Date: April 21, 2008

To: APS Staff

From: John Barry, Superintendent

Subject: Equity and Family Engagement

Great News! This memo is to formally announce that Barbara Cooper will assume additional duties for the 2008-2009 school year. Barbara will join the Superintendent’s Leadership Team and be the district key advisor and coordinator with the family liaisons in the creation of a Family Engagement Plan for the district. Barbara brings extensive experience as a building principal and district level leader to this position. Her work will be instrumental as we move APS to the next level of transformation.

As you may be aware, for the last two years, APS has experienced significant student enrollment declines. During that time, we have lost more than 1,000 students. We expect an additional enrollment decline of approximately 600 students in the next school year.

Barbara’s contribution will be critical because these declines have a significant affect on our operating budget. With funding at approximately $6,770 per student, the amount of money we receive from the state has been substantially reduced. As a result, we must all work together to reduce the 2008-09 budget by approximately $10 million. Increasing family engagement and satisfaction is essential if we are to reduce our enrollment declines.

We recognize that in a district with our global demographic makeup, it is imperative that we positively address the diverse needs of our students and families. However, we have found that our current Diversity Coordinator position, as written, is not providing the level of leadership engagement needed for our students, families and staff. We realize that we must broaden the position to better meet equity and engagement needs.

Barbara’s new role will positively impact our budget while we determine how to best address equity and engagement, and she will actively bring these important issues to the table as a member of the Leadership Team.

One of many ways division heads are reducing operating budgets is through attrition. In other words, each time we have a vacancy, we now consider the possibility of not filling that position until our economic situation changes. As a result, the Leadership Team has decided that it is the best financial decision to not fill the positions of Diversity Coordinator and the Department Secretary positions in the Diversity Office. We recognize that it is imperative that we address the diverse needs of our students and families. Based on this decision, we have solicited the assistance of Barbara Cooper with an Agreement for Services to provide support and expertise in working with the Family Liaisons. This will be in addition to her duties as Director of School Services. Barbara will be responsible for creating a plan that will allow us to move forward in the areas of equity and family engagement.

As a result, the following duties will be added to Barbara’s position for the 2008-09 school year.

• Become a member of the Superintendent’s Leadership Team in order to provide a consistent voice on issues of equity and family engagement.

• Coordinate and evaluate the work of special population family liaisons.

• Implement monthly meetings with special population and school family liaisons.

• Create a district family engagement plan.

We believe this is a solution that is financially responsible, keeps diversity and family engagement at the forefront, and enables us to rethink the existing Diversity Office positions. We thank Barbara for her willingness to help with this solution.

We are aware that each and every one of you is busy and all staff members have stepped up to meet the demands of transformation in Aurora Public Schools. As we work together to responsibly meet our budget constraints, we know we can count on each of you to set an example for the district to emulate. As we move forward, Leadership Team is asking all budget managers to creatively evaluate every vacancy and expenditure in order to operate in a manner that keeps budget cuts as far away from the classroom as possible.

Please join us in welcoming Barbara Cooper to the Leadership Team and to her additional duties regarding equity and family engagement.

John L. Barry, Superintendent
Aurora Public Schools
15701 E. First Ave., Suite 206
Aurora, CO 80011
303-365-7800

“There are risks and costs to a program of action, but they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.”

John F. Kennedy