As we have had several questions related to appropriate campaign activities on school property and during public school meetings, I have attached updated political activity guidelines for your review. We have multiple contested board member seats in the upcoming election, so please ensure you are following board policy, district administrative procedures, and state law in your treatment of all candidates.
The guidelines are available: here. Thank you for taking the time to ensure that all our stakeholders feel valued and respected as we move forward.
From: Dr. Chelsea Malouf, Literacy Director Adrienne Kumik, Literacy Supervisor Dr. Tiffany Hall, Executive Director Teaching and Learning
Subject: Academic Discussion Data Collection Event 2026!
Summary:
The district’s Strategic Plan for Student Achievement has a goal to increase student academic conversation—the opportunity to talk about thinking or demonstrate learning—to 50% of time in every classroom. This looks different grade to grade and content to content: what is important is that students are personally engaged in actively processing their learning.
Collecting Data
Earlier this year, we collected perspective data about academic discourse from teachers and administrators. We had a great response rate—thank you! It was great to see that academic discourse is being used intentionally throughout the district and valued for the increase seen in student engagement and learning.
We now need to collect data on the observed percentages of academic conversation in the classroom so we can report to the Board. We will be using an observation protocol that will collect information without any teacher identifiers. Information will be reported by elementary, middle, and high school levels.
Friday, March 27, 10:30 – 11:30: Training on the observation tool and protocol. Instructional coaches and district staff will be participating. Any school administrators who would like to participate are invited to join us in the board rooms.
Monday – Wednesday, March 30 – April 1: We will be strategically visiting classrooms across the district for 20-minute sessions. We plan to capture data from different grades, content areas, and times of day. Again, we would love to have site administrators join us for any time you have available to support the process.
Rationale:
This will demonstrate instruction change as we move through the years of our strategic plan.
Expectations for Implementation:
Communication
Teaching & Learning will send information to teachers. Please help us spread the word – and the assurance that this is NON-EVALUATIVE and anonymous data collection.
Collaboration:
Dr. Chelsea Malouf
Adrienne Kumik
Tiffany Hall
Evaluation
Our objective is to capture a broad look at district wide data that we can replicate each year to track our progress on this instructional goal.
Tiffany Hall, Executive Director, Teaching and Learning
Subject: Social Studies Graduation Requirements
Summary:
Social studies graduation requirements will increase from 3.0 to 3.5 for students in grade 10 starting in 2026-2027. This will also reduce required elective credits to 5.0 from 5.5. The significant information as of now follows:
New Social Studies Graduation Requirement
The new requirement will affect students entering grade 10 starting in 2026-2027.
Requirements for graduating students in 2026 and 2027 are unchanged.
Standards are being written for a new 1.0 course called American Constitutional Government and Citizenship to meet the new graduation requirement.
We will create course offerings and codes once the standards are approved.
From:Dr. Chelsea Malouf, Director-Literacy and ALS
Adrienne Kumik, Literacy Supervisor
Teaching & Learning
Subject:Teacher Feedback on Draft District Proficiency Scales
Summary
Over the past several months, the district literacy team has developed draft proficiency scales aligned to the Utah Core ELA Standards. These scales are intended to provide greater clarity around grade-level expectations and to support instructional conversations within professional learning communities.
Before these scales are finalized, we are asking teachers across the district to review the drafts and provide feedback. Your support in sharing this information with faculty and encouraging teacher participation will help ensure the scales are clear, instructionally useful, and aligned to classroom practice.
Timeline
Now – March 27: Teachers review the draft proficiency scales and complete the feedback survey
Teacher feedback should be submitted no later than March 27.
March–April: District team reviews feedback and identifies needed revisions
Spring–Summer: Scales are refined and finalized
2027–2028 School Year: Final proficiency scales available for district use
Finalized scales will be introduced at the August opening days
Rationale
Teachers are the professionals who work most directly with the standards and who will ultimately determine how useful these tools are in practice. Inviting teacher feedback serves several important purposes:
Ensures the scales accurately reflect grade-level expectations and classroom realities
Identifies areas where language or learning progressions may need greater clarity
Helps determine whether the examples of evidence of learning are practical and observable in classroom settings
Strengthens teacher ownership of the work by incorporating professional expertise from across the district
The goal is to refine the scales so they are clear, instructionally meaningful, and supportive of collaborative PLC work.
Expectations for Implementation:
1. Communication
Administrators are asked to:
Inform and/or remind teachers to watch for an email from Chelsea Malouf with a video explanation and link to the scales and survey.
Encourage teachers to review the scales and complete the survey by March 27.
2. Collaboration:
Reach out to your literacy coach for additional questions
3. Evaluation
Survey responses will be reviewed for patterns across the district. Feedback will be used to:
clarify language
adjust learning progressions where needed
revise examples of evidence of learning
improve overall usability of the scales
Updated versions will be shared once revisions are complete.
As you continue planning school activities and staff meetings, please be mindful of the scheduling expectations outlined in Article 4.4 of the Written Agreement. This provision specifies that district or school activities involving teachers may not be scheduled after 3:30 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of each month.
To ensure compliance with the agreement and to support consistency across schools, please avoid planning meetings, professional learning sessions, or other activities that require teacher participation during those times. School or district meetings may be scheduled on other days of the week as needed.
Thank you for your attention to this guidance and for your continued leadership in supporting clear communication and thoughtful scheduling practices within your schools. Your efforts to honor these agreements help maintain positive collaboration and strong working relationships across our district.
Please feel free reach out to either me or Logan Hall, Executive Director of HRS (Logan.Hall@slcschools,org) if you have any questions.
Sincerely, Leeson M. Taylor II, Ed.D. Executive Director, School Leadership and Support Salt Lake City School District
SLCSD must have parents on the Human Sexuality Committee. This committee reviews all materials used to teach health topics related to maturation, sexuality, relationships, etc. We would like to have 10 parents from throughout the district agree to be on the committee. We need to have names by May 1 so we can have them approved by the Board. A flier is available to share with parents (click here to download).
Rationale:
State administrative code and district AP I-12: Human Sexuality Education indicate that we must have “at least as many parents as school employees” on the committee. We would like to have wide parent representation to review materials that will be used in Health classes.
Expectations for Implementation:
Communication
Ask parent groups for volunteers to participate for the 2026-27 school year.
There are up to 5 meetings a year, scheduled from 4:00 – 5:00PM (If there is not a program to review, the meeting is canceled.)
Meetings are held in person, but parents can participate online.
Collaboration:
Katie Lowery is available to help answer questions and talk with parents, 801-578-8208.
The Policy Project is pleased to announce the launch of the Focused Classroom Implementation Grants, a new funding opportunity supporting Utah schools implementing student device policies aligned with Utah Code 53G-7-227.
These implementation grants are designed to help schools move from policy adoption to effective practice by supporting tools, communication strategies, and student engagement efforts that strengthen focused learning environments.
Schools may request up to $5,000 per site, and LEAs may submit applications for multiple schools.
A central priority of this program is meaningful student engagement. We encourage applications that involve students as partners in implementation, feedback, and culture-building efforts.
In cooperation with the Utah State Board of Education, The Policy Project developed the Focused Classrooms Toolkit, which includes model policies, communication resources, and implementation guidance to support local decision-making.
We’d like to make you aware of our latest free virtual online offerings that Ballet West is presenting for Students and Teachers.
We would be very grateful if you were to make the requests for your entire school and share the information and passwords with all your teachers. Or you could pass this message along to your teachers and they could fill out the requests individually. Your school is welcome to request access to all three offerings and keep them in your pocket for use throughout the remainder of the year.
To make this process as easy as possible, and to expedite your ability to gain the passwords you will need, please access the google form at this link to request access to the programs you’d like.
These offerings are offered free of charge and are reserved for teachers and their students exclusively and not the general public.
We will provide study guides, which include follow-up projects and activities which assist teachers in their efforts to incorporate the Utah State Core Curriculum, Life Skills, and Career and College readiness concepts, into their classrooms. These are available for all offerings, and we recommend these for all grades. Additionally, you may have received this email more than once, our intention is simply to ensure you have access to this important information.
Subject: Setting Schedules and Budgets for SY 26-27
Summary:
As you begin your master scheduling for SY 26-27, please regard the following while building the schedule:
ALL elementary schools (with the exception of the Open Classroom) have AAMP services.
AAMP serves students in a pull-out program in grades 4-6 in a student’s neighborhood elementary school for up to 3 hours per week.
DISCOVERY GROUPS
Discovery Groups offer part-time enrichment for skill development in grades K-3.
Please work with your AAMP teacher at the earliest possible time to build into your complex schedule of times that work for all parties involved.
Funding:
Some schools provided additional funding to the legislative funds that AAMP teachers received. Continuing this would be helpful as the AAMP pull-out program is serving more students each year as we are now identifying and serving more students in verbal, quantitative, and non-verbal groups. Understandably, budgets are shrinking, but please be considerate of this program when making decisions.
Rationale:
This is a district-sponsored program; your support helps us to provide specific services to enrich students’ learning.
Expectations for Implementation:
Communication
Principals are responsible to work with AAMP teachers for grade 4-6 pullout times (discovery can be more fluid)
Collaboration:
Teachers, administration, AAMP Supervisor
Evaluation
A working schedule with times incorporated
*Should you have questions and/or concerns, I am available for in-person and/or a Teams meeting at your convenience.
February for Christians, particularly in Roman Catholic and liturgical traditions, is dedicated to the Holy Family and marks the transition from Ordinary Time to the penitential season of Lent. Key observances include Candlemas (Feb 2), the beginning of Lent with Ash Wednesday (Feb 18, 2026), and numerous feast days for saints.
Key February Christian Observances & Feast Days (2026)
Month of the Holy Family: February is traditionally dedicated to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, emphasizing family virtues.
February 2: Presentation of the Lord / Candlemas / World Day for Consecrated Life: Celebrates the presentation of Jesus in the Temple and Mary's purification. Candles are blessed, symbolizing Christ as the "Light of Revelation".
February 3: St. Blaise Day (Blessing of the Throats): Commemoration of St. Blaise of Sebaste, often marked by the blessing of throats.
February 11: Our Lady of Lourdes / World Day of the Sick: Feast Day celebrating the apparition of Mary in Lourdes, France.
February 17: Seven Founders of the Servite Order: Feast Day.
February 18: Ash Wednesday (2026): Marks the start of Lent, a 40-day period (excluding Sundays) of fasting, prayer, and penance leading to Easter.
On Ash Wednesday – The day encourages a "turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel".
Catholics attend Mass to receive ashes, which symbolize mortality, repentance, and a commitment to follow the Gospel. It serves as a public sign of humility and repentance.
Catholics aged 18-59 are required to fast (one full meal and two smaller meals that do not equal a full meal).
Catholics aged 14 and older are required to abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays during Lent.
All Fridays during Lent – Catholics are to abstain from eating meat.
February 22: Chair of St. Peter: A feast day celebrating the authority of the Pope.
February 23: St. Polycarp: Feast Day of the bishop and martyr.
