January 2010 Volume 42, Number 5

DCTA Slate
Journal of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association
Dedicated to serving Denver students, parents and the Denver community www.denverclassroom.org
the





































































































































































































October 2011 Volume 44, Number 3
Season of Listening
Showing Mr. Carroll the
Beef page 3
Dont Just Listen...
DO SOMETHING! page 3
Memoranda of
Understanding
pages 7, 9, 11
PERA Update page 13
Jim Goffred, AR at Lake
Middle School, listens
to Brent Price and Mary
Boudrias during a
Listening Season build-
ing meeting.
2 The DCTA SlateSeptember 2011
The DCTA SlateOctober 2011 3
A few Sundays ago, columnist Vincent
Carroll decried the lot of Denver voters. He
asserted that the school board candidates run-
ning for office had coy campaigns filled
with fluffy pie-in-the-sky promises. In anoth-
er candidates case, Carroll outlined a series
of alleged inconsistencies and self-aggran-
dizement. At the end of his article, he sug-
gests that no one can really point out a spe-
cific issue in which the school district has not
represented the side of reform. He pointedly
asks, Wheres the beef?
Here is the beef, Mr. Carroll. School
reform is complex and messy at times.
Picking and choosing the pieces of the story
that best make your argument doesnt present
a complete picture. Perhaps spending some
time interviewing the candidates that you
take to task would be a starting point.
Educational issues have a great deal of
complexity, and Arturo Jimenez, candidate
for District 5, has shown excellent judgment
when making decisions in regards to our
schools. He supported West Denver Prep
when the authentic need was there, just as he
is supporting the innovation proposal of the
Generations School in West High school.
Both of these schools have followed a
process in which all of the stakeholders have
had a voice in determining which direction is
best for their community.
Last spring, he did not support the slate
of innovation proposals for schools that did-
nt yet exist. Mr. Jimenez had many ques-
tions about the process, especially the fact
that these schools did not have the vote of the
faculty as required by law. His opposition
wasnt political whimsy. He believed that the
stakeholders should have the same opportu-
nity for input as those at West Denver Prep
and the Generations School at West High.
More columns like this will follow, but
Im confident that educators can see through
the slanted, simplistic approach so many in
the media take to important education issues.
As we read, listen to, and watch the news,
lets pay attention to the depth of comments
to understand if the so-called reformers
understand the importance of shared
accountability and educator excellence to
student success. Lets stay informed, and
work together to make this school board
election a positive experience.
Showing Mr. Carroll the Beef
By Henry Roman,
DCTA President


8 0 2 0 3



















































































































































































Dont Just Listen . . .
DO SOMETHING!
My dog, Fred, is a Schnoodle (part
Schnauzer, part Poodle). The Schnauzer part
is supposed to make him friendly and the
Poodle part is supposed to make him smart.
Both parts seem to work pretty well. Fred is
the friendliest dog anyone has ever met
(unless you ring our doorbell). You could
break into our house and he would just smile
and lick you, but if you ring the doorbell, he
will growl and bark like he is ready to tear
you apart. Aside from his doorbell anxiety,
we think Fred is very smart. He can sit, stay,
shake hands, and he pretty much rules our
household. The problem is, we dont know if
he has a part that will ever make him do what
we tell him when we tell him.
When you talk to Fred, he cocks his head
sideways, looks really cute, and acts like hes
listening but then he doesnt always actual-
ly do what you are asking. I dont think its
because he didnt hear what was asked; I
think its because hes smart enough to
decide whether he wants to do it.
These days, it seems like everyone and
their dog is acting like they listen to educa-
tors. I am always getting surveys to fill out,
but in many cases I dont know if my input
actually went anywhere. We try not to be
like that here in our office; please read on so
By Carolyn Crowder,
DCTA Executive Director
Continued on page 5
4 The DCTA SlateOctober 2011
1500 Grant Street Suite 200
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: 303-831-0590 FAX: 303-831-0591
Web site: www.denverclassroom.org
The Slate, published monthly during the school year, is the official publication of the Denver
Classroom Teachers Association.
Managing Editor: Carolyn Crowder
Copy Editor: Sabrina Stevens Shupe
The Association does not necessarily endorse the companies or products advertised in The Slate,
and the opinions and articles published in The Slate do not necessarily reflect the position or view of the
DCTA.
SLATE ADVERTISING
The Publication Company
Jon DeStefano, Sheldon Spector
(303) 987-3994
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Henry Roman, President
DCTA Office
Melissa Underwood-Verdeal,
Vice President
Henry World School
Lawrence Garcia, Treasurer
East High School
Susan Pinkney-Todd, Secretary
South High School
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SOUTHEAST SECTOR
Pedro Camacho
George Washington High School
Open Seat
Dolly Calderon
Samuels Elementary
Erich Smeaton
South
NORTHEAST SECTOR
Cathy Moore
Archuleta Elementary
Open Seat
Eric Rapp
Amesse
Carsten Engebretsen
Waller
NORTHWEST SECTOR
Beka Brewbaker-Toney
Colfax
Diana Hernandez
Trevista
Loralie Cole
Trevista
Lynne Valencia-Hernandez
Beach Court Elementary
SOUTHWEST SECTOR
Diane Anderson
Specialized Service Providers
Zach Rupp
LEAP Project, Outreach
Angela Kullhem
Henry World School
Benita Cervantez
Kunsmiller
CEA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Lloyd Bourdon
Henry World School
Amber Wilson
Thomas Jefferson HS
Cathy Cronn (Alternate)
McClone
David Szumiloski (Alternate)
Eagleton
DCTA-R President
Robert Alarid
DAEOP President
DCTA Mission Statement
The Denver Classroom Teachers Associations mission is to advocate for the rights and
responsibilities of all educators, and to unite our members and the community to fulfill
the promise of public education to prepare every student to succeed in a diverse and
interdependent world.
The DCTA Slate
DCTA Governing Body
By Justin Darnell
Much has changed in DPS over the last
year, including a greater focus on providing
high quality professional development for
teachers. However, we knew we could not cre-
ate quality PD without the aid of experts, and
where better to find these experts than our very
own DPS classrooms?
Last spring, we invited a group of DPS
teachers to develop learning opportunities spe-
cific to their grade level and content area, and
that aligned to our new Framework for
Effective Teaching. These teachers know what
works with our students, so they created online
courses around these key ideas and strategies.
Each course is facilitated by this same group of
teachers and provides an opportunity for partic-
ipants to build upon their own knowledge and
engage with a group of peers. Throughout the
course, participants learn how to implement
these proven techniques, discuss their learning,
share their own ideas, and collaborate with
peers in a learning lab. With a focus on imme-
diate application and consistent support, partic-
ipants are able to improve their instructional
practice and better meet their students needs.
Please help us congratulate these expert
teachers for their hard work: Sarah Johnston,
Anita Rodriguez-Harman, Beth Vinson, Margo
Mertaugh, Marianne Berge, Gary Bloom, Amy
Martinson, Cat Tobiasson, Sarah Smith, David
Weiss, Tami Taylor, Nadia Lee, Bridgette
Weiss, Jesse Sanschaper, Cheryl Osgood,
Andrea Weisman, Joe Dziedzic, Jessica Rose,
Daniel Conner, Will Taylor, and Megan
Brzezinski.
If you are interested in taking one of these
courses aligned to the Positive Classroom
Culture and Climate, High Impact Instructional
Moves, and 21st Century Skills expectations,
then please register in Schoolnet. They begin
November 1st and can be part of any PDU,
PGP, or work of a school team. Watch this
video on how to register in Schoolnet.
http://bit.ly/expertpd
Expert DPS
Teachers
Create PD
for Their
Peers
The DCTA SlateOctober 2011 5
you can see that DCTA leadership and staff
arent just a bunch of cute faces that listen,
but are committed to follow through on what
we hear.
The HEAT issue: Many DCTA mem-
bers brought to our attention that the heat at
the beginning of school (especially in
schools without air conditioning) was caus-
ing heat related health issues for teachers and
students as well as making it extremely hard
to teach or learn anything.
We heard and acted: After the first
call to our office regarding the heat, DCTA
staff and DCTA president Henry Roman
researched the issue, we delivered water bot-
tles and ice to schools without air condition-
ing, we took the input we got from these
schools to the superintendent and are now
working with the district to address this issue
in time to affect the calendar for the 2012-
2013 school year. You will be getting a sur-
vey on this issue soon PLEASE
RESPONDso we will know whether
changing the calendar to a later start or other
solutions are preferred.
LEAP and bargaining the next con-
tract: We have received a lot of input on
how the LEAP system is positive in some
ways but in others is overwhelming.
We also get calls regarding parts of the
contract that teachers would like changed
or strengthened.
Help us hear and act: We have
redesigned our website so that you dont
have to wait for a survey or building visit to
let us know what needs to be changed just
visit denverclassroom.org/contact. At this
site you can leave messages that will go
directly to our bargaining team regarding
what you think needs to be changed before
LEAP or other issues become part of our
contract.
Become a part of the ACTION: Cute-
faced listeners dont change the world, but
collective action can. Be sure to visit
denverclassroom.org/action-center to see
how you can become part of the solution.
Continued from page 3
Dont Just Listen . . .
DO SOMETHING!
Asked Around the Office:
Why are you involved
in this school board election?
Because I want to elect peo-
ple who actually LISTEN to
teachers, parents, students &
community.
Sabrina Stevens,
Communications
It is time for Denver to look at education reform in a partnership with educators!
Because I believe all children deserve a liberal arts education in their own neighborhood.
Because we need to support our neighborhood schools and the communities these schools serve!
Together we can support our future generations.
I believe I can proactively
impact my profession by
helping to elect Board mem-
bers who really are con-
cerned about students.
Zach Rupp, LEAP Outreach
Coordinator
We are drinking from wells
that we did not dig. Someone
paid/worked so I could go to
school. It is now my turn to
pay it forward.
Robert Alarid, Retired DPS
Teacher
From the Board of Directors
6 The DCTA SlateOctober 2011
The DCTA SlateOctober 2011 7
Many members have been asking questions about the contract,
which is up for negotiation this year, as well as your rights and the
rules surrounding LEAP. To help keep things clear, here are the
MOUs governing the current contract, the LEAP Pilot program, and
the qualifications and status of Peer Observers (as bargaining unit
members). Please remember that all of thisthe contract, the current
LEAP system, etc.is up for negotiation this year. If you believe
there are things that should be changed, please let us know! Visit
denverclassroom.org/contact to leave feedback for the Bargaining
Team and/or members of the Teaching & Learning committee.
Based on the current economic condi-
tions and in connection with the adoption of
its annual budget, DPS and DCTA have
agreed to the following modifications of the
DPS/DCTA Agreement:
There will be no COLA in either year.
In the first year of the Agreement,
teachers on the master salary schedule will
be paid steps/lanes/longevity in January
2011, as salary building elements.
Lanes submitted between January 1,
2011 and before September 1, 2011 will be
paid in September 2011.
Any new steps/lanes/longevity will be
frozen through August 31, 2012.
The teachers in ProComp will be paid:
Full base-building incentives for
receipt of a satisfactory Comprehen-
sive Professional Evaluation (CPE).
All other basebuilding incentives
(i.e., PDU, Advanced Degrees/Lic-
enses/Certificates, SGOs (if two
objectives are met) earned during
the 2009/10 school year to be paid
in January 2011.
In addition, advanced degrees/lic-
enses/certificates submitted after
January 1, 2011 and prior to Sept-
ember 1, 2011 to be paid upon
approval through September 2011.
No new incentives for advanced
degrees/licenses/certificates will be
paid through August 31, 2012.
PDUs and SGOs earned during the
2010-11 school year to be paid as a
non-basebuilding incentives begin
ning in January 2012. For teachers
who complete 14 credited years of
service before September 1, 2012,
PDUs and SGOs (if 2 objectives
met) paid as stipends will be con-
verted to basebuilding increases in
2012-2013. The parties agree that
similar steps will be taken in future
years to ensure that all teachers will
be eligible for 14 years of PDU
basebuilding.
Full amount of any non-basebuild
ing incentives earned in 2010/11
and 2011/12.
Teachers who retire from the District,
or leave the bargaining unit to assume a new
assignment with the District, will be eligible
to receive ProComp incentives earned in the
prior year as a lump sum payment. Lump
sum payment will be pensionable for
retirees, subject to PERA rules.
For 2010/11 and 2011/12, the parties
agree by MOU that the five district early
release days and one half day of teacher plan-
ning time before Spring break will be
replaced by one full student contact day and
two SLT-directed non-student contact profes-
sional development days. The parties agree
to seek to add additional paid days in the
future and that at least the first two such
added days will be student contact days.
The District will pay the total amount
of the PERA SAED contribution for employ-
ees required under state law for 2010-11 and
2011-12.
District will continue the benefits sub-
sidy at $504/year in 2010-11 and 2011-12.
Amend Schedule 10 of Article 32-4-1 to:
"Denver School of the Arts and Kunsmiller
School of the Arts performing arts, music and
design technology arts staff, stipends.
The financial terms of the Agreement
will be in effect through August 31, 2012.
While it is the intent of the parties that the
economic provisions in this agreement shall
remain in force and effect during its term, in
order to comply with the provisions of the
TABOR Amendment and S22-32-11(5),
C.R.S., the provisions of the Agreement
relating to salaries and benefits may be
reopened by the District in connection with
its annual adoption of its budget.
Furthermore, the Agreement may be
reopened by either party if the total amount
of state funding received by the District for
2011-12 is at least 1.75% greater than the
funding that the District would be entitled to
under the Amendment 23 school funding
provisions of state law.
The Master Agreement and applicable
MOUs will be extended through August 31,
2012, except for Articles 13-19, 13-20 and
any other provisions related to reductions in
force and direct placement, which will expire
on January 15, 2011. The parties agree to
negotiate in good faith appropriate changes
to these articles to implement systems of
mutual consent and reductions in force as set
forth in Senate Bill 191 by January 15, 2011.
Nonprobationary teachers who are currently
on the 2009-2010 RIB list will be placed in
assignments according to the process cur-
rently contained in Article 13 unless prohib-
ited by SB 191.
In implementing the Gates grant, the
parties also agree to pilot changes to Article
10 for one year in numerous schools during
the 2011/12 school year and shall collaborate
in good faith to design such pilots. For those
schools not participating in such pilots in the
2011/12 school year, Article 10, shall remain
in effect. Finally, in order to implement the
changes to Articles 10, 13 and 20, either
party may request negotiations to alter relat-
ed provisions of the Master Agreement.
Parties would agree to extend the
reopening of negotiations around changes to
ProComp until after October 1, 2011 and dis-
cuss any potential extensions of the opt-in
process.
PREFACE to Memoranda of Understanding
Memorandum of Understanding
Between School District #1 the Denver Public Schools and the
Denver Classroom Teachers Association May 19, 2010
DCTA Representative
______________________________________________________
Date __________________________________________________
DPS Representative
______________________________________________________
Date __________________________________________________
Where: 910 Arts Event Gallery, 910
Santa Fe Drive, Denver
When: 4:30 7:00 p.m.
Friday, October 21st 9:00 a.m.
4:00 p.m. Saturday, October 22nd
Presented by Pamela Mich-
ael, Executive Director of the Center
for Environmental Literacy at St.
Marys College of California. *
Credit is available. Recerti-
fication Credits from Colorado
School of Mines and Professional
Development Credits from
Denver Public Schools. We will
work with other school districts
to qualify this workshop for PD
credits, as needed.
To register for this work-
shop, rsvp to rbuirgy@denver
water.org by Tuesday, October
11th. Space is limited to 30 par-
ticipants; additional details will
be provided to registrants.
Denver Water is thrilled to
partner with Colorado Human-
ities and the Center for the Book
in promoting River of Words,
which provides well-established
methods for teaching ecoliteracy
to students and teachers of all
ages. During this workshop, we
will provide the most compre-
hensive training available to
effectively incorporate this multi-
disciplinary, interactive curricu-
lum into any classroom setting.
Your students work will be eligi-
ble for the annual River of Words
poetry and art contest, as well as
entry into the Colorado Water
2012 competition.
*Pamela Michael is the
highly acclaimed co-founder of
River of Words. Pamela is the
former director of the United
Nations Task Force on Media and
Education; she has also worked
for Save the Children (Egypt),
the United States Coalition for
Education for All, the Discovery
Channels Educational Division
and many other development and
education organizations. Pamela
is the author of several books,
including The Gift of Rivers and
The Whole World is Watching: An
International Inquiry into Media
Involvement in Education, as well as
numerous magazine, journal, and newspa-
per articles.
8 The DCTA SlateOctober 2011
DUE TO THE STRONG RESPONSE, WEVE ENLARGED TO INCLUDE MORE PARTICIPANTS!
Denver Waters 2011 Teachers Water Workshop
The DCTA SlateOctober 2011 9
1. The Denver Public Schools and the
Denver Classroom Teachers Association are
collaborating to support the following goals for
educator effectiveness:
a) Ensure every student is taught by an
excellent teacher and every school is led by an
excellent principal.
b) Provide teachers and principals with a
clear understanding of the characteristics of
effectiveness and provide regular feedback on
individual growth.
c) Provide teachers and principals with the
tools, resources, and support they need to
develop and perfect their craft.
d) Provide excellent teachers with leader-
ship opportunities to expand their impact on
students, and share their expertise across the
district.
In support of the above goals, DCTA and
DPS developed LEAP ("Leading Effective
Academic Practice"). LEAP is a multiple
measure system, designed in collaboration
with teachers and principals, to better support
teachers and principals in developing and
strengthening their professional practice and
increasing their impact on student achieve-
ment.
LEAP will highlight areas of strength and
development, provide all teachers with more
focused, frequent feedback, and ensure aligned
professional development support to identified
areas of focus. Teacher participation in this
pilot will allow research in the areas of target-
ed professional development supports, inter-
rater reliability with the observation tool, and
alignment between the measures will be part of
the 2011-2012 school year.
DPS and DCTA encourage all teachers to
experience the LEAP system in a trial envi-
ronment during the 2011-2012 school year, to
inform changes that will be made for the 2012-
2013 school year.
2. All members of the DCTA bargaining
unit evaluated under the LEAP pilots during
the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 school years
will be given a Satisfactory rating for purposes
of CPE under ProComp.
3. All teachers in identified pilot schools
will be evaluated under the pilot unless deter-
mined by Principals based on evidence from
multiple classroom observations as needing to
be evaluated under the current evaluation sys-
tem. Determination must be made prior to
December 16, to revert to the current system
vs. LEAP. After December 16th, the
Instructional Superintendent may approve
principal recommendation of teacher removal
from the LEAP pilot based on documented evi-
dence of a new or continued significant per-
formance decline. Such documentation shall
be shared with the teacher. After any removal
from LEAP, a principal is required to conduct
a special appraisal, as outlined in article 10, to
determine if a remediation plan is necessary. If
a teacher, removed from LEAP, is successful
with either the current evaluation system,
and/or an ensuing remediation plan, that
teacher has the right to return to the LEAP
pilot.
4. ProComp teachers who remain in the
LEAP system next year will receive CPE cred-
it under ProComp for a satisfactory evaluation,
if it is their regular evaluation year.
5. Observation notes from Peer
Observers, Administrators, or any other evalu-
ative observations under LEAP cannot be used
by either party for purposes of teacher dis-
missal during or after the LEAP pilot for the
2011-12 school year.
6. Probationary teachers participating in
the pilot and receiving a satisfactory CPE rat-
ing may still be non-renewed by the district,
pursuant to Colorado statute.
7. If LEAP pilot data is released publicly
for research or professional development out-
side of pilot purposes, names will be redacted
or permission granted by the affected teacher
in a case-by-case basis per artifact. DPS is not
restricted from releasing individual teacher
data to McREL, Teach for America, The New
Teacher Project*, Denver Teaching Fellows,
the Denver Teacher Residency Program, other
alternative licensure or teacher preparation
partners, and other mutually agreed upon enti-
ties for purposes of program administration,
evaluation, research, or targeted professional
development regarding the teachers in their
specific program(s). Each of these entities
shall sign a confidentiality agreement. Said
agreement shall provide that the entity may
only use LEAP data within the defined scope
of its partnership with DPS. LEAP program
coordinators may use individual data to inform
decisions regarding district professional devel-
opment.*TNTP may only access teacher iden-
tifiable LEAP data of the teachers participating
in the TNTP licensure pilot.
8. All of the teachers participating in
LEAP next year will also have an opportunity
to provide important feedback on the develop-
ment of the system moving forward through
surveys, focus groups, a LEAP website feed-
back tool and meetings with members of the
LEAP implementation team.
9. Schools will elect to participate in the
2011-12 pilot by secret ballot, confidential
vote conducted by a teacher representative of
the SLT. Schools who are participating in the
2010-11 pilot will conduct a vote to continue in
the 2011-12 pilot. All bargaining unit members
will be eligible to vote. A simple majority of
those voting will determine participation in the
pilot.
10. Before the end of the 2010-11 school
year, LEAP design teams shall be returned to
full membership as needed for 2011-2012.
DPS and DCTA shall each develop a candidate
list and collaborate on the selection of new
members.
11. Beginning in the spring/summer of
2011, and throughout the course of the 2011-
2012 pilot, the LEAP project team will collab-
orate with a sub-committee of the LEAP
design teams, as determined by the co-chairs,
in order to review pilot feedback and analysis,
and to create recommendations about possible
changes and improvements to the LEAP sys-
tem.
12. During the 2011-12 school year, the
PPWG will review feedback on the LEAP sys-
tem, provide input into changes to the system
and make recommendations as to any neces-
sary changes to the contract to implement the
LEAP system in 2012-13.
Memorandum of Understanding
Between The Denver Classroom Teachers Association And
School District No. 1 Denver Public Schools
LEAP Implementation
DCTA Representative
By: __________________________________________________
By: __________________________________________________
DPS District 1 Representative
By: __________________________________________________
By: __________________________________________________
10 The DCTA SlateOctober 2011
The DCTA SlateOctober 2011 11
This Agreement is entered into between
the DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
(District) and the DENVER CLASSROOM
TEACHERS ASSOCIATION (DCTA). The
DCTA and the District believe the optimum
student performance can be achieved only if
there is a qualified teacher in every classroom
and qualified evaluators working with each
school site. They have jointly developed the
Gates Accelerator grant which will include the
development of a teacher evaluation system,
including an analysis of the current teacher
evaluation system, to examine current practice
and the creation of a process that accurately
reflects a teachers performance, including
effective and consistent implementation of the
system. Included in the projects design team
work regarding the creation of a new process,
the parties want to review the effectiveness of
peer observation. In order to engage in a pilot
study of a peer observation element of an
improved evaluation process in January of
2011, Denver Public Schools has funded
approximately 8 positions to support the role
of peer observer.
Accordingly, in regard to the terms of
employment for the peer observers, the parties
agree as follows:
1. To enter into this Pilot peer
observer/evaluator/reviewer role, the purpose
of which is to inform the evaluation process, to
provide inter-rater reliability and to assist
teachers employed by the District in the devel-
opment of proficiency in performance of their
duties and to test the components of the
Project design teams peer observation ele-
ment(s).
2. To establish a peer observation pro-
gram, on a trial basis, in which the District will
employ the peer observer as a Teacher on
Special Assignment (TOSA) whose primary
responsibilities are described in the attached
job description. No less than 50% of the peer
observers hired for the pilot will have been in
the classroom 2 of the last 4 years.
3. The parties agree that the peer
observers shall be considered eligible for
membership in the Association. While they
will continue to be members of the bargaining
unit, the following articles of the DCTA/DPS
Agreement are waived and are not applicable
to the peer observers:
Article 7 (Grievance Procedures) The
Article 7 provisions on grievances shall apply
only to grievances by peer observers against
their supervisor. Furthermore, the Association
shall have no right to representation of the peer
observer in the event that a teacher grieves any
aspect of the evaluation process in which the
peer observer participates.
Article 8 (Professional Standards) The
Article 8 provisions on professional standards,
including, but not limited to, the provisions
pertaining to the contract year and the work
week, shall not apply to the peer observers.
Article 10 (Performance Evaluations)
The Article 10 provisions on Performance
Evaluations shall be waived for the peer
observers. The evaluation process for Peer
Observers will be in alignment with the dis-
tricts Employee Performance Management
Process, including the forms, goal setting and
accountability to district success factors,
unless otherwise determined by the design
teams or project leadership team and approved
by the Steering Committee.
Article 13 (Assignments, Schedules and
Transfer) The Article 13 provisions on
assignments, schedules and transfers shall not
apply to the peer observer. Peer observers
shall continue in their role as observer at the
discretion of the Executive Director, Teacher
Effectiveness, unless otherwise determined by
the design teams or project leadership team
and approved by the steering committee..
Observers who have non-probationary status,
who are removed from their role as a peer
observer, shall have the right to return to the
classroom, in a position for which they are
highly qualified. This pilot is for the 2010-
2011 school year only. Continued employ-
ment in the peer observer role will depend on
whether the program itself is continued and/or
whether the individuals involved in the pilot
are selected to continue in their role.
Article 31 (Salary) The Article 31 pro-
visions on salary shall not apply to the peer
observers. Salary will be set by district admin-
istration, but the salary for the peer observer
set by the District Administration shall not be
lower than the annual base salary that they
were earning as a DCTA bargaining unit mem-
ber prior to taking the peer observer role. The
peer observer shall be entitled to this level of
compensation only during the period in which
they serve in this capacity. Observers shall not
be eligible for incentives under ProComp or
any other compensation in Articles 31 or 32.
Article 32 (Extra Duty Compensation) The
Article 32 provisions on extra duty compensa-
tion shall not apply to the peer observers.
4. Should the pilot not be implemented in
2010-2011, the peer observers that had earned
non-probationary status prior to entering into
the peer observer role shall have the right to
return to a classroom teaching position or
other position to support other aspects of the
Gates Teacher Performance Management
Project as may be identified.
Unless otherwise determined as part of
the pilot, teachers participating in the pilot
who are identified for remediation will also be
evaluated according to the current evaluation
document and procedures per Article 10 of the
DPS/DCTA agreement.
5.. This is not a precedent setting MOU
for any other positions within the District and
the District reserves the right to classify this
position as needed in the future.. Any addi-
tional elements agreed upon by the Project
Steering Committee for the 2010 2011 pilot
prior to the implementation of the pilot can be
considered as part of the project unless it alters
the agreed-upon salary, contract rights or
working hours of the Peer Observers.
Memorandum of Understanding
Between The Denver Public Schools (District) and the
Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA)
Dated: __________
DENVER CLASSROOM TEACHERS ASSOCIATION
By: __________________________________________________
By: __________________________________________________
Dated: __________
DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS
By: _________________________________________________
By: ________________________________________________
12 The DCTA SlateOctober 2011
LAST NAME FIRST NAME SCHOOL
Mehran Ahmed Henry
Darcy Bauer Schmitt
Jodi Carlson Lake
Cecilia Coats Teller
David Custer Smith
Jeffrey Daniels Gilpin
Therese Duran Kepner
Christopher Faulkner George Washington HS
Charlie Gaare Bill Roberts
Georgina Garcia Valverde Elem
Briseida Gomez Goldrick
Claudia Gonzales Cole Arts and Science
Anyel Groher Bryant-Webster
Heather Hartman College View
Sophia Kirshner Cowell
Ryan Lawrence Lake
Jane Lineman Gilpin
Icaro Mardones Abe Lincoln
Grant Marsik Thomas Jefferson
Jose Martin-Medina MSLA
Jackie McSherry Edison
Sara Mercadante Kunsmiller
Corie Rajala Slavens
Susan Richards Mckinley-Thatcher
Rosa Rios-Becerra Force
Lauren Shaw Green Valley Elem
Aaron Sheppard Abraham Lincoln
Hannah Shippey Fox Street-Student
Services
Chere Smith Montbello
Cacia Steensen Montbello
Lidia Taira Valverde
Jodi Vigil William Roberts
Kyle Wade Montbello
Welcome
New Members
Representing DCTA members
since 1978
The best law you can practice is preventive
law. Do not hesitate to call for information
or help when you need it.
Law Offices of:
William B. King
1660 S. Albion St.
Suite 1110
Denver, CO 80222
(303) 331-1927
Steven Goldstein
5299 DTC Blvd.
Suite 1350
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
(303) 283-8888
DCTA
Group
Legal Services
The DCTA SlateOctober 2011 13
By John MacPherson
Its hard to believe its fall already!
There hasnt been much pension news in the
forefront over the summer, even though the
Denver Post attempted to concoct a scan-
dal about PERA over the July 4th weekend
(https://www.copera.org/pera/about/issues.
htm#7511). Quite a bit has been going on
behind the scenes. Ill summarize some of
the highlights (both positive and otherwise)
below, and expand on some of the stories in
more depth later. I realize this article is quite
long, but thats what happens when I take a
month off.
PERA membership & benefits: as of
May 31, 2011 total membership (comprised
of active and inactive members and benefit
recipients) in PERA was just over 478,000.
This includes about 22,000 in the DPS divi-
sion. In 2010, PERA paid out over $3.1
Billion in pension benefits, with more than
90% being paid to Colorado residents. With
total employer (aka taxpayers) contribu-
tions of $637 Million for 2010, that a pretty
good return on investments for the citizens of
Colorado.
PERA assets & investments: total
assets for all divisions of PERA were just
above $38.7 Billion at the end of 2010. This
makes PERA the 21st largest U.S. pension
plan and the 60th largest worldwide.
Investment returns came in at a positive 14%
for the year which added over $4 Billion to
the net assets. The PERA Investment Staff
accomplished this with an average expense
ratio of .3%. Even Vanguard would find that
hard to beat.
Annual increase effective 7/1/11: with
PERAs positive investment returns for the
2010 calendar year, a 2 percent COLA was
paid with the July benefit in 2011. The
changes in the amount and effective date of
the COLA were major components of Senate
Bill 1, which became law in 2010.
SB-1 Lawsuit dismissed: on June 29,
2011, a Denver District Court judge granted
a motion by PERA and the State of Colorado
to dismiss the lawsuit filed as a result of the
enactment of last years Senate Bill 1. A
group of PERA retirees filed suit days after
the legislation was signed into law, claiming
that their constitutional right to receive an
annual COLA had been impaired by the pas-
sage of the legislation. In his ruling, Judge
Robert S. Hyatt noted ..For 40 years the
COLA formula has been subject to signifi-
cant change without ever unconstitutionally
altering the base pension payment to
retirees. About a month later, the plaintiffs
announced that they had filed an appeal
against the dismissal of their case.
Treasurer continues assault on PERA:
Colorado State Treasurer Walker Stapleton
continued his assault on PERA over the sum-
mer. He asserts that the PERA assumed
investment return on average of 8% per year
is unattainable ignoring that PERA has
averaged 9.3% over the last 25 years.
Stapleton has appeared on bogus investment
radio shows referring to PERA as a Ponzi
Scheme, while the hosts hype annuity prod-
ucts that guarantee a 7% return. He wants
local governments to have the authority to
raise the rates of their employees contribu-
tions to PERA, supporting a bill which died
in committee during the last legislative ses-
sion. Recently, Stapleton requested informa-
tion regarding individual records of the top
20 percent of PERA retirees based on benefit
level. The PERA Board of Trustees, taking
very seriously the responsibility of maintain-
ing the confidential information of their
478,000 members, directed staff not to pro-
vide the member information requested by
Stapleton.
DPS lambasted in front of SEC: The
2008 DPS $750 million (now $792 million)
PCOPs issue hit the big time in late July as
part of a hearing on municipal securities
conducted by the Securities and Exchange
Commission. DPS was the focus of unwant-
ed attention and the butt of being someones
example of how not to do enterprise financ-
ing. At issue was the fact that DPS paid $40
million more than it should have between
April 2008 and April 2011. Andy Kalotay,
noted expert in finance and derivatives, tes-
tified about what he called Wall Streets
multi-billion dollar hidden tax on Main
Street through poorly structured bond and
swap transactions. Kalotay used DPS as
the model of how the tax is levied and col-
lected. Kalotay stated, To my knowledge,
no respectable corporation has ever done
such a deal. What is truly scary is that
municipal issuers such as DPS dont seem
to realize that they are unwitting guinea pigs
in these dubious experiments. The original
2008 DPS deal was led by then-
Superintendent and now U.S. Senator
Michael Bennet and then-COO and now
DPS Superintendent Tom Boasberg.
PERA Shareholder Meetings: PERA
executives will travel around the State
during the months of September and
October to present information to PERAs
shareholders and the public about cur-
rent PERA issues as well as review
PERAs financial position. After a briefing
about PERA, a question-and-answer ses-
sion will follow. These town-hall type
meetings are open to the general public
and especially PERA members and
retirees. You are encouraged to attend and
get information first hand from those
who know. You can find the Shareholder
Meetings schedule on the PERA website at
https://www.copera.org/pdf/Shareholder/
ShareholderMtg11.pdf.
PERA Update
14 The DCTA SlateOctober 2011
November 1,
Election
Day!
B
allots will
be arriving
at voters'
homes around
October 11-15.
H
ere's a link
with all the
locations
where they can be
dropped off:
http://www.denvergov.org
/clerkandrecorder/Clerk
andRecorder/Elections
Voting/VoterInformation/
20111101Coordinated
Election/tabid/440260/
Default.aspx
The DCTA SlateOctober 2011 15
Be The Change
MAKE THE
SCHOOL BOARD
PLEDGE!

l wanL Lo help elecL school board members who wlll look ouL for Lhe besL lnLeresLs of uenver's sLudenLs,
Leachers, schools, and communlLles. l'll pledge aL leasL Lwo hours of my Llme Lo make LhaL happen.
Name: _________________________________________ Schoo|]S|te: _______________________________
Schoo|'s sector (C|rc|e 1): nW nL SW SL nome hone: ____________________ Ce||: __________________
r|vate (non-DS) Lma|| Address: _____________________________________________________________
Ma|||ng Address:___________________________________________________________________________
I'm |nterested |n vo|unteer|ng for the fo||ow|ng act|v|ty or act|v|t|es:
____hone 8anklng ____ reclncL Walklng ____ CommunlcaLlons (LeLLers Lo edlLor, blogglng, school meeLlngs, eLc.)
*keturn to DC1A v|a schoo| ma||, fax to 303-831-0S91, or de||ver to 1S00 Grant Street, Su|te 200.*
16 The DCTA SlateOctober 2011