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Escalante teacher named Colorado History Teacher of the Year

The Colorado History Day has named John Hise, an eighth-grade social studies teacher at Escalante Middle School, as the Colorado History Teacher of the Year.

Hise was nominated for the History Teacher of the Year by one of his students, Ciara Smith. In a letter of recommendation to support the student’s nomination, Principal Amy Kendziorski said Hise’s “personal style includes an enthusiasm that is contagious for all students regardless of their ethnic background, socioeconomic status, or intellectual ability.”

The award criteria included the development and use of creative teaching methods that interest students in history and help them make exciting discoveries about the past, and an exemplary commitment to helping students develop their interests in history and recognizing their achievements. Read more. . .

9-R donates old cell phones to Southwest Safehouse

Durango School District 9-R will donate nearly 100 old cell phones to The Southwest Safehouse for women and children to use while at the shelter.

The school district recently switched cell phone carriers from Alltel to Verizon. The result of the crossover left the district with close to 100 cell phones, phone chargers, and accessories in good condition, an estimated value of $10,000.

“We wanted the phones to go to someone that can use them and benefit from having the phones. Most cell phones can still call 911 even if the phone doesn’t have a service plan,” said Angel Hawkey, 9-R’s technology administrative assistant.

The Southwest Safehouse provides comprehensive residential services to women and children survivors of domestic violence. It is the only residential domestic violence shelter serving Southwest Colorado. For more information, contact Angel Hawkey at 247-5411, ext. 1449.

9-R board approves contract with Dr. Keith Owen

The Durango School District 9-R Board of Education has approved a contract with Dr. Keith Owen to hire him as the district’s next superintendent.

“The board is thrilled to have Dr. Owen join our community and school district. We believe he will be a great addition and complement our superb existing staff,” said board President Floyd Patterson.

Dr. Owen was the top candidate to emerge after a nine-month selection process that involved a 14-member committee made up of board members and school/community representatives. The board extended an offer of employment to the Pueblo School District No. 60 chief academic officer Tuesday, April 22. The board accepted the contract with Owen after more than two weeks of contract negotiations between attorneys.

Dr. Owen was selected for the superintendent position based on his ability to meet the criteria established during the community meetings last fall. He has demonstrated extensive strategic planning experience, educational leadership experience in the positions that he held in Pueblo, and has had success in closing achievement gaps, curriculum alignment, and Professional Learning Communities. Read more. . .

DFEE honors outstanding employees during annual appreciation celebration

Seven staff members were honored as the 2008 Durango Foundation of Educational Excellence “Outstanding 9-R Employees of the Year” at the annual recognition reception held Thursday, May 1, at Pat Murphy Motors. DFEE honored one elementary, middle school, high school teacher, and four staff members every year.

This year’s award-winners include Escalante’s Special Education Instructional Aids Joyce Watt and Janet Wallace, Transportation Bus Technician Daniel Blythe, Riverview Counselor Katie Pytte, Durango High School Math teacher Matt Hoaglin, Escalante Social Studies teacher John Hise, and Needham GT teacher Nicki Masseion. Read more. . .

Summer Academy Course Schedule now online

Register online here for Summer Academy or click on the catalogue cover at right go to theSummer Academy Web Page. Summer Academy is the two-week enrichment camp for gifted students. Contact Deb Nielsen for more information at 247-9490, ext. 2828.

District makes significant progress
toward closing graduation achievement gap

Durango School District 9-R made significant progress during the past three years toward closing the achievement gap between American Indian, Hispanic, and Anglo students while continuing to increase the graduation rate overall, according to 2006-07 graduation data released this week by the Colorado Department of Education.

In a Wednesday news release about the 2007 graduation rates, Durango School District 9-R was singled out for narrowing the Hispanic-white graduation gap by more than 20 percentage points in three years. The Hispanic graduation rate improved from 39.7 percent in 2005 to 66 percent in 2007, while the white graduation rate increased from 79.1 percent to 85 percent during that same time. Read more . . .

See detailed chart of graduation rates from 2002 to2007 here . . .

District 9-R Summer School June 2-27

Durango School District 9-R provides summer school services to elementary and middle school students who have Individual Literacy Plans or who are recommended for summer school by their school principal. Summer school is also available to high school students who need to recover credit for classes that they have previously failed. All students must obtain a principal's signature to enroll. Read more about summer school, classes offered, fees, and download the registration form here. . .

• Past news stories . . .

Task Forces and Committees:

• Gifted and Talented Task Force

Why we live and learn in Durango:

Open Schools Report:

Schools are open

Last day of school: Thursday, May 22, 2008
Durango High School Graduation: Saturday, May 24, 2008
Durango Academy Graduation: Friday, May 23, 2008

2008-09 Calendar

District Central Office Hours:
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Mondays through Fridays

Our Mission:
All students realize their personal potential.They graduate with the knowledge, understanding, and skills to be effective and responsible local and global citizens. They employ critical, independent, and collaborative thinking to apply what they have learned. All students show evidence of reasonable growth each year toward meeting or exceeding all state and district standards.