: K-3 will have a range of 18-24 students. 4-6th grades will have a range of 22-30 students (8-5-5).
- The District will create a class size relief fund which can be used after a school has exhausted its Student Based Budget (SBB) dollars, to provide relief for classes that exceed the range above (8-5-5-1). Title I school class sizes will be a priority and will not exceed the range without additional support (8-5-5-2).
- The maximum student load for secondary educators’ teaching assignments will be 150 students per grading period. The maximum number of assigned sections will be five (5) unless additional pay is provided as in 17-9-1. The maximum can only be exceeded if the school administration collaborates with the affected educator and they agree to the additional students by signing a form (8-5-7). The student count maximum will not apply to a supervisory assignment, such as tutoring, advisory, study hall, access period, enrichment period, help sessions, etc (8-5-8)
- Secondary educators, including secondary learning specialists, will have a collaborative conversation with the school administrator if the administrator requests a schedule that requires more than 3 preparations in a semester/trimester. The educator must sign a form to confirm they agree with their additional preps above 3, and they have completed the collaborative process with their administrator to ensure they have sufficient support (8-5-9).
- Preschool educators will receive 1 hour of planning time daily, of which 30 minutes will be scheduled within the student day, and 30 minute, duty-free lunch time within the student day. If planning time or lunchtime cannot be provided, the educator will be paid the hourly rate in 17-10-4 (8-6-2). The para support provided by the ECE office will cover for planning and lunch (8-6-3).
- CDE standards for preschools recommend less than 50% of students placed in the classroom identified with an IEP. This does not include students identified after enrolling in the program. After a class reaches 50% of the students having an IEP, additional para support may be requested through the Early Learning Office and will be considered (8-6-5).
How is your school doing at following these provisions in Article 8? If you have contract concerns please reach out to your AR and schedule a problem solving conversation with your administrator.
SPED 3 days pay
As you may know, per 18-13-4 of the JCEA contract, SPED educators and providers now automatically receive pay for 3 additional days at your per diem rate to honor all the additional hours you put in above the 40 hour workweek. You will no longer need to request this pay. These days will be paid out in a lump sum payment, split between two checks, the first in December and the second in June.
From the district guidance documentation:
Special Education Educators will be compensated for three additional days without a change in their Days Worked Calendar. For the 2024/2025 school year it will be paid in two installments on the December and June paychecks. Educators must be active on November 16th and May 16th respectively to receive the payments. If an educator is split between Special Education and General Education positions, only the Special Education position will receive the extra compensation.
It’s time to VOTE!
Ballots are out! Have you voted yet?
In Colorado, we mostly vote by mail. If you’ve already voted, great job! But if you haven’t, you need to turn your ballot as soon as possible. What’s your voting plan?
- Returning your ballot by mail? If you are planning on mailing back your ballot the deadline is 10/29.
- Returning your ballot at a drop box? Visit this link to find a drop box near you!
- Voting in person? Every Coloradan has the option to vote in person rather than returning their mail ballot. Visit https://justvotecolorado.org/ to find a Voter Service and Polling Center (VSPC) and vote in person.
If you haven’t gotten your ballot or lost it, don’t fret because voting is easy in Colorado! You can turn in your mail ballot, or vote in person at a county vote center right up until Election Day. If you’re not registered to vote but legally eligible, you can register to vote and cast your ballot all the way up to Election Day! Visit Just Vote Colorado to get the details on where to go and what to do, whether you’re registered to vote or not.
You know it’s critical to vote for candidates who support our neighborhood public schools, but if you live outside of Jeffco or have questions about issues on the ballot that affect education, you can visit your CEA Voter Guide for more information about the recommended candidates and issues for where you live.
CEA Voter GuideAnd with 11 days left until election day, we need educators to volunteer to ensure we WIN November 5! There are two upcoming opportunities:
- Join NEA members nationwide as we make phone calls to educators living in key districts https://www.mobilize.us/nea/event/724102/
- And there’s an opportunity to volunteer tomorrow at Chaucer Park at 9:00am. Use this signup form to volunteer.
Retiring this year?
The District has announced an opportunity regarding the evaluation and stipend deadline for retiring employees.
An early notification of retirement stipend of $750 will be offered again this year. Early notification of retirement plays an important role in supporting your school in the budget and staff planning processes. Announcing your retirement early can allow your schools or department to avoid reducing a position or or allow them to plan to post a position prior to solidifying their budget for the following school year.
This year the deadline to complete and submit an early notification of retirement form is December 20, 2024. A stipend will not be paid unless this form is submitted on or before December 20th. Submitting your documentation by December 20th will also allow your administrator to not complete your evaluation. No exceptions will be made to the December 20th deadline.
Resources for retirement: Preparing for Retirement intranet page, Retirement FAQ and Retirement Checklist
Get Your Tech On
Want to learn more about how to incorporate technology and AI in your classroom? The district will be hosting Get Your Tech On professional learning on November 3 from 8:00am – 3:00pm. If you are interested in attending, visit the link to learn more and sign up in Vector.