Get Involved
Get involved in education for the sake of your child.
Stay involved in education for the sake of all children.
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Whether you were the type of student who tended to sit in the front row in school or the one who liked to sit in the back and take it all in, as a parent and adult member of our Adams 12 community, your place in our children's education is front and center. All have ideas, opinions and skills to contribute. All are welcome.
Opportunities for Involvement:
General Participation: DSIT meetings are held on the second Thursday of every month. It is important to have parent/community involvment on all levels. Even if you can't volunteer to serve on one of the DSIT standing committees, your attendance and input at the general DSIT meetings is greatly appreciated.
Next DSIT meeting is Thursday, April 12th.
Marketing and Media: DSIT relies on frequent and thorough communication with all its stakeholders. We are always looking for volunteers to help engage and inform parents and community members interested in DSIT - members and non-members alike. If you have skills in writing, graphic design, website design, public relations or marketing in general, consider volunteering for project work or ongoing tasks. For more information, please email Tiffany Anderson at Tiffany.A.Anderson2@gmail.com.
School SAC Participation: DSIT strongly encourages participation in School Accountability Committees (SACs) at the school level. All schools in the district have SITs made up of administrators, teachers, specialists and parents. These SITs monitor and analyze student assessment data, develop goals and strategies, and implement school improvement plans at the school level. Participation in SITs provides parents the opportunity to learn more about their schools, as well as to bring back to their schools insights and knowledge gained through DSIT meetings and school reviews.
To learn more about your school's SIT, please contact your Principal.
Committees: One of the important roles of DSIT is to provide oversight and input to the district through representation on various district committes. Our standing committees are listed below. DSIT is currently seeking individuals interested in serving on these committees. If you are interested, please contact one of the DSIT officers (emails provided on Contact Us page) for more information on open positions and details.
Charter Review:
Background - In the state of Colorado, charter schools are public schools that operate via a contract with an authorizer such as the local school district. Each Fall, organizations wishing to create a Charter School submit a detailed application to the authorizer which is then reviewed by a broad group of constituents and must be acted upon within 75 days of submittal. Parents and Community Members are key consituents in the Charter School Application review process. When a Charter School’s contract expires (every 3-5 years) the school must submit a renewal application to continue operation. The renewal application is reviewed in much the same way as the original application.
DSIT’s Role - DSIT maintains a standing Charter Review Committee currently led by DSIT Officer Vince Fresquez. The Charter Review Committee reviews applications and renewals for Charter Schools in the Adams 12 Five Star Schools district. Individual committee members review and give feedback on each application/renewal and then collectively author a report to the Superintendent and Board of Education of their findings.
(Click for DSIT's role and volunteer opportunities.)
Accountability:
Background - The Education Accountability Act of 2009 requires each Colorado district and school to create an improvement plan (termed Unified Improvement Plans or UIP’s). The plan provides information on the district or school's data trends, root causes, and targets, and identifies strategies and resources the district or school will use to improve student academic outcomes. Through the Colorado state accountability system, districts and schools are assigned to one of four “plan types.” They are: Performance, Improvement, Priority Improvement, and Turnaround. These plan types identify which schools and districts will receive greater attention from the state – in terms of both increased state scrutiny of their plans and additional state support.
DSIT’s Role - The District Accountability Committee (DAC) is actually the top-level organization (mandated by state law) under which the DSIT operates. The DAC works with the Superintendent and Board of Education to develop the district UIP and assess progress toward meeting plan goals. It is also responsible for consulting in a substantive manner with the School Accountability Committees to assure alignment between School UIP’s and the District UIP. At the end of the year, the DAC prepares a UIP Assessment Report for the Superintendent and Board of Education.
(Click for DSIT's role and Volunteer Opportunities.)
Budget Review:
Background - Colorado school districts must prepare annual operating and capital budgets and submit them to their governing Board of Education for approval. The dire condition of the state budget is forcing school districts across Colorado to cut budgets substantially. Adams 12 Five Star Schools had to cut $25.5 million from its budget for 2011-2012. This is on top of the already $38 million cut from the budget over the past five years. Our Superintendent, Chris Gdowski, has created a budget-cut process that includes a very broad spectrum of district constituents to assure the best possible outcome given the difficult circumstances we are in.
DSIT’s Role - DSIT maintains a standing Budget Review Committee currently led by DSIT Past-President Priscilla Mancosky. The Budget Review Committee actively participates in the budget development process for the Adams 12 Five Star Schools district. Individual committee members review and periodically give feedback on the budget and then collectively author a report to the Superintendent and Board of Education of their findings.
(Click for DSIT's role and volunteer opportunities.)
Transitions:
Policy Council:
Background: The District's Policy Council is a long-standing advisory body made up of students, parents, staff members and administrators, and its function is to make recommendations to the superintendent regarding operational policies and the District calendar.
DSIT's Role: DSIT has six seats on the Policy Council. These volunteers represent parents and community members in the reviews, deliberations and recommendations of the council. DSIT representatives are asked to serve for three years with staggered terms so each year, two DSIT members “retire” while two new members join.
(Click for DSIT's role and volunteer opportunities.)
School Level Outreach:
Background: The School Outreach Committee was formed by the DSIT Steering Committee as they saw a need. This committee is new for 2011 school year. DSIT is trying to expand the reprensentation we get from across the district. We feel it is important to have as much parent and community involvment as possible and decided to make a committee dedicated to publicizing our work and expanding our membership. If you are interested in helping with this committee please contact Terry Strobel at Terry.Strobel@comcast.net.
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Calendars
Adams 12 School Board Meetings
State Board of Education Meetings
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Testimonials
" I initially became involved with DSIT when I was recruited by parents at Northeast Middle School because it was an opportunity to be involved other than with sports. I quickly realized it was a good opportunity to get information at the ground level and not the rumor mill. I felt I could then take this information back to the school. I felt I was contributing to the school. I have always been an advocate for my children and grandchildren; this was a way to maintain dialogue and good communication with the school and district."
- Jill Shea, member since 1985
"Education is everyone's business, so I felt I should be involved. The most important job we have is to make it better for those coming after us."
- Dorothy Leigh, past President and member since 1978
" Being a member of DSIT has given me a great opportunity to be active in my child's education at the school and district level. DSIT provides open dialogue and communication with the district/school administration in addition to sharing that information with fellow parents. Developing lifelong learners is an important role of parents and educators. There is no greater gift than the gift of your time. It is good to be a part of the team."
- Sherri Penney, member since 1990