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Information about operations during strike

Posted February 8, 2019

February 8, 2019

Dear Lincoln Families,

As you may have heard, Governor Polis announced this week that the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment will not intervene at this time in the contract negotiations with the Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA) and Denver Public Schools. The hope is that a resolution can be reached prior to Monday. If that is not the case then our teachers will go on strike starting Monday morning. We have worked very hard over the past couple weeks to put together plans based on how many students arrive and how many adults we will have in the building to work with our kids.

We will share updates as soon as we have them. In the meantime, we want to provide information about how our school will operate during a strike.

  • Our school will be open and operating on a regular schedule. We will do our best to provide a quality educational environment throughout the duration of the strike. If needed, we will be supported by substitute teachers and central office staff who hold educator licenses. Our paraprofessionals will be in their assigned classrooms to provide a familiar face for our students.  In some cases, classes could be combined to ensure proper supervision with a licensed substitute. Our hope is to run the school day as we would any other day to ensure consistency for our students. The school hours will continue to be from 9:00 am – 3:45 pm. Breakfast will continue to be served from 8:30 am – 9:00 am everyday as well.
  • Early Childhood (Montessori 3 & 4 year olds) will not report to school during the strike. Classes for ECE students will be cancelled for the duration of the strike – including before/after care.  Because we have a Montessori Program at Lincoln and have kindergarten students in our program, school will be in session for Montessori Kindergarten children – they will be combined in one classroom together with a substitute for the duration of the strike.
  • Parent Volunteers are needed. During a normal school day, our paraprofessionals are the people who monitor the lunchroom and playground so teachers can have a duty-free lunch. However, during a teacher strike, our paraprofessionals and substitutes will be working in classrooms with students and will need a break. We see the greatest need for parent volunteers during a teacher strike to be in the lunchroom and on the playground. If you are able to help, please sign up here.
  • School-based services will be provided, including school meals, transportation and Discovery Link before- and after-care will continue to serve children attending school. 
  • Please confirm your contact information is up-to-date. You may do this by logging into Parent Portal or contacting our front office. This will allow us to notify you quickly of any changes.
  • Our attendance policy on excused and unexcused absences will remain the same. If you wish to excuse your child from school, you must notify the school or the absence will be unexcused.

We truly appreciate your continued commitment to Denver Public Schools and specifically to Lincoln Elementary. These are truly difficult times and we will continue to do our best to have the strike have as minimal impact on your child’s well-being as possible. Thank you for your patience and flexibility. We will be sure to communicate any changes or updates to our plan as needed.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Spearman
Ms. Emily