September 3, 2015
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A DA M S C OU N T Y & J E F F E R S ON COU N T Y, COLOR A D O
A publication of
WestminsterWindow.com
Building a better way of life Metro Denver Blitz Build helps families access their homes By Corrie Sahling csahling@coloradocommunitymedia.com Jesus Reyes, a 17-year-old who suffered a spinal cord injury in a car accident that left him a paraplegic, can’t get through the front door of his home without help because it’s not wheelchair accessible. But a group of volunteers gave up their Friday to change that. “We are building a ramp so (Jesus) can wheel in and out of the house,” project manager Ross Theilen said. “I have no idea how he does it now.” Blitz Build, an annual project-based event, brings together the Home Builders Foundation and volunteers to serve those in the Denver community needing access to their own homes. This year, volunteers built 17 ramps for residents over three days in eight cities around metro Denver. At Reyes’ Thornton house, seven volunteers from the Home Builders Association installed a wood ramp that stretched from the driveway across the lawn to the front door. The Reyes family was not available for interview the day of the build, but neighbors expressed how much this means to the family. “A number of neighbors have stopped and thanked us,” volunteer Rod Salyer
Kimberly Timmons-Beutner tries out the power saw with Paul Gortzig’s help. They were cutting boards to build a ramp during Blitz Build at a house in Thornton. Photo by Corrie Sahling.
Adams 12 boosts starting teacher pay Board boosts salaries by about $2,000 POSTAL ADDRESS
WESTMINSTER WINDOW
(ISSN 1072-1576) (USPS 455-250) OFFICE: 8753 Yates Dr., Ste. 200 Westminster, CO 80031 PHONE: 303-566-4100 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Adams County and Jefferson County, Colorado, the Westminster Window is published weekly on Thursday by MetroNorth Newspapers, 8753 Yates Dr., Ste. 200, Westminster, CO 80031. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT WESTMINSTER, COLORADO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: 9137 Ridgeline Blvd., Ste. 210 Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 DEADLINES: Display: Fri. 11 a.m. Legals: Fri. 11 a.m. Classifieds: Mon. 5 p.m.
PL E ASE RECYCLE
By Corrie Sahling csahling@coloradocommunitymedia.com For first-year special education teacher Sierra Hoover, her starting salary of $36,817 in Adams 12 Five Star Schools is enough to allow her a deep breath — she just graduated college and has student loans to pay. “It’s nice to have the financial stability to know that when each paycheck comes, it will be enough,” Hoover said. The pay is about $2,000 more than she would have earned if she’d begun teaching last year. To be more competitive with other metro districts, Adams 12 Five Star Schools raised starting teacher salaries from $34,317 last school year, a change that bumps the district up one notch from its last-rung position with four neighboring school districts. Adams 27J
HOW ADAMS 12 STACKS UP Other Local District’s Starting Salaries* (*Based on teachers with a bachelor’s degree and zero years of experience) Jefferson County: $38,000 Mapleton County: $38,500 Adams County District 50: $41,932 Adams 27J: $35,279
is now the lowest with starting teacher salaries at $35,279. “The main reason we did this was to stay competitive,” said Amy Spruce, Adams 12 Five Star Schools certified recruitment and retention administrator. “And it brings in
higher quality teachers.” The district gave all teachers a cost-ofliving increase during the 2014-2015 school year, but this year starting teacher salaries were raised beyond cost of living, spokesperson Joe Ferdani said. Although it’s still too early to determine if the pay-scale raise will attract more top educators, Spruce said the district’s new teachers are excited to be earning a little more than they expected. “To be honest, it didn’t affect my decision to accept the job in Adams 12,” Hoover said. But “the increase is a way that shows me that Adams 12 puts their teachers first.” Another new pay incentive Adams 12 implemented this school year is a three-tier signing bonus for hard-to-fill positions, such as for special education teachers, social workers, bilingual special service personnel and deaf and hard-of-hearing teachers. Hoover, for instance, will receive a second-tier signing bonus of $1,500 this month. The other two tiers are $1,000 and $2,000.
New teacher contract flexible, but short-lived 10-month term means negotiations resume this school year By Crystal Anderson canderson@coloradocommunitymedia.com Starting Sept. 1, Jefferson County teachers had a contract in place for the 2015-2016 school year, but opposing viewpoints around the deal remain. During the Aug. 27 school board meeting, President Ken Witt called the contract a “landmark” agreement. For Jeffco Superintendent Dan McMinimee, a former principal, he appreciated the flexibility it offers to school principals for their respective buildings. But several teachers considered it “disrespectful” and “insulting” primarily because of its 10-month length.
Despite these varying assessments, the new contract was approved unanimously Aug. 27 by the board of education and Aug. 26 by the teachers’ union. “It is utterly disrespectful to give a threeyear contract to the superintendent and a 10-month contract to teachers,” said Paula Reed, a Columbine High School teacher and union communications team representative, after the board vote. “I think it’s so sad that we keep talking about how the best contract is where both sides are unhappy. What about a win-win?” In approving the contract with the union, the Jefferson County Education Association, the school board continued its 46-year working relationship and averted the possibility of
a teacher strike. Union membership had previously approved the agreement over a six-day voting period. The previous contract expired Aug. 31. “We are glad to have an agreement in place so that teachers are free to focus on creating a positive and productive learning environment in their classrooms for Jeffco’s students,” McMinimee said after the meeting. “While both sides compromised on agreement components, we believe this agreement is good for Jeffco students and Jeffco teachers.” A sentiment, school board president Witt agreed with. “This landmark rewrite of a 120-page agreement, reducing it to 41 pages, brings with it — I am sure — a period of change,” he said. “We owe it to our students to carefully consider this year where the spirit of this agreement is Teacher continues on Page 8