From Nutrition Services

How are sites chosen for breakfast programs?

It's a building's and principal's decision to provide a breakfast program. The goal of Nutrition Services is to have breakfast in every school.

Is the amount of food adequate for all kids? Some kids are still hungry after a meal.

The Nutrition Services department follows specific portion sizes that are required by the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program. Some items have larger portion sizes in the secondary schools and grades 5-8 at the K-8 schools. The department also operates an "offer" vs. "serve" program which means the students must take a minimum of three of the five food items offered but are not required to take all five. Often students that are still hungry took three items instead of all five items.

In some schools (secondary), the lunch period backs up against the end of the day. It is too late for some kids, and others leave campus.

Schools that may have had a late lunch have recently made the adjustments to the lunch schedule so this won't happen. Principals at all levels determine class and lunch schedules.

How has the additional 30 minute of teacher plan impacted lunch periods?

The Nutrition Services department has not yet had an opportunity to assess any impact and likely won't be able to answer this question until it receives all of the serving schedules from the schools.

Will there be crossing guards at Paris elementary?

This is a site-based decision made by the principal with input from teachers and parents. In contacting the Paris principal, we learned she is working with parents and staff to address the issue. Because the school, its parking lots, drop points and cross walks are all new, staff is addressing student safety as it analyzes traffic volume and patterns. Letters and phone calls have also been made to parents regarding safety.

What is the practice/policy of keeping students out of lunch for "detention?"

The practice of lunchtime detention varies by school. This particular policy has been delegated to the principal. Please see the principal for specifics in each building.

There is not enough time for lunch!

Again, principals determine class and lunch schedules. It's recommended that students have a minimum of 30 minutes for lunch (not including recess).

Are all kindergarten classes eating lunch after the other grades?

Because principals determine class and lunch schedules, kindergarten lunchtime varies by school.

From Transportation

Are parents aware of their role/responsibility with regards to transportation?

Our responsibility is to work with and inform parents of our transportation procedures and then consistently work with parents and students to support those procedures. For example, we have different procedures for parents and students to follow regarding readiness for pick-up and drop-off. For special needs students, the bus arrives and waits for two minutes for the children or parents to exit the home at pick-up time. If children or parents do not appear after two minutes, the drivers proceed on the scheduled route. If parents are not home at drop-off time to receive children, the children are returned to the Transportation office and wait for parents to pick them up. For general education students, the children are to arrive at their stops no earlier than 5-10 minutes before scheduled bus arrival. The driver will board the children and then immediately depart in order to keep consistent and timely route times. The Transportation Department is continuing to improve and build relationships with parents and new bus drivers so they will clearly understand their responsibility in regards to transportation.

When will we get a raise? Hours have been cut. Presently our district pays in the middle compared to what other districts pay. Could we have a better starting salary?

In an effort to remain competitive in the metro-area market, APS has conducted annual salary comparison studies since 1994. Ohem Consulting Services (OCS) conducts these salary studies. OCS also conducts similar studies for 26 other Colorado school districts. One third of APS job descriptions are revisited each year. During an evaluation and review cycle, job descriptions under review are sent to individual(s) serving in those positions, as well as their immediate supervisor(s). The employee(s) and supervisor(s) review the job descriptions and make changes according to current practices, education required, licenses needed, etc. When the supervisor(s) and employee(s) have finished their review, the edited job descriptions are sent to OCS, to make the necessary changes and create an updated job description. Once the rewriting process is complete, OCS conducts a market-based salary survey. The Division of Human Resources reviews the survey results, and to remain metro-area market competitive makes appropriate decisions related to job ranges and hourly rates of pay.

What district are we in competition with to be #1?

It is our goal to be the premier, or best district, in the state of Colorado. In that regard, we are competing with every district in the state.

Can we get a "turn arrow" on the light in front of the transportation building (on Airport Blvd)?

In 2002, the district explored the possibility of a turn arrow light at Airport Blvd and Centretech. At the time, the city didn't feel it was a sufficient need based on traffic volume. Because traffic patterns and volume have changed since then, the district will look into the matter again. Scott French, Director of Transportation and Joshua Hensley, Coordinator of Planning, will be meeting with the City of Aurora to discuss this matter and the results will be shared with Transportation employees after a review has been made.

Can we get air conditioning on the special needs buses?

The Transportation Department is exploring this option for a couple of buses for special needs children and a couple of activity vehicles. It is very costly, $3500-$4000 per bus for air conditioning to be installed so we do not feel it is warranted for all buses at this time.

Will CSAP be the gauge you measure our progress by?

Ultimately, our effectiveness as a school district is judged using the CSAP. This is true from both a state and federal level. We must set our sights on having all students reach proficiency - as measured by the CSAP. We will also gauge our effectiveness by the growth our students make on an annual basis - as measured by the MAP. Lastly, we will work to reduce, and eventually eliminate, learning gaps between ethnic and gender groups.

What were the CSAP protests about?

"CSAP protests" are viewed by some parent and community groups as appropriate ways to demonstrate their disagreement with the state assessment program, a school district's policies, or a school's practices. The school receives an "unsatisfactory" score for each child that does not take a test. This score is calculated into the school's overall score and could have a negative impact on the resources APS receives.

When will Hinkley High School construction be complete?

The Hinkley High School remodel and renovation project will be complete in the summer of 2007.

Is there a new high school planned?

New construction, remodels and renovations depend on a future bond election. Because of the anticipated growth in the district, district leaders will be evaluating facility needs and will research a future, potential bond election.

Will you be looking at the curriculum?

I made a commitment to examine carefully the alignment of curriculum in the district. We need to assure that it is aligned tightly with state standards and that teachers are supported with ways to assess the progress of students toward achievement of the standards. We are assessing the alignment using both internal and external experts. We hope to implement appropriate changes as quickly as possible.

From 177 Day Employees

How can we pay people "extra duty money" (to take tickets at ball games) that is twice what our hourly wage is?

Extra duty pay is set through the negotiated agreement between APS and the Aurora Education Association. Working for extra duty pay is a voluntary choice and the pay is the same for all APS employees regardless of their position; some employees earn less than their hourly rate while working extra duties, and some earn more. Many APS employee choose to work extra duty because of interest in the events where they work or as a way to supplement their incomes. As noted above, the salary for each APS position is set during the job description review process according to a thorough market analysis.

We need to differentiate the professional development for paraeducators by level (elementary and secondary) and by area (general education and special education).

The initial NCLB training is designed to comply with NCLB "highly qualified" requirements for our classified staff members with instructional responsibilities. It also gives all participants a common district language and understanding of each district curriculum and continuum. Individual departments and schools supplement that training as needed. The district is investigating the possibility of follow up sessions for those who have completed the NCLB training. These sessions may be differentiated by level and area depending on the input and need of all audiences.

Some teachers treat paraeducators as if the para works for them, rather than working together.

All APS employees are part of a team with a single goal, student achievement. We all work together to reach that goal. Concerns about team dynamics should be shared with your principal.

How can we have educational assistants cover the technology special but not pay them like PE, art and music teachers?

As non-licensed employees who have not completed a teacher preparation program, educational assistants work at the direction of a licensed teacher or administrator. They may guide, facilitate and support classroom work at the direction of a licensed employee, but they may not evaluate students or issue grades. Because advanced skills are needed, educational assistants are paid at a range significantly higher than paraeducators.

Will we consider adopting school uniforms?

Several APS schools have dress codes in place. The decisions about dress code are made at each individual school with input from parents and community.

When hours are changed (from 8 to 7) it has caused a significant increase in my monthly insurance premium.

Classified employees contracted for 7 or 8 hours are considered full time employees and are eligible for the full District portion of their health care benefit. Classified employees contracted for 4 or more hours, but less than 7 hours, pay a pro-rated portion of the Kaiser and Pacificare premiums, depending on the number of hours worked. You should also know that insurance premiums for Kaiser and Pacificare are increased annually every July 1 for all covered District employees. The annual increase is first reflected in the June paycheck.

Instruction Related

I would like to know your philosophy on the pre-established coaching model.

I have formally endorsed the Recommendations for Coaching model that was developed last spring by a committee of teachers and district instructional support personnel. We intend to evaluate the model in the spring of 2007. Coaching, as a form of professional development, is a way to build the capacity of staff members through the support of a peer. It is a model that is being utilized in many other professions.

I would like to know what Aurora Public Schools is doing about teacher to student ratios.

The use of teacher resources are made at the building level. Each year, schools receive a staffing allocation based on district formulas and in compliance with state and federal law. The formulas consider the number of students, the number of at-risk students (those on free lunch), the school size, district-directed programs, Title I eligibility, Special Education requirements, and other special fund entitlements. Principals gather input from staff and parents to make final decisions about how those resources will be used.