DSST Team—

I’m writing today to share some early thoughts about teacher compensation, which is certainly a topic that is dominating headlines, both nationally and locally—and for good reason.  I have said before, and I will continue to say, that increased investments in public education, particularly here in Colorado, are absolutely critical. K-12 education is woefully underfunded, depriving students from getting the quality education that they deserve.  I recognize that educators absorb this reality in profoundly personal ways.

DSST deeply values our teachers and has been committed to putting every new dollar back into teacher pay, particularly in the last few years.  DSST teachers, on average, saw a 7.6% increase in pay this past year—in comparison to DPS teachers who saw a 4.4% average increase. And, as I shared with you last year, the average returning teacher who started with DSST in 2016 will have received a 30% increase in base pay from 2016-2019.  These are important data points, but in truth, continue to be insufficient.

As we have begun to plan for 2019-20,  I am more committed than ever to increase our investment in compensation for our DSST team as we have over the last 3 years. We need to honor the teaching profession and each of our teachers as much as we possibly can. There are always a lot of unknowns about new state revenue, but here is what teachers can expect from DSST in 2019-2020.

At minimum, average raises for teachers will be 12% in 2019-2020.  We are still working out details and will keep you updated on more specific information in the coming weeks.  We will be revisiting compensation for all non-teaching staff in the coming weeks, as well. How are we planning to get there?

1. DSST will put every new dollar of PPOR (per pupil operating revenue), allocated by the State of Colorado in May, toward increased compensation.  We are cautiously optimistic that Governor Polis will support at least a 4% increase in this funding.

2. DSST will continue to put every dollar of mill levy equalization revenue, allocated by DPS, toward increased compensation.

3. The Home Office budget will shrink next year—substantially.  We will reduce expenses and put all savings toward increased compensation for school staff.

4. We will look for other possible options for savings across the network.

 What does this mean for DSST teachers?  

I know incremental increases cannot be the only answer to a far more fundamental problem in this country—which is that the profession of teaching is undervalued.  And, that as the cost of living continues to rise, we are leaving educators to make too many personal trade-offs. DSST remains committed to advocating, in every way possible, for increased investments in teacher compensation.  There will be more detail to share in the coming weeks and months.

You may also have questions about the possibility of a DCTA strike and how that could impact DSST schools. Our Home Office team is currently working on a communication to families stating that DSST schools will remain open, regardless. It’s hard to tell right now how things will shake out, but I believe it is very important that we continue to invest in teacher salaries in Denver and Colorado. I am hopeful that they will reach a fair deal without sacrificing student learning.  It is students and families who are always caught in the cross-fire if the discussions end in a strike.

As always, thank you for all you do on behalf of our students, every day.

BK