All Health, Physical Education, and Lifetime Wellness Teachers will receive training on Vaping Education. November is Vaping Education Month. We will have an Elementary Training and a Middle & High School Training. Teachers will have the knowledge and confidence to inspire and motivate students not to engage in Vaping. 

• # 92199 HPELW- MSCS Vaping Health Education Middle & High: 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026 (Virtual) 

       MSCS Escape the Vape & Playbl MS & HS 

• # 92197 HPELW- MSCS Vaping Health Elementary Education: 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026 (Virtual)

       MSCS Escape the Vape Elementary

The Health Education Vape Training will equip all HPELW teachers with a clear understanding of the instructional materials and guidance associated with Vaping Education. During the session, teachers will receive an overview of the MSCS district‑developed PowerPoint presentations for grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-12, along with the Vape Pledge, Vape Content Engagement Activity Sheet, and Vape Goal Setting. 

For questions, contact:

• Jeremiah Bland – Blandj@scsk12.org (HPELW Instructional Advisor)
• Jim Harbin – Harbinj1@scsk12.org (HPELW Instructional Advisor)
• Dr. Rahmod Traylor – Traylorr@scsk12.org (HPELW Manager)

Principals, come and learn how your students can be part of the St. Jude Kids Fun Run during the St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend! In partnership with HPELW, Ellie Erickson, director of the Kids Fun Run, will share more about this iconic Memphis event, the impact it makes for St. Jude kids and families, and the special experience it can create for your students. Plus, you’ll have a chance to ask questions and get resources to help your school get involved!

The Kids Fun Run is Saturday, Dec. 5, at 1 p.m. Registration is $25 per student and FREE for participating parents! Kids will receive a race shirt and medal, plus access to food and fun at the post-run party after the race.

· St. Jude Fun Run Meeting (Virtual): Thursday, Nov. 12,  4:30-5:15 p.m. 

For questions, contact:

· Ellie.Erickson@alsac.stjude.org 

· Jeremiah Bland – Blandj@scsk12.org (HPELW Instructional Advisor) 

· Jim Harbin – Harbinj1@scsk12.org (HPELW Instructional Advisor) 

· Dr. Rahmod Traylor – Traylorr@scsk12.org (HPELW Manager)

Principals, please review this week's edition of MTSS Lead Weekly Updates.

Looking to build stronger partnerships that make a lasting impact on your school or department? Join the Office of Partnerships and Development for an engaging Lunch & Learn professional development session!

Course: Understanding Partnerships and Development (PLZ #92684)
Date/Location: Thursday, December 3, 2026, Frances E. Coe Administration Building Auditorium
Time: 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.

During this session, participants will gain valuable insight into the processes and procedures of the Office of Partnerships and Development, including how to identify and secure various levels of partnerships, cultivate meaningful relationships, and maintain strong partnerships that support student and school success.

Ready to strengthen your partnership-building skills for your school or department? Register today through PLZ using Course #92684!

We look forward to learning, collaborating, and building stronger partnerships together!

TN Portfolio Access & Collections

All Portfolio educators should log in to TeachAll as soon as possible to verify access to the platform. A State Single Sign-On (SSO) account is required to log in and use the system.

• Additional information about platform access may be found in the TNPortfolio Teacher Manual.

Point A Assessments

Portfolio Educators should ensure all point A assessments are completed for all students by Friday, December 4.

• To support purposeful sampling, work should NOT be uploaded to the platform. 
• See page 5 of the TEAM Portfolio Guidebook for Administrators and Teachers for more information on purposeful sampling.

The deadline to complete TEM New Observer Certification is Tuesday, March 30, 2027. Administrators pursuing TEM certification for the first time can register for the course below: 

• Self-Paced Canvas Course PLZ Course #50074 

For questions or support, please reach out to eps@scsk12.org.

Evaluation tracks will be updated and visible in PLZ by Friday, November 6, 2026.  Evaluation tracks will reflect educators' SY25-26 LOE (Level of Overall Effectiveness) scores from TN Compass.

• Proficient Track:  LOE of 3, 4, or 5
• Focus Track:  LOE of 1 or 2
• Novice Track:  No prior year LOE

Questions about evaluation tracks should be sent to EPS@scsk12.org

2025–26 Educator Level of Overall Effectiveness (LOE) Score Release

The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) released 2025–26 Educator Level of Overall Effectiveness (LOE) scores in TNCompass on October 30, 2026.

To receive an LOE score, all required evaluation component scores must be available in TNCompass. The required components may include:

• Observation
• Achievement
• Growth
• Professionalism
• Student Perception Survey

Please note: Educators designated in TNCompass as a Partial Year Exemption (PYE) are not eligible to receive an LOE score and will not have an LOE displayed in TNCompass.

**As a reminder, the administrators should not mark “Educator is unable to sign.”

If you have questions about missing component scores or other evaluation-related concerns, please submit an Ivanti ticket. The Employee Performance & Support (EPS) team will review and research the issue.

**All SY25-26 evaluations should be finalized and signed with PIN in TNCompass by December 11, 2026.  

Growth & Achievement containers are now reopened for educators who transferred schools or were hired after the containers initially closed. The containers will close Friday, November 20. 

Educators who did not make G & A selections during the initial window may also make selections during this time.   

If you have questions, please reach out to Employee Performance and Support by telephone: 901-416-2475 or email: eps@scsk12.org.

The deadline to complete NIE Goal Setting Conferences has been extended to November 6, 2026.

IMPORTANT: NIE Employees must select their evaluator first in PLZ, in order for the evaluator to have access to their NIE plan. In addition, the evaluator must be NIE Certified.

Questions? Contact EPS@scsk12.org

Are you ready to deepen your understanding of the Professionalism Rubric? Join this session to analyze evidence, reflect on your professional practice, and use the rubric to support continuous professional growth. Designed for teachers already familiar with the Professionalism Rubric.

When: Thursday, November 12, 2026, | 4–5 p.m.

Register in PLZ: Course #50664

Questions? Contact EPS@scsk12.org

The Fall Student Perception Survey runs October 26-November 6, 2026. The District’s goal is 95% or greater completion among eligible students and teachers. Teachers should work with their Survey Site Coordinator to ensure students have the time, technology, and support to participate.

Questions? Contact Employee Performance and Support at 901-416-2475 or eps@scsk12.org, or LaToya Rogers at rogersld@scsk12.org.

For RETURNING NIE Evaluators that were previously NIE Certified during SY2025-2026, NIE Recertification is NOT REQUIRED for SY2026-2027. Eligible Returning NIE Evaluators will be automatically identified and added as NIE Evaluators in PLZ for SY2026-27.

NEW NIE Evaluators, please register in PLZ for Course #50057.

The deadline to complete certification and certify as an NIE Evaluator for SY26-27 is April 9, 2027.

Questions? Contact EPS@scsk12.org

Session Title: Strategic School Marketing: Driving & Sustaining Student Enrollment

Facilitators: Dr. Daniel L. Jack (Director) & Zonja Glover (Principal)

Date: November 12, 2026

PLZ Registration Code: 93238

Why Marketing Matters for School Leaders

In today’s educational landscape, understanding the leadership of marketing is a non-negotiable strategy for long-term school success. A school’s narrative shouldn't be left to chance. To sustain and grow enrollment, leaders must intentionally define their school’s unique value proposition, tell their story with clarity, and build lasting trust within their communities.

Session Architecture & Delivery Model

• Session Overview: Learn how to leverage your school’s unique strengths to build a high-impact narrative that resonates with families and prospective students across your community.
• Key Outcome: Walk away with actionable strategies to identify your core assets and build a targeted marketing and communication plan that drives enrollment.

The "Present, Model, Practice, Execute" Framework:

• Present: Core principles of educational marketing, defining target audiences, and shaping compelling school narratives.
• Model: Real-world case studies showcasing how data and storytelling were leveraged to launch successful social media and community outreach campaigns.
• Practice: Hands-on collaborative drafting of your school’s unique value proposition and targeted messaging for parent newsletters or social media.
• Execute (Implementation Plan): Produce a concrete two-paragraph value narrative to align and deploy with your campus leadership team.

👉Secure your spot in PLZ using Code 93238!

Daniel L. Jack, Ed.D.

Performance and Leadership Development 

Greetings, Principals.

Teachers must complete their required Flex Day courses by November 11, access their PLZ transcripts beginning November 13, and submit their transcripts to you to verify eligibility for time off November 23-25, 2026.

Please review submitted transcripts to confirm that teachers completed the required professional learning hours.

Thank you for your support.

Please review the attached 2026-2027 Principals' Calendar for your scheduled Health & Wellness Day. The screenings include hearing, vision, height, weight, blood pressure, and scoliosis screenings for eligible students. Principal Screening Calendar Semester 1 26-27.pdf

If you have any questions regarding the schedule or the screening process, please contact the Health Promotions Department at 901-416-6432.

Immunization Data Report

Please review the immunization report as of 10/30/2026. Immunization Data Report .pdf

Medication Training

Please review the Medication Administration Training for 2026-2027. MedicationTraining.pdf

School Care and Immunization Training

Please review the School Care and Immunization Training Flyer. SchoolCareImmunizationTraining.pdf

Healthy Teams

Please review Healthy Teams for 2026-2027. HealthyTeams.pdf

District-Approved Medical Service Vendors

Please review the list of approved vendors. DistrictApprovedMedicalServiceVendors.pdf

Assigned School Nurse Absence

Please review the information regarding assigned school nurses' absence. Nursing.pdf

2026-2027 Bed Bugs Toolkit BedBugsToolkit.pdf

2026-2027 Hand, Foot, Mouth Disease (HFMD) Toolkit HFMDToolkit.pdf

2026-2027 Head Lice Toolkit LiceToolkit.pdf

Please review the proper procedures for completing the Medical Emergency Log, which must be completed and submitted by the last school day of each month.

Medical Emergency Based Logs Instructions.pdf

Retention Prevention 

Retention Prevention documentation for Multilingual Learners who have been assigned a failing grade should continue to be collected throughout Quarter 2 (Q2). As a reminder, for Multilingual Learners to be successful, ESL teachers must regularly collaborate with their student's content and general education teachers to monitor their academic progress.  

ESL Screening and Parent Notification Requirements   

Per TDOE Rule 0520-01-19 and Program Policy 3.207, after the start of the school year, newly enrolled NELB students must be screened with 14 days of enrollment. Please contact your ESL advisor if you need support with this process.   

ESL Course Code Assignments 

Please ensure that all ESL students are correctly assigned an ESL and/or ELD course code in PowerSchool. Accurate course coding is required for compliance, as it provides evidence of the delivery model the ESL teacher is implementing. Additionally, assigning the correct course codes also allows teachers to receive monitoring forms in compliance with the TDOE. Contact your school's ESL advisor for the appropriate course code list. 

 K-5 ESL Course Codes  6-8 ESL Course Codes  9-12 ESL Course Codes    

Interpretation & Translation Guidance 

Phone/Virtual Support – LanguageLine 

LanguageLine is a district-provided service offering immediate, phone-based interpretation with a live interpreter. All schools should have received posters and instructions on how to access this resource when needed. 

Important: Please use District-approved interpretation and translation services rather than online tools such as Google Translate, as automated translations may produce inaccurate results. 

In-Person Support 

(Requests must be submitted at least seven days in advance.) 

Interpretation Requests for non-Exceptional Education Department meetings: 

Visit the Ivanti Work Orders icon on the Edugoodies website. 

Select Service Catalog 

On the left menu, click ESL 

Choose ESL Interpreter Request  

Document Translation Requests: 
Follow the same steps above and select ESL Translation Request. 

This includes options for translating all general school-based documents except transcripts. 

District-wide translations for Spanish are handled by the Bilingual Communications team within the Communications Department. To request this service, click on Communications on the left menu. 

Transcript Requests: 

Follow the same steps above and select ESL Transcript Analysis Request. 

9-12 ESL Data Meetings:  ML Academic Success Assurance Protocol (ML ASAP) 

All high schools are encouraged to hold quarterly ESL data meetings in support of the ML Academic Success Assurance Protocol (ML ASAP). Recommended participants include the ESL Teacher(s), PLC Coach and/or Instructional Facilitator, and Content Area Leads. Counselors and Administrators are encouraged to participate as well. The Q2 ESL Data Meeting Template can be found here.  For questions, contact your ESL Advisor.  

Use of ESL Staff for Substitute Coverage   

To maintain compliance with state and federal requirements, ESL teachers should not be utilized for substitute coverage. Schools are responsible for scheduling ESL teachers and English Learners appropriately to ensure that all required daily service hours are provided. ESL teacher positions are funded to deliver direct explicit ESL instruction, create and maintain Individualized Learning Plans (ILPs) and monitoring forms, and collaborate with content teachers. ESL staff should not be assigned to cover general education, content-area, or Proximity Learning courses during times they are scheduled to provide ESL services nor during collaborative planning times.   

Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities & Key Dates  

In-Person PDs are offered at the Office of Multilingual Learners (OML) unless otherwise indicated – Newcomer International Center (2nd floor) 5151 Scottsdale Ave., 38118

  
November 16-December 4: ELLevation Benchmark Testing Window 

November 18-23: November ESL Monthly Meeting for all ESL Teachers, Asynchronous via Nearpod 

November 20: MTSU ELL Collaborative; Hybrid. Registration will close November 15, 2026, at 9 a.m. or when seats are filled.  Please see https://cem.mtsu.edu/ell/  for registration details. 

The Virtual Schools and Online Learning (VSOL) Department will host two Edgenuity training sessions on Friday, November 13. If you have PSCs, Graduation Coaches, teacher leads, or other staff who support students with Grade Repair, Credit Recovery, Credit Accrual, or Homebound instruction and have not been previously trained, please encourage them to attend.

Please reference the ​​training flyer​​ for session details and PLZ registration information.
 

Tennessee law requires current 8th-grade students to complete a computer science course and the Class of 2028 to earn a computer science credit. Review the attached flyer for dates, registration details, and contacts. Encourage eligible teachers to register for the FREE Spring 2027 Computer Science Endorsement Pathway (CSEP).

Registration link: https://stateoftennessee.formstack.com/forms/csep_teacher_registration_form_spring_2027?mc_cid=203fb1ac6b&mc_eid=c59a22e222