Dear Columbine School Community,
Columbine is a member of a network of EL Education schools and a tenet of EL is the belief that “We Are
Crew, Not Passengers.” We are all responsible for growing and developing our students to become
citizens that contribute to a better world. Staff and community share in the collective ownership of each
student’s growth, achievement, character, work, and well-being.
We write to you today to tell you about two upcoming changes that will allow us to fully live into the EL
Education model.
First, in the 23-24 school year, Columbine will set out on an ambitious journey of achieving the EL School
Credential. This credentialing process is unique to EL schools. The EL Education Credential is a marker of
excellence and equity in implementation of the EL Education Core Practices and in impact in the Three
Dimensions of Student Achievement. The Credential represents a ‘north star’ for all partners in our
strategic work and is directly tied to our commitment to equity.
Second, in our efforts towards the EL Education Credential, we believe there are opportunities for us to
use flexible decisions and unique innovations in order to accomplish this goal. Fortunately, state law and
DPS allow schools to apply for “innovation status,” which gives schools flexibility in structure and
operational systems. To that end, we are thrilled to be submitting, for the very first time, an innovation
application to DPS that, if accepted, would go into effect in the ‘23-‘24 school year.
Columbine’s Innovation plan will seek to create the flexibilities needed to reach the rigorous goals set
forth by the credentialing process and allow us to better serve our community. Here are the waivers we
are requesting and what it means for students, families, teachers, and our school processes:
| Waiver requested | What it means |
| Curriculum Flexibility | We would like to exclusively use the curriculum that EL offers for English Language Arts (ELA). EL has done incredible work to design a Literacy curriculum that emphasizes social and emotional learning and has aligned the 3 Pillars with the Engage NY Math curriculum, which the district already allows – however, we need to formally request the waiver to use a curriculum different than what the district currently provides. |
| Supplemental and Enrichment Programming | This waiver will allow the school to employ either licensed or non-licensed personnel for supplemental and enrichment instruction or supervision consistent with the innovation plan. All personnel will still be required to go through background checks and be supervised by a licensed staff member. |
| Professional Learning (i.e., Professional Development) | We are requesting the option to opt-out of district-provided professional development so that we can maximize EL-aligned professional development. |
| When district-provided options align with our school’s schools, we may still participate. | |
| Budgeting on Actual Teacher Salaries | We currently receive a budget based on average DPS-wide teacher salaries. We’ve analyzed that if we receive funding based on Columbine teachers’ actual salaries, we will save approximately $130,000 which we plan to reinvest in whole-child initiatives, field work, and expeditions. |
| Sponsorships | This allows the school to have the ability to request and secure school-based sponsorships to support student and community engagement independent of the district funding. Waivers for sponsorships allow you to engage with potential sponsors at various levels and these funds go towards continuing the mission and vision of the school. |
| Calendar flexibility | We are requesting calendar flexibility to add up to 3 additional calendar days of professional development for teachers. Our students and your children will still meet the state requirement for the number of educational days, but by providing our teachers with additional professional development days, we will better be able to serve our students. These days would occur during the student contact calendar. Each of these 3 days would be dedicated to planning for the upcoming module or unit. This could be curriculum planning, planning for field experts or expeditions, or connecting with the EL committee for experiential opportunities. |
The creation and development of this innovation application was a collaborative effort of our School Leadership Team, our Collaborative School Committee, our Instructional Leadership Team, and our Innovation Writing Team composed of staff, DCTA representatives, community members, administration, and our EL School Designer.
Our crew is motivated and eager to set out on this journey of EL Credentialing through the attainment of Innovation Status. We are committed to continuous improvement and to fostering equitable practices that support every single student. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions.
Sincerely,
Columbine Innovation Writing Team