Hitting the books: Pueblo D70 votes to raise sub pay and other education news

Certified substitute teachers in Pueblo County School District 70 will be getting a raise thanks to a unanimous decision at a Sept. 5 board meeting.

Rates for substitutes with a high school diploma and one-year authorization will increase from $125 to $140 per day, according to an approved proposal read by Pueblo D70 Director of Personnel Services Stephanie Russell on Sept. 5. Substitutes with a bachelor's degree and three-year authorization will see a raise from $140 to $160 per day.

Substitutes with a five-year authorization and state teaching license will see a raise from $170 to $200 per day. Rates for retired Pueblo D70 teachers with a five-year authorization will raise from $180 to $200 per day. Raises for substitute teachers in Pueblo D70 are retroactively effective to September 1, 2023.

CSU Pueblo education program nationally recognized for reading instruction

The Colorado State University Pueblo School of Education has received national recognition from the National Council on Teacher Quality for preparing educators to teach reading.

With an "A" rating from a "Teacher Prep Review" by the council, the CSU Pueblo School of Education undergraduate program ranks in the top 23% of schools teaching reading education, according to a news release from CSU Pueblo. Nearly 700 programs were evaluated by NCTQ and only 112 received an A rating.

Pueblo teacher's 1988 movie to be screened for Denver Film Society fundraiser

"Curse of the Blue Lights," a fantasy and horror film by Pueblo-born cinematographer and educator John Henry Johnson, will be screened in Denver on Sept. 30 to raise funds for the Denver Film Festival.

Released in 1988, "Curse of the Blue Lights" was filmed in and around Pueblo. It was Johnson's third film, following a pair of award-winning documentaries on Zebulon Pike and Damon Runyon.

Johnson, who has held teaching positions at Colorado State University Pueblo and Pueblo Central High School, will be at Denver's Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax Ave., on Sept. 30 for the screening and a subsequent Q&A with Brian Sisson, the film's head of makeup.

Pueblo D70 board elections: Pueblo D70 cancels 2023 school board elections due to lack of challengers to incumbents

Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached at JBartolo@gannett.com. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo D70 raises substitute teacher pay and other education news