Human Resources Monthly Newsletter
April 16th, 2025
Open Enrollment for the 2025-2026 plan year will take place from April 21 through May 12. This is your annual opportunity to review your benefits and make any necessary changes.
This year’s Open Enrollment will be passive, meaning if you don’t actively enroll, your current benefit elections will automatically roll over to the next plan year. However, we encourage all employees to review their options to ensure they continue to meet your needs. Please note, if you are currently enrolled in a flexible spending account, FSA, you will need to actively enroll to participate again in 2025-2026.
Stay tuned for more details, including informational sessions and resources to help you make informed decisions!
Happy Mental Health Awareness Month! This month, we’re focusing on feeling good from the inside out with a Living Your Healthiest Gut Life webinar, our fun and challenging Epic Event, and important reminders for Benefits Open Enrollment! Discover how to sign up and explore more opportunities to “Choose the Best You” with the events and resources below and on our DCSD Staff Wellness website.
Epic Obstacle Course Adventure Day: Saturday, May 10, 2025
Choose from these time slots: 9:00 AM (18+ only), 11:00 AM (18+ only), or 12:30 PM (staff and families welcome). Join us at Phillip S. Miller Park in Castle Rock (check it out), for only $30/person (regularly $60). Challenge yourself on the Sky Trek Obstacle Challenge Course. Grab your colleagues, friends, or family and reserve your spot here. All ages/families are welcome to join in on the fun beginning at 12:30pm for the same discounted rate.
Living Your Healthiest Gut Life Webinar: May 27, 2025, 5:00 - 6:00 PM
Join this free virtual, interactive session with Dr. Jessica Ridgley to hear her share how she encourages her patients to be healthy and live their best lives. Register by clicking here.
Sleep Well Resources:
Quality sleep is essential for your well-being and job performance, yet it’s often the first thing we sacrifice. Explore the new Sleep Well DCSD Staff Wellness website, designed to provide you and your loved ones with practical tips, expert advice, and useful tools to improve sleep habits. Whether you want to fall asleep faster, wake up refreshed, or manage stress that disrupts rest, we’re here to help!
Free Mental Health Resources:
If you are feeling overwhelmed, support is available, confidential, and free.
CU Anschutz Support Program – Call or text 303-724-2500 for real-time support. This program is a grant-funded program specially designed for employees who work in education.
DCSD Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – Call 1-866-486-4334 for immediate connection and ask for "placement assistance" so they can connect you with a provider who meets your needs. Starting July 1, 2025, we’re upgrading to a new EAP with expanded services to better support you and your family. More details can be found here. Our current EAP will be available through June 30th.
DCSD Employee Free Access to Mindfulness Apps - As a DCSD employee, you have free access to these premium mindfulness resources.
Workday has an exciting new feature available to employees called Total Rewards. Total Reward statements allow employees to view a detailed breakdown of an employee’s complete compensation package, including both salary and non-monetary benefits like health insurance and retirement plans for all positions over a rolling 12-month period. This information is pulled directly from Payroll. You can access the Total Reward statements in Workday by typing Total Rewards in the Workday search bar, and then selecting the “Total Rewards” link which is directly under the “Workday Assistant” heading. You can also access your Total Rewards statement by typing your name in the Workday search bar, selecting the “Compensation” profile link located in the blue bar on the left side of your profile, and then select the “Total Rewards” heading.
Middle School Licensure Information
The Colorado Department of Education recently changed the licensure coverage for secondary subjects to include grades 6-12. Elementary licenses continue to be K-6. Current 6th grade teachers holding an elementary license can continue to teach 6th grade in Douglas County Middle Schools. These same 6th grade teachers also have an opportunity to add a secondary endorsement to allow them to teach specific subjects at the 7th and 8th grade levels.
Current DCSD 6th grade teachers holding an initial or professional license can pursue additional secondary level endorsements in:
Science (grades 6-12);
Social Studies (grades 6-12);
English Language Arts (grades 6-12);
Health (grades K-12); and
Middle School Mathematics (grades 6-8).
Elementary teachers can add one or more of these endorsements by meeting one of the following criteria:
possessing a bachelor's degree or higher in the specific subject (or related fields for Social Studies) or
completing 24 semester hours of relevant coursework as outlined in the corresponding endorsement worksheet or
achieving a passing score on the designated PRAXIS exam (specific codes and, in some cases, validity periods apply, such as PRAXIS 5436 for Science, with 5435 accepted under certain conditions until August 31, 2028).