Jordan Employee Memos

Each year, the Utah Association of Elementary School Principals (UAESP) gives the Jordan Association of Elementary School Principals (JAESP) the opportunity to celebrate elementary principals for the great work they are doing in their schools. The categories are:

• Distinguished Principal of the Year
• Distinguished Assistant Principal of the Year
• Rookie of the Year
• Innovator of the Year
• Community Leader of the Year
• Student Advocate Principal of the Year
• Instructional Leader of the Year
• Principal Mentor of the Year

If you feel that an elementary principal or assistant principal has done exceptional work, we invite you to nominate them for an award by clicking on the link below.

• 2024-25 Principal Recognition Award Form

This survey closes on Dec. 11, 2024 at 11:59 p.m.

The Jordan Credit Center is hiring instructors of asynchronous virtual courses for original credit, grade replacement credit, and credit recovery. The number of instructors will be based on student enrollment. Only internal JSD candidates will be considered. Accepting only current licensed, contracted educators. See complete Frontline listing for more details.

• Date applications close: Nov. 26, 2024
• Date positions begin: Jan. 2025

Jordan School District Board authorizes up to four (4) full-time employees to be selected for leave.

Sabbatical Leave
Sabbatical leave provides a 1-year leave for professional study. Educators who have completed at least seven years of continuous service in JSD may apply. Employees on sabbatical leave receive one-half of their salary. Please read Policy DP333 NEG – Sabbatical Leave for complete information. Applications are reviewed by the Local Professional Improvement Committee and approved by the Board.

Educational Leave
Educators who have worked in Jordan School District for at least three (3) consecutive years may apply for an Educational Leave. Educational leaves are for continued study and must include an outline of studies along with the application. Please read Policy DP332 NEG – Educational Leave for complete information. Educational Leave is without pay.

Applications for 2025-26 Sabbatical and Educational Leaves are due Feb. 1, 2025. Additional questions can be referred to Chris Westra, 801-567-8657.

• Application for 2025-26 Sabbatical and Educational Leaves

The Language & Culture Services team is happy to have refugee mentors assigned to each feeder system. These mentors will have 25-30 students that will meet them twice a month to follow up with their interests, involvement in school activities, friends, employment, family life, attendance, and grades.

Weekly collaboration to update tracking spreadsheet, share successes, work through student concerns and training/personal development as the opportunities arise. This will assist schools in gaining a better understanding of student needs and learning so that they can be successful in your school.

Please pass out permission slips to get parent permission and we will begin work with you soon.

The Jordan Ethnic Advisory Committee and Language and Culture Services cannot wait to see you at the annual "What I Wish You Knew Conference: In our shoes." This year the conference will be highlighting and celebrating our teachers making a difference in the classrooms everyday.

• Where: Riverton High High
• Time: 9 a.m. -12 p.m.
• Date: Jan.21, 2025
• What: What is working to enhance student leadership to sustain a culture of belonging in school.

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• RSVP for the 2025 What I Wish You Knew Conference

This endorsement program is open to K-12 contracted licensed personnel in Jordan School District.  This does not include substitute teachers or paraprofessionals who are licensed.

IMPORTANT: As of August, 2024, the JSD ESL Endorsement program has been updated to a competency based endorsement that aligns with TESOL standards and USBE requirements. This means the endorsement has undergone some changes and is formatted differently than in previous years. You will earn an endorsement with the Utah State Board of Education. A university credit option through SUU is available at your own expense. Language & Culture Services will not be paying for university credit.

NOTE: Your employee email that ends with  "@jordandistrict.org" will be used for ALL correspondence.

Applicants will be placed in the order in which applications are received.

You can sign up for the endorsement using the link below. For more information, please contact your Language Teacher Specialists.

• Request for Participation in the ESL Endorsement

If you are a contracted employee and need to take Annual/Personal Leave on a Critical Day before or after Winter Recess for any reason not listed in policy DP335NEG or DP335B, you must submit a request as follows:

How to Request
During the window, the employee must send the request through email. Please include your name, school, position, and the date you are requesting the leave. Requests left on voicemail or over the phone will NOT be accepted.

• Licensed employees submit their request to licensedpersonalleave@jordandistrict.org
• Education Support Professionals submit their request to classifiedpersonalleave@jordandistrict.org

The employee will receive an email confirmation within two working days after submitting the request. If the employee does not receive a confirmation email, then Human Resources has NOT received your request and your leave will not be approved.

School Holiday	Date of Holiday	Critical Days	Window
Winter Recess (All Licensed)	Dec. 23, 2024 - Jan. 3, 2025	Dec. 20, 2024 and Jan. 6, 2025	Nov. 9 – Nov. 19, 2024
Winter Recess (All ESP)	Dec. 24, 2024 - Jan. 1, 2025	Dec. 20, 2024 and Jan. 6, 2025 (245 works Dec 27, 30, 31)	Nov. 10 – Nov. 20, 2024

• Licensed - Personal Leave Before & After Holiday
• ESP - Personal Leave Before & After Holiday

Understanding the proper budget code to utilize when coding payroll for employees has been a struggle for staff. Our current function and object codes are numerous and confusing. In an effort to simplify and streamline our budget codes, Accounting has updated function and object codes. You can view the updated Department Budget Code Book by going to the Accounting department page or by visiting the link below.

• Program Budget Codes

Please review these adjustments and contact Jaime Barrett at 801-567‐8315 with any questions or concerns.

For All School Employees:

We invite you to take Jordan School District’s Faculty Stakeholder Input Survey for your school. This survey includes questions about your school’s learning environment and academic support.  You will have an opportunity to answer questions specific to your principal, assistant principal(s) and licensed support staff such as counselors, instructional coaches, social workers, library media coordinators, cluster leaders, school psychologists, and speech language pathologists. Your responses will give us important information to make our schools even better. We sincerely appreciate your time in taking this survey.

The survey is completely confidential and brief; it contains 50 questions and takes about 9-12 minutes to complete. You can take the survey online by following this link.

Please complete the survey by Tuesday, November 26th.

Questions or feedback about the survey may be directed to Ben Jameson (ben.jameson@jordandistrict.org) in Assessment, Research & Accountability.

Thank you for your time and participation!

The following is a new administrative assignment:

Transfer effective Jan. 2, 2025:

• April Gaydosh, elementary level Administrator of Schools, transferred as Administrator in the Human Resources Department, replacing June LeMaster who is retiring.

Two elementary level Administrator of Schools positions will be available as of Jan. 2, 2025. Each AOS will supervise approximately 13 elementary schools. Watch for the application to open next week and interviews will be held on Dec. 2, 2024.

The Jordan Credit Center page on the Teaching & Learning website features a variety of graduation credit services offered to JSD students including: original credit, grade replacement, credit recovery and options to demonstrate competency for credit.

Check out the Jordan Credit Center page at tl.jordandistrict.org/secondary/credit/

Please be aware that you can opt out of receiving a printed District W-2 form. Instead, an electronic copy will be provided. You can opt out of your District printed W-2  by going to Skyward Employee Access by Midnight on Dec. 10.

• Choose the electronic W-2 by selecting the “I do not need a printed copy”…
• Electronic W-2’s will be available in Employee Access for printing/viewing by mid-January.
• Opt out and win one of many prizes! A drawing for the prizes will be held on Dec. 11. Employees will be contacted.
• District printed W-2’s will be mailed by Jan. 31.

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• 2024 W2 Opt Out Flyer

We Need Your Feedback To Understand Our Community's Natural Hazard Risk

What hazards concern you? Salt Lake County needs your input on the risks from natural, man-made, and technological hazards that could affect the county, and what actions should be taken to reduce those risks.

The information you provide will help shape the updated multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan.

• Take the Salt Lake County Hazard Mitigation Plan Public Survey
• Salt Lake County Hazard Mitigation Plan Public Survey Flyer (English & Español)

We hope you love using AI as you prepare lessons and materials for your classroom. As part of our SchoolAI adoption in Jordan School District, Digital Teaching and Learning would like to invite you to attend an optional PD training to help you use SchoolAI to its fullest potential.

Please bring your device and your questions to learn along with DTL and SchoolAI.

• What: Using AI Effectively in the Classroom: Optional PD Training
• When: 1 - 3 p.m. on Nov. 8
• Where: Bingham High School Lecture Hall
• Who: All Teachers Interested in AI

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• SchoolAI - Using AI Effectively in the Classroom Flyer
• Sign Up for Using AI Effectively in the Classroom PD Training

Teaching & Learning is offering an optional, half-day PD for all elementary teachers, and a full-day PD for all middle school ELA and SS teachers: Sparking Minds – Transform your Teaching with Engaging Questions, Socratic Seminars, and Dynamic Dialogue.

Elementary PD Info
The Elementary PD will include supporting information for Wit & Wisdom and will be offered specific to grade bands: K, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6. Half-day substitutes will be provided. Please see the flier for details and dates.

• Sparking Minds Elementary PD Flyer

Middle PD Info
The middle school PD is specifically for ELA and social studies teachers. Full-day substitutes will be provided. Please see the flier for details and dates.

• Sparking Minds Secondary PD Flyer

Upcoming Events and Opportunities – LICENSED EARLY NOTIFICATION

Valued Licensed Employee:

The Human Resource Department is contacting you with important information regarding upcoming events and opportunities.

LICENSED EARLY NOTIFICATION (Resignation or Retirement)
Licensed employees resigning/retiring at the end of the current contract year, who give official early notification in SKYWARD – EMPLOYEE ACCESS, will be eligible for a tiered incentive. To qualify, notification must be submitted on or before the following dates:

• Dec. 15, 2024 $500.00
• Jan. 15, 2025 $300.00
• Feb. 15, 2025 $200.00

The incentive will be paid on the last regular paycheck. Notifications of resignation/retirement received after the dates listed above will not qualify for an incentive. The official District “Notice of Resignation” form is found in Skyward Employee Access under “Task Processes”. Please see District policy DP318 for more detailed information regarding resignations. If you do not know your Skyward username or password please contact the Help Desk at 801-567-8737.

Licensed employees who do not submit an official “Notice of Resignation” form in Skyward Employee Access with at least thirty (30) calendar days’ written notice WILL BE FINED $500, which will be deducted from their final check.  Informing your principal/school administrator either verbally or in writing is not sufficient.  See District Policy DP318 – Resignations - Licensed.

School/District Administrators must submit an official “Notice of Resignation” form in Skyward Employee Access with at least sixty (60) calendar days’ written notice WILL BE FINED $500 in accordance with District Policy DP318A – Resignations -Administrators.

Check out the links below for the latest updates from Teaching & Learning for November. Learn Tips and Tricks, Sign Up for Upcoming PD, and Learn about Important Updates from the T & L team.

• Teaching and Learning 
  • Teaching and Learning November 2024 Newsletter
• Digital Teaching and Learning
• Math
  • Secondary
  • Elementary
• Science
  • Secondary
  • Elementary
• English Language Arts
  • Secondary
  • Elementary
• Health
• PE
• World Language
• Gifted and Talented
• Social Studies
  • Secondary
  • Elementary
• Elementary Library
• Fine Arts

All kindergarten teachers, coaches and administrators are invited to join T&L for an informative Kindergarten Night Out where we will explore the new Open Up Math resources. See the below for more details.

• Wednesday, Nov. 13th, 2024
• 4:15-5:15 PM Collaboration
• 5:15-6:15 PM Presentation Room

Prepare to explore Open Up Resources (O.U.R.), a top rated curriculum crafted to spark curiosity, enhance critical thinking, and promote active engagement. This innovative approach focuses on the 8 Effective Mathematical Teaching Practices. O.U.R. encourages students to take ownership of their learning, by fostering exploration, student thinking, and collaboration. Each lesson offers rigorous activities and routines that provide opportunities for students to deeply understand, reflect, and grow. Join us in redefining the way students think, learn, and build proficiency. We will discuss high impact teaching strategies, participate in an image talk, math games, and address the major works. Come get a sneak peak and be the teacher in the know!

Please sign up at pd.jordandistrict.org.

The Utah State Board of Education Teacher Salary Supplement Program (TSSP) qualifications and application deadlines are available for 2024-25. The application deadlines are printed below.  Information regarding the TSSP program and qualifications is found at the following Utah State Board of Education (USBE) link:

• USBE Teacher Salary Supplement Program (TSSP) Information

Application Term Dates
An application term indicates a preference of when and how often the educator would like to receive any bonus. Applicants may select one of the following terms before the respective deadline:

Term	# of Payments	Application Available & Accepted	Application Deadline
Trimester	3	Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024 6 a.m.	Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 11:59 p.m.
Semester	2	Tuesday, Oct.1, 2024 6 a.m.	Friday, Jan. 31, 2025 11:59 p.m.
Annual	1	Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024 6 a.m.	Wednesday, April 30, 2025 11:59 p.m.

Please note that the 2024-25 school year will be the final funding opportunity under the current TSSP. The Utah Legislature has approved the new Salary Supplement for Highly Needed Educators (SHiNE) Program in the 2024 session that will go into effect July 1, 2025.