Empowering Excellent Educators
Elevating the Teaching Profession
Empowering Excellent Educators is a comprehensive set of initiatives rooted in a commitment to consistently develop, recognize, reward, recruit and retain great teachers and principals. LEAP is part of DPS's commitment to Empowering Excellent Educators.
Reward and Retain
- Foster a supporting environment for all DPS teachers to grow professionally
- Recognize and reward our best teachers as an invaluable resource
- Provide opportunities for leadership and advancement for highly effective teachers
- Build sustainable training structures
- Provide coaching to new teachers
Recruitment
- Attract excellent new and experienced teachers
- Recruit diverse teachers who reflect our diverse student population
- Complete early hiring cycles to secure the best available talent
- Provide multiple pathways into teaching including Denver Teacher Residency (DTR)
- Train our principals on how to successfully identify and onboard new teachers that fit their school culture
Evaluation
- Provide evaluations that are transparent, objective and complete
- Use multiple measures, including peer observation and student achievement data
- Link to differentiated professional development
Professional Development and Support
- Provide meaningful professional development
- Link professional development to identified needs
- Create a structure of feedback and support
- Provide teachers with the online tools and resources they need for success, including online assessment tools and easily accessible curricular resources
Every component of Empowering Excellent Educators is built on the respect for the central role of educators in raising student achievement in the district. Our hope is that Empowering Excellent Educators will elevate the teaching profession within DPS, in our community and shine a national spotlight on the far-reaching and profound impact we know teachers have on their students.