Staffing & Hiring Update 3.8.19

Dear Izzi B. Families and Friends,

Happy Friday! I want to reach out to our community to provide an update on staffing changes and hiring opportunities. First, our school psychologist, Dr. Beth Sanford, completed her last day on Friday, Feb. 28, and has moved districts due to personal reasons. We welcome Libby Malone, who is now in our building three days per week to cover until the District’s special education department places a permanent school psych in our school next August.  

IBCS is conducting in-person interviews for two open teaching positions for the 2019-2020 school year. Holly Andorf, a fourth grade teacher, has resigned from her position to pursue a teaching opportunity with older students; and our longtime kindergarten teacher, Emma Loson, has resigned to spend time with her newborn. Both positions were previously posted and our School Leadership Team vetted the top candidates from our pool of applicants. The interview process begins tomorrow with half-day interviews.

Who serves on our IBCS School Leadership Team?  

• SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION consists of Principal, Lisa Schuba, Assistant Principal, Caleb Melamed, and Dean of Operations, Tabetha Ross.
• SENIOR TEAM LEADS (STL) are three teachers who, as members of the Instructional Leadership Team, play a critical role in helping to reach our student achievement goals. Rebecca Mercer, Kim Hundley and Melissa Fogal serve as part-time teachers and coaches evaluating fellow teachers on caseload progress.
• TEAM SPECIALISTS are seven teachers who, in addition to providing high-quality instruction in their own classrooms, magnify their impact by facilitating weekly Data-Driven Instruction (DDI) meetings to support our goals of delivering joyful, rigorous and personalized instruction leading to high academic growth and achievement. The team includes: Callaghan (k), Rebecca (1), Lauren (2), Noelle (4), Duffy (5), Kevin (specialist) and Rachel (special education).

This framework is aligned with Denver Public Schools’ Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) model as the vehicle for bringing the school’s academic and whole child priorities to life at Izzi B. Our innovation status allows for more parent involvement with the hiring process through the avenue of our Council and monthly Council Board meetings.

As per our Innovation Plan, a Hiring Team was assembled to include School Leaders, a representative from the teaching team (all seven team specialist listed above), at least one parent Council Board member (April Slater), and additional parents, to balance the parent-staff ratio.  

Classroom teachers provided school leadership with recommendations of parents who may not normally serve in parent leadership roles, but are active within Izzi B. and represent the beautiful diversity we see in our student body. Josh Lin, Edward Juarez and Courtney Nelson have willingly volunteered their Saturdays to join our team.

Upon completion of tomorrow’s half-day interviews, the Hiring Team will select top candidates to move forward modeling teaching practices late next week.

Passion ~ Joy ~ Optimism

Principal Schuba