What’s New: Innovation Plan

Posted August 8, 2023

Dear CTD+ Denver Montessori  families,

Our unique method of teaching and learning requires us to approach the work in a different way from most traditional schools.  As a result there are certain flexibilities as detailed in this plan below that allow us to provide the best learning experience possible.

A committee that included School Leaders,  DCTA and Staff Representatives of both our elementary and secondary sites wrote this plan.  This innovation plan is different from the one that was used during the development of the Denver Montessori Junior/Senior High.

Most notable the plan includes the Talent Development Model that came with the new leadership under Sheldon Reynolds as Executive Principal.  The Talent Development Model  is a strong instructional model that was used to guide CTD @Greenlee off the State Accountability Clock and become a national model for gifted and talented instruction. Another major change is that the secondary Montessori approach is different from the land-based consistency model of the previous administration.  This new approach to secondary Montessori education is grounded in the Erdkinder and Functions of the University essay which is the only primary source on what Maria Montessori envisioned for her secondary program.  Our new approach to secondary Montessori education is rooted in the planes of development through our identity Development (iD) framework.

All the flexibilities listed below are needed to make our school vision a reality.  It is also worth noting that all the flexibilities listed are linked together.

  • Calendar: 3 Flex Days for professional learning from traditional DPS calendar
  • Professional Learning:  Early Release Day, Collaborative Learning Structures
  • Extra Compensation:  all collective bargaining units & protech staff can receive  stipend and/or pay at or  day above DCTA guidelines as funding allows.
  • Curriculum & Assessment:  Art and Science approach to curriculum design and opting out of district assessments for ANET platform.
  • Supplemental & Enrichment Programming:  option to hire non-licensed for non-core disciplines.
  • Recruitment: Early Hire process
  • School Committees:  Distributed Leadership Teams (ILT, SLT and CLT) along with student subcommittees for each leadership team
  • Budget: Actuals
  • New Flexibility: Strategic Planning Process

Our staff will be voting on the plan at the end of AUG 2023 with the DPS BOE expected to vote in their SEPT 2023 board meeting.  The innovation plan for at the CTD Greenlee campus was voted on and approved by the staff and DPS BOE in June 2023. The full innovation plan can be found here.