Www2.dpsk12.org



[pic]

January 13, 2004

Management Items

Cabinet Report

Following is a regular report about major issues and information discussed during the weekly Cabinet meetings. The Cabinet includes three principal representatives, all nine area and assistant area superintendents, other assistant superintendents and several department heads. Please contact your Cabinet representative with questions.

Information

• Use of Pepsi contract funds. Advisory board being assembled to provide guidance for management of the contract and schools’ options for use of funds. Dollars may be forwarded to schools earlier in the school year in the future. Details at Principals Council later this week (Thursday, January 15).

• Board of Education holding a work session Wednesday, January 14 to review district’s Resource Allocation Methodology and general budget issues. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 900 Grant St.

• Board of Education holding a work session Thursday, January 29 to hear a presentation on the proposed Teacher Compensation Plan.

• Major issues are ahead around expanding choice options – expanding the capacity at Crofton; adding grade levels at Bryant-Webster; use of the Byers school as a possible second campus for Denver School of the Arts; recruiting parents and students for new and existing schools in southwest Denver, etc.

• The Distance Learning program is planning a move from CEC Middle College of Denver – and expansion in its new site, possibly in Lowry Redevelopment Area.

• Department of Human Resources finalizing staffing calendar for teachers.

• Consistent guidelines and expectations for middle school algebra are being finalized by the curriculum department.

• Superintendent Wartgow reviewed Governor Bill Owens’ State of the State address on January 8 and the tremendous recognition and visibility for Denver Public Schools during that event, followed by the proclamation declaring January 12 as DPS Appreciation Day.

• Superintendent Wartgow and others shared vignettes and insights about the large student and volunteer turnout for the Saturday tutoring session at Cole Middle School last weekend. That was the first of eight such weekends.

CTAC Report Validates Importance of Quality Objective Setting

The four-year study of the DPS/DCTA Pay for Performance Pilot has strongly linked student achievement to teachers who wrote the highest quality objectives. The study “Catalyst for Change” was presented by the Community Training and Assistance Center of Boston last week. A full summary of the report, news releases and the report itself are available at . The study also indicated the quality of interaction between principals and teachers was pivotal in implementing the pilot. One of the recommendations was to create opportunities for teachers and principals to shape professional development. The full report will be furnished to principals in coming weeks.

W-2 Reissue Process

The 2003 Form W-2’s will be mailed to the home address of each employee on or before January 31, 2004. If an employee has not received his or her W-2 in the mail by Friday, February 13, the following procedure should be followed to request a duplicate copy:

 

Please have the employee complete the form accessible at . The employee must sign the form or it will not be processed.

Forward the completed/signed form to the Payroll Department either by mail, inter-office mail, drop-off or fax 303-764-3854.

Payroll will reissue a W-2 to the employee and mail it to the address indicated on the request form. All replacement W-2’s will be mailed and will be processed on a first-come, first-serve basis. All requests will be processed within one week of the date the request was received into the Payroll Department.

1) The employee will not be required to pay the usual $7 processing fee for a copy of his or her 2003 W-2 provided the request is received into the Payroll Department on or before Thursday, April 15, 2004. Beginning Friday, April 16, 2004, the employee will be charged the customary $7 processing fee.

Important: To allow for adequate mailing time, Payroll will not accept requests for duplicates until Friday, February 13.

New Employment Verification Service Is Faster and Easier

Starting March 1, 2004, employee verifications will be outsourced to THE WORK NUMBER®, an automated service that will provide our employees with fast, secure employment and income verifications. Employee verifications requested by social service agencies will continue to be processed through the Payroll Department. THE WORK NUMBER® is a service of TALX Corporation that provides employees with an automated process to handle employment verifications. It allows our employees to have their employment and salary verified within a matter of minutes. This fast, secure service is used for mortgage applications, reference checks, loan applications and apartment leases – anything that requires proof of employment. It is quick, accurate and easy. See the attached memo for details.

Professional Development and Training

CMP Mathematics Initiative

All sixth- through eighth-grade teachers using the CMP Mathematics Initiative are required to attend one of these training sessions (details are attached) at the Denver School of the Arts:

• Monday, February 9, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Sixth Grade)

• Tuesday, February 10, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Seventh Grade)

• Thursday, February 12, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Eighth Grade)

• Saturday, February 7, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Grades)

Program Development and Grant Writing Training

The DPS Foundation, Grants Resource Center and Student Services are hosting a free, comprehensive Program Development and Grant Writing training course for all DPS employees on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 3 and 4. This course will be taught by Ron Mirr, a nationally-recognized grant writer and fundraising consultant. The course is two full days plus an additional three hours of homework, and it is well-worth the investment! Please visit the Grants Resource Center website at to download a flyer with all the details. Call Laura Inscho at 303-764-3221 to register.

For Your Information

Coming Attractions To Distance Learning Network

Access this link for more information about these two upcoming “electronic field trips” and special television program:

• DPS students can now interact live with Colonial Williamsburg experts in Virginia through electronic field trips airing on the DPS Distance Learning Network. These live interactive television programs on Channel 48 air on the following Thursdays: January 15, February 12, March 11 and April 15. Questions about receiving the programs in DPS classrooms should be directed to Rob Piekarski at 303-964-3054 well in advance of the air dates. Visit the Colonial Williamsburg website to find detailed descriptions of programs – .

• “Fastballs, Flips and Physics: Science on the Sandlot,” an electronic field trip live from spring training in Florida’s Roger Dean Stadium, will air on Channel 48 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, February 10. The program will be repeated on Channel 22 from 4 to 6 p.m. that day. Access for more information.

• Channel 22 will broadcast live “Closing America’s Achievement Gap: The 2nd Anniversary of No Child Left Behind” on Channel 22 from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, January 20. This broadcast of “Education News Parents Can Use” celebrates the second anniversary of the No Child Left Behind Act and its improvements for education in communities throughout the nation. The program repeats at noon on Saturdays on Channel 22.

Safety and Health Calendar Art Contest

The Safety and Health Calendar Art Contest packets went out last week to each school’s visual arts department head, art teacher or art contest coordinator. This contest is for the 2004-05 Safety and Health Calendar. The contest deadline is Friday, February 13. Winning artwork will serve as illustrations for next year’s calendar. Encourage your students to participate! Last year’s Winners Exhibit is now on display at the DPS Administration Building (900 Grant Street), 3rd floor by the elevators. Access for more information.

TUESDAY TELEGRAM — Click on this link to access past issues:



(BACK to Employment Verification)

Denver Public Schools

Inter-Office Communication

TO: School Principals and Department Heads

FROM: Andre Pettigrew, Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services

Richard Allen, Assistant Superintendent of Budget & Finance

DATE: January 13, 2004

SUBJECT: Employee Verifications

As of 3/1/04, employee verifications will be outsourced to THE WORK NUMBER®, an automated service which will provide our employees with fast, secure employment and income verifications. Employee verifications requested by social service agencies will continue to be processed through the Payroll Department.

THE WORK NUMBER® is a service of TALX Corporation that provides employees with an automated process to handle employment verifications. It allows our employees to have their employment and salary verified within a matter of minutes. This fast, secure service is used for mortgage applications, reference checks, loan applications and apartment leases; anything that requires proof of employment. It is quick, accurate, and best of all it’s easy.

Employers contract with TALX to handle employment verifications for all employees paid by that employer, using data from their payroll files that is sent to TALX after each payroll run. The information will allow TALX to provide:

▪ Name

▪ Most recent hire date

▪ Termination date (if no longer employed)

▪ Total time with Denver Public Schools

▪ Job title

▪ Rate of pay

▪ Gross earnings for current year-to-date, including base pay, overtime, bonuses, and commissions.

▪ Gross earnings for last year and two years past, including base pay, overtime, bonuses, and commissions.

The process of obtaining employment and salary information through The Work Number® is easy.

1. Denver Public Schools Payroll provides updated employment and salary information files to The Work Number( after each payroll cycle.

2. The employee provides the verifier with his/her social security number, our company code, and a Salary Key (if they want the verifier to obtain their salary).

3. The verifier contacts THE WORK NUMBER® and enters the company code, the associate's SSN, and the Salary Key (if they are requesting salary information). The verifier can contact THE WORK NUMBER® via the Internet or 800 number. The verifier, not the employee, pays a minimal fee for this service.

4. The Internet displays the information. If the verifier accesses the data via the web site, he/she is able to print a copy of the verification from his/her desktop. If the caller enters a fax number at the phone prompt, the system automatically sends a fax with all the information.

When employees provide verifiers with a Salary Key, they are giving the verifier permission to access their salary information.

A Salary Key is not required if the verifier does not need salary information. Employment-only verifications do not require a Salary Key. Employment verifications include job title, total time with company, and start or termination date. Sixty-five percent or more of our verifications will be Employment only, requiring no Salary Key.

To generate a Salary Key, the employee goes to or dials 1-800-EMP-AUTH (1-800-367-2884). He/she will be prompted to enter the company code and personal identification number (PIN). After passing through this security, the system will generate a 6-digit random number and communicate it to the associate. The Salary Key is valid for one salary verification by one verifier. The associate must establish a new Salary Key for each verifier as needed, and may have up to three codes active at one time.

How does an employee get a Personal Identification Number (PIN) that is required to obtain a Salary Key?

The PIN is your last 4 #’s of your social security number followed by the month and date of your birth. At this time, you must select your own 8 digit PIN.

Currently, Payroll bears the cost of processing employment verifications, including time, labor, fax and postage charges. Using THE WORK NUMBER® virtually eliminates this processing cost for Denver Public Schools.

The verifiers will pay a fee to receive employment and/or salary information. Typically, this charge will be less than $10 per verification. The practice of paying a fee for employment verification is widely accepted and generally taken from the loan-processing fee that most lending institutions or property managers charge for loan or rental applications. Our employees are not charged any additional fees for this service.

If you receive any questions regarding the fees or services of THE WORK NUMBER®, you must immediately direct the inquirers to call THE WORK NUMBER® Customer Service Team at 1-800-996-7566. It is not your responsibility to explain how these procedures work to verifiers.

1. Posters in Schools/Departments

2. Mass Email Announcement

3. Check Stuffer

4. Wallet Card

5. New Hire Orientation

Even though we will communicate these new procedures to every employee, we know that most employees will still have questions about how to obtain employment verification when they need one. Here is what will make THE WORK NUMBER® a success.

1. You may begin to use THE WORK NUMBER® beginning March 1, 2004. However, you will need to explain the program to employees who have not yet received word of the procedure.

2. Frequently remind employees of these new procedures through handouts and orientation materials and the Human Resources/Payroll websites.

3. Direct employees to the service whenever employment verification is requested. We encourage you to utilize this service as much as possible. Our goal is to provide a confidential, high quality, fast service to our associates and verifiers. THE WORK NUMBER® does this for us.

4. When you receive an employment verification request, forward to Payroll as is current procedure. Payroll wil return the request to the verifier along with instructions on how to use THE WORK NUMBER®. Remember that the verification can be completed instantly with the proper codes, so you are not delaying the process by returning the request.

5. Terminated employees will be maintained on this system for two years from their termination date.

6. If the verifier or the associate has any questions, or needs additional instructions on how to use the system, refer them to THE WORK NUMBER® Client Service Center at 1-800-996-7566. The Client Service Center is available Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central time.

(BACK to CMP Mathematics Initiative)

-----------------------

What is The

Work Number?

What information is provided?

How does it work?

How does an employee get a Salary Key to allow access to their income data?

Why did we decide to outsource employment verifications?

How will this new service be communicated to Employees?

What are our responsibilities?

All 6–8 teachers using CMP are required to attend.

Special Education teachers are welcome.

Denver School of the Arts

7111 Montview Boulevard

Monday, February 9, 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Sixth Grade

Tuesday, February 10, 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Seventh Grade

Thursday, February 12, 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Eighth Grade

OR

Saturday Option, February 7, 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Grades

Teachers will be paid the hourly inservice rate.

RSVP to Elizabeth Bible at elizabeth_bible@

with the following information:

❖ School

❖ Grade level

❖ Date attending

Confirmation will be sent via email with the following information:

❖ Room numbers

❖ Materials to bring

The Curriculum and Instruction Department will pay for teacher substitutes.

Coffee will be provided. Please bring your lunch.

CMP

Mathematics

Initiative Session

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download