Teaching in Unpredictable Times Workshop Series

Posted on October 20, 2020 by Division Compass

In a time of multiple and overlapping crises—the COVID-19 pandemic, a national reckoning on race and injustice, political polarization, and threats to voting rights and access—how will you teach about current events, including the election? ACPS is offering three connected workshops, each facilitated by Facing History and Ourselves, that can be taken collectively or à la carte. Each opportunity will offer resources, support and strategies to teach in this environment.

The first workshop in the series is Election 2020: Teaching in Unpredictable Times. Register to participate in this on-demand webinar independently and then come together to debrief and discuss with your colleagues. Continue reading →

Kronos: Helpful Resources & Reminders

Posted on October 19, 2020 by Division Compass

Now that the school year is underway, the Kronos Project Team would like to share some helpful resources and reminders with all employees to help ensure weekly timecards are accurately capturing employee time and attendance:

Brush up on Kronos fundamentals.

Whether you are a new employee or not, our New Employee Guide to the Time and Attendance System is full of useful information and links to training and videos to help you become a confident Kronos user. Continue reading →

Message from the Superintendent: A Cautious Step Forward in Our Return to School Plan

Posted on October 16, 2020 by Division Compass

Dear Families/Colleagues:

As I continue to talk with our public health experts, visit schools to talk with employees, and hear from our parents and students, I’m learning a great deal about the depth of challenges we all face. I’m also learning about the incredible talent, determination and caring of our families and staff, qualities that cannot be diminished by a virus. And, I’m learning that I have not said “thank you” enough.

I hope you will take a few minutes to watch my video message and hear what I consider to be a very important message for all of us:

Continue reading →

ACPS COVID-19 Dashboard

Posted on October 16, 2020 by Division Compass

ACPS recently launched the ACPS COVID-19 Dashboard to provide our students, parents, employees, and community members with an accurate and current account of the impact of COVID-19 across our school division.

Our dashboard will report the number of confirmed cases experienced by students and staff who are learning or working in person, as well as contractors who work in our buildings. Continue reading →

Office of Community Engagement Releases More Fall 2020 PD Opportunities in Culturally Responsive Teaching

Posted on October 15, 2020 by Division Compass

From our foundational CRT module sessions to a division-wide virtual CRT & The Brain book study, start or continue your learning in Culturally Responsive Teaching this fall through the Office of Community Development’s CRT professional development series.

To find out more about and register for these and other PD offerings from the Office of Community Engagement, click on the “CRT 2020-2021 PD” featured link on the Professional Development web page, or visit the internal ACPS PD Offerings page. Please contact Leilani Keys, ACPS Equity Specialist, with questions.

Don’t Let Your Password or Personal Information Be “Phished”!

Posted on October 15, 2020 by Division Compass

The Department of Technology takes digital security very seriously. If you receive an email that asks for your ACPS password or a credit card number, please delete that email ASAP! If you are unsure if the email message is legitimate or have questions about the security of our email system, please reach out to the ACPS service desk at 434-975-9444 or servicedesk@k12albemarle.org.

These emails are called “Phishing” emails and can be harmful! Continue reading →

Feedback Requested on Demographic Survey Questions

Posted on October 14, 2020 by Division Compass

Equity and inclusion are important values to Albemarle County Public Schools. As such, the school division would like to collect demographic information as a standard part of future community surveys. The intention would be to help the school division determine which voices are represented in survey results and which ones we need to pursue through alternate strategies.

The school division has drafted an initial list of demographic survey questions. We anticipate that survey takers will be able to answer our demographic questions in under two minutes. As part of our review process, we are asking employees to review the draft demographic survey questions, and then provide feedback, including suggestions for improvement, by Tuesday, October 20. Continue reading →

Next Round of Division PLC Meetings: Oct. 16 or 23

Posted on October 14, 2020 by Division Compass

The next round of Division PLC (DPLC) meetings is coming up on October 16 or 23, depending on your group. Please refer to the Division PLC 2020-21 document for key information about the purpose and structure of DPLCs as well as the meeting schedule and Zoom links.

Please email leadcoaches@k12albemarle.org with any questions.

Technology Pop-Up Alert Messages

Posted on October 13, 2020 by Division Compass

The Department of Technology is now able to have important pop-up messages appear on ACPS student and staff laptops and iPads. This communication strategy will be used when a major ACPS system is not working or is experiencing technical difficulties (e.g., Zoom, Schoology or Seesaw). We want you to be aware of this new communication strategy in case we use pop-up messages in the future. Please make sure your students and families are aware that we may use pop-up messages.

This Friday, October 16, we will send a test pop-up message to all ACPS student and staff laptops and iPads. Continue reading →

High School Educator Presentation: ACPS High School Redesign – Today @ 4:30 p.m.