EDUCATE Denver

Following the Denver BOE’s meeting Thursday, EDUCATE Denver expresses our support of the difficult yet important decision to close or restructure 10 schools in the district. “Our support for the decision reflects our belief that students will benefit from the enhanced staffing, enrichment, and programs that are typical in schools that are better resourced,” said Rosemary Rodriguez, EDUCATE Denver chair. Read the full statement: https://lnkd.in/ge6TNDzw

During BOE public comments, Rosemary Rodriguez shared EDUCATE Denver’s support for the recommendations to close or consolidate 10 DPS schools as a way to move students toward academic quality. “Despite the challenging nature of this decision, we know that high-quality academic programming is more likely to occur when resources are sufficient to support proper instructional staffing, robust enrichment, and critical wrap-around services,” Rosemary said. “This is much more likely to occur in a school building that is at or near capacity.”

ICYMI: DPS Superintendent Alex Marrero released a list of 10 schools recommended for closure or restructure. See which school are on the list and learn more about what’s next in Chalkbeat Colorado: https://lnkd.in/gGSGmvZ9

Last school year, we created the Denver BOE Progress Report as a tool to help focus district leaders on activities that support high-quality education in DPS and to keep members accountable.?This week, we released the two latest progress reports: ?? The first incorporates recently released CMAS data to provide a final assessment of progress made during the 2023-24 school year. ?? A new quarterly report articulates updated objectives for the 2024-25 school year and narrows focus to academic success and a positive student experience – key priorities among Denver’s civic leaders. See what progress was made in both reports: https://lnkd.in/giKBsqzP

The DPS Board of Education approved a bonus for Superintendent Alex Marrero that’s equal to 5% of his annual salary of $346,529. https://lnkd.in/gw48-BJF

Bringing community members together to make a change has always been a focus for The Denver Foundation’s Dr. Janet Lopez – and it’s that commitment that brought her to EDUCATE Denver. "In my role at The Denver Foundation, my focus has been on building meaningful relationships with nonprofit leaders, donors, and policymakers across Metro Denver to address our community's most pressing needs. My background in education, along with my commitment to increasing access and opportunity for communities of color, brought me to EDUCATE. I believe we must come together as a community to close the equity gaps in education and ensure all students have the opportunity to learn and thrive."

The DPS Board’s budget has more than doubled over the last three years. See what it’s being spent on – as well as hear from an EDUCATE Denver participant – in this Denver Post article: https://lnkd.in/ggkCiuhY

The 2024 CMAS results show that fewer DPS students are reading and doing math at grade level as compared to their peers statewide.

In this Boardhawk article, take a look back at the DPS years under superintendents Bennet and Boasberg and how they helped move the needle for student achievement: https://lnkd.in/gtBgENid

For the students of Denver, the 2024 CMAS results mark another chapter that, while sprinkled with some success, tells us not all students are achieving at the same level. Learn more in our latest newsletter: https://conta.cc/3ZZW881