Superintendent's Message: School Support Teams are there to help

You may have noticed more frequent visitors to your classrooms this year. Those are members of our School Support Teams.

These teams are made up of school leadership and Educational Services team members. Together, they will participate in classroom walkthroughs while collaborating to provide formative feedback to teachers. Research tells us frequent and consistent formative feedback is essential to continuous improvement. The information gathered from these visits will identify instructional practices across the district. Walkthrough data will guide our decisions when planning for professional development.

Site leadership will continue their weekly classroom walkthroughs providing feedback and instructional coaching. It is my hope that in sharing this information on why these visits are taking place that they will be viewed in the spirit in which they are intended. Walkthroughs provide us an opportunity to support teachers.

In the next month or so you may also notice Governing Board members and me in your schools. Our Governing Board members are All In as it relates to student learning and want to know how they can best support us in the work we do with children.

As I shared at the Welcome Back Event, we have made significant progress in developing a respectful and professional environment in our district for students, employees, and community members. We have also worked hard to improve the District’s financial situation despite $26 million in cuts over the last seven years. As we begin the school year, it is important we renew our focus on student achievement.

I thank you for your hard work and commitment to the children of the District. We will work collaboratively to support you in meeting the educational goals of our students. I look forward to our work together and know it will be well worth our efforts.

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Insurance deductions for those working less than 12 months start Sept.10

Payroll Deductions for insurance benefits for 12 month employees started on July 30, 2015.  Payroll Deductions for employees who work less than 12 months will start on Sept. 10.  New Employees whose effective date for insurance is Sept. 1 will have their payroll deductions for insurance benefits start on Sept. 24.  All employees should review their pay stub to confirm their deductions are correct for the insurance plans they selected. 

If you have questions please contact Jodi Finnesy in Human Resources.

Changes made to GESD Supplemental Retirement Program

Changes that will assure the sustainability of the District’s Supplemental Retirement Program were made following a review by the District’s Insurance Trust.

Effective July 1, employees are required to submit the Participation Form for the program to Human Resources by March 20 of the year preceding the year the employee plans to retire. 

For the 2015-16 school year, eligible employees who submit their Participation Form to Human Resources by Sept. 30 will be allowed to retire and receive the Supplemental Retirement Benefit this year.

Eligible employees who submit a Participation Form after Sept. 30, but before March 20, 2016, can retire in 2016-17.

The Supplemental Retirement Program reimburses eligible employees a portion of the health insurance premiums when the employee retires.  For more information about the program please visit the Employee Handbook or review the District’s policy. 

Please review the information provided carefully to ensure you understand the program and what is required to participate. If you have questions please contact Jodi Finnesy, benefits analyst at 7149.

GESD looking for Peer Observers

One of the many great things about teaching in GESD is the Peer Observer system. Peer Observers are teachers who receive annual training and are approved by the Governing Board. Peer Observers help to ensure that all guidelines relating to the formal observation/evaluation are being followed.  

If you are interested in becoming a Peer Observer you will need to complete the Peer Observer candidate form and email it back to Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Dr. Barbara Goodwin no later than Aug. 19. The training will be held on Aug. 26.

GESD moves flyer distribution online

GESD has launched a new electronic flyer communication tool called Peachjar. To view school-approved eflyers, simply click the Peachjar button on your school’s website.

This green initiative will save our schools tons of paper and reduce copy costs by thousands of dollars. On top of that, posting school flyers in this electronic backpack removes a significant administrative burden from teachers, office staff, and volunteers. That's right: you won't have to distribute flyers anymore. One added benefit: Peachjar was added for no cost.

We have also set up a separate account for GESD employees so that we can pass along offers and discounts from local merchants targeted to school employees.

No action is required on your part. You will receive a welcome email from our service provider (Peachjar) that includes a username and password. This is provided to give you the opportunity to manage your account and flyer delivery preferences. You do not need to login to receive or view school eflyers.

This system is used exclusively for distribution of school-approved flyers. Your email address will not be shared or used for any other purpose.

Thank you for supporting our efforts to ensure parents are well informed about school programs, activities, and events.