What’s churning:

Jefferson County school board members today get their first public feedback on their budget proposal for 2012-13 and, if past meetings are any indication, it’s likely to involve some lengthy community comment.

The proposal comes out of the district’s second annual employee summit and essentially delays significant cuts for another year to allow time for voters to consider a tax increase in November.

Or, as Jefferson County teachers union president Kerrie Dallman phrased it, it’s “kicking the can down the road” for another year. Read about the proposal.

Already, a group called Jefferson County Students First – not affiliated with the Michelle Rhee organization – has issued a press release criticizing the plan.

Tonight’s activities begin with a board study session at 5 p.m., followed by the regular board meeting at 6 p.m. at district headquarters, 1829 Denver West Drive in Golden. Agenda.

Good reads – and views – from elsewhere:

Principals matter: Our partners at Education Week take a look at a study analyzing the importance of school leadership, particularly in high-poverty schools. Among the findings: “The researchers found that high-quality principals—as determined by a value-added model that includes student achievement and school characteristics—had a large positive impact on their students’ achievement.” Learn more.

Hancock’s lesson: In a video for The Teaching Channel series celebrating teachers, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock names Constance Clark, his sixth-grade teacher at Steck Elementary, as an educator who changed his life: