Dear DPS teacher,

I hope this letter finds you enjoying a great summer. Thanks to the efforts of members like you, we continue to build our organization.
Before I take a moment to update you about some of the important work that DCTA is doing, I wanted to introduce myself and my fellow Vice President, Jennifer Portillo. Jennifer is a social studies teacher at the Denver School of International Studies with a strong background in organizing. I am transitioning into the position of DCTA President after serving as Treasurer, as a member of the Board of Directors, and the Pro Comp team where I worked as an advocate for our rights as professionals.  We are also welcoming Carolyn Crowder as our new Executive Director. She brings national experience to our organization and will be a great addition to the team.

In terms of benefits, you should notice a change in your paycheck. Your adjusted benefit allowance, as of July 30th, should be increased by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) + .25% (a total 4.15%) as per our negotiated multi-year agreement. This means your monthly flex dollars should increase from $405 to $421. For those enrolled in a district health policy, the district will continue to contribute $504 to reduce premiums for a savings of $42 per month. This amount will be sent directly to the insurance companies. In addition to these changes, you have probably also heard about the DPSRS/PERA merger. If you would like more information about that please go to our website at www.denverclassroom.org.

Another item that I would like you to think about is the upcoming School Board election. This year, there are four DPS Board of Education seats open. Board members potentially influence everything that impacts the classroom. As an organization, we have the opportunity to become more involved in electing Board of Education members who understand the demands of teaching, and who will advocate for policies that support our work. We need your help.  Please consider participating in this important political action – as we have seen in the last few months, no amount of help is too little, or too small. Send your contact information to political_action@denverclassroom.org and someone will contact you.

Finally, to improve the infrastructure of our organization this school year, we will focus on membership recruitment. We will have a greater impact with greater numbers. Again your voices make a difference in educating potential members, both experienced and beginning teachers, about the importance of membership. If you are interested in having more information or supporting us in this effort, please send your contact information to membership@denverclassroom.org and we will contact you.

I want to thank you for the great work that you have done, and will continue to do, with our students. I look forward to the efforts we are taking to make our organization stronger, and to working closer with you.

Sincerely,

Henry Roman
President
Denver Classroom Teachers Association