Welcome back to school

Welcome back to school from Superintendent Thomas S. Tucker, Ph.D.
Posted on 07/27/2018

As I explore the amazing communities within Douglas County, one thing is abundantly clear: I made the right decision to join the Douglas County School District.

Greetings to the parents, students and community members who call Douglas County home! My name is Thomas S. Tucker, and it is a distinct honor and privilege to help lead one of America’s finest - and I do mean finest - public school systems, as I assume the role of your new superintendent.

I have been in the district since July 1 - but to be honest, I already feel very much at home. As I drive around Douglas County visiting our schools and communities, I can’t help but notice the beautiful landscape. The value our residents place on community and family is ever-present.

During the interview process, I visited coffee shops, restaurants, libraries and businesses in the county to learn more about the area and the people who live here. I spoke with patrons, business owners, realtors and more. Throughout my conversations I heard a recurrent theme: there is a great deal of pride in the district and a clear focus on doing what is best for students. That feedback made my decision to join DCSD an easy one.

I consider myself a lifelong learner and career educator. I have made it my own personal mission to help each and every one of DCSD’s 68,000 student be as successful as possible. Did you know DCSD boasts one of the highest graduation rates in the metro area at 90.4 percent? What an accomplishment! But until that number reaches 100 percent, there is still a lot of work to do.

Our staff is also amazing. In fact, DCSD is the largest employer in Douglas County - with 8,400 people all working to help every student succeed. Graduation is the ultimate goal - with the next step being college, career, or military.

It all starts in the classroom for our students - and myself. I have served as a classroom teacher, assistant principal, principal, director of secondary curriculum and superintendent. I have 29 years of experience serving in the Kansas and Ohio public school systems. I am so incredibly proud and honored to add Colorado - and specifically, the Douglas County School District - to that list.

Douglas County is an incredibly special place. When I arrived, I got right to work creating priorities that align to our Board of Education’s End Goals, which I believe are the anchor of our school district. In my entry plan (link to entry plan), I have four main priorities for my first 90 days on the job:

  1. Create a structure to listen and learn comprehensively about Douglas County School District and begin to cultivate trust and confidence through open communication.

  2. Establish a strong working relationship with the Board of Education.

  3. Study in-depth the District’s student performance status and review the financial condition of the system with Chief Financial Officer and the Board of Education.

  4. Promote a culture of excellence and continuous improvement with a focus on student achievement.

 

I feel so privileged to have already met with so many students, parents and staff members to gain insight into what makes DCSD such an amazing place. Douglas County residents have made me feel incredibly welcome here. If we haven’t had a chance to connect and you wish to do so, please reach out: [email protected]. I am a firm believer that we all must work together to make DCSD the best it can possibly be!

I give you my promise - you are going to get 110 percent effort out of me each and every day.

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In compliance with Titles VI & VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, and Colorado law, the Douglas County School District RE-1 does not unlawfully discriminate against otherwise qualified students, employees, applicants for employment, or members of the public on the basis of disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, religion, ancestry, or need for special education services. Discrimination against employees and applicants for employment based on age, genetic information, and conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth is also prohibited in accordance with state and/or federal law. Complaint procedures have been established for students, parents, employees, and members of the public. The School District's Compliance Officer and Title IX Coordinator to address complaints alleging sexual harassment under Title IX is Aaron Henderson, 620 Wilcox Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, [email protected], 303-387-0127.

Outside Agencies

Complaints regarding violations of Title VI, (race, national origin), Title IX (sex, gender), Section 504/ADA (handicap or disability), may be filed directly with the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, 1244 North Speer Blvd., Suite 310, Denver, CO 80204. Complaints regarding violations of Title VII (employment) and the ADEA (prohibiting age discrimination in employment) may be filed directly with the Federal Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 303 E. 17th Ave., Suite 510, Denver, CO 80202, or the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, 1560 Broadway, Suite 1050, Denver, CO 80202.

NOTICE OF DESTRUCTION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION RECORDS

Special Education records which have been collected by Douglas County School District related to the identification, evaluation, educational placement, or the provision of special education in the district, must be maintained under state and federal laws for the period of five (5) years after special education services have ended for the student. Special education services end when the student is no longer eligible for services, graduates, or completes his/her educational program at age 21, or moves from the district. This notification is to inform parents/guardians and former students of Douglas County School District's intent to destroy the special education records of students who exited special education services as of June 30, 2016. These records will be destroyed in accordance with state law unless the parent/guardian or eligible (adult) student notifies the school district otherwise. After five years, the records are no longer useful to the district, but may be useful to the parent/guardian or former student in applying for social security benefits, rehabilitation services, college entrance, etc. The parent/guardian or eligible (adult) student may request a copy of the records by requesting the records at this link ( Douglas County School District Transcripts and Records Requests ).