House Bill 1295 was introduced last month at the Colorado Capitol with the innocuous title, “Rebuttable Presumption in Charter School Appeals.” Despite this seemingly harmless name, the bill actually represents one of the more dangerous proposals brought forth against students and families this entire legislative session. Sponsored by state Rep. Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver, who is […]
charter schools
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Colorado charter schools stand out during a hard year for public education
A year ago, few of us understood exactly how much our world was about to change. Lockdowns, face coverings, business closures and mandatory remote learning were issues that people in other countries were contending with, not those of us here in the United States. Obviously, that is no longer true. It was a year of […]
Posted inEducation, News
Access to high-quality Colorado schools varies by ZIP code, report says
Access to high-quality schools varies significantly across Colorado, a new report has found, with low-income families and people in rural areas less likely to have a school with high test scores within reasonable driving distance. The report from Ready Colorado, a conservative education advocacy group that supports school choice, puts numbers to education disparities and […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Durango voters show the power of putting students over politics
Bipartisanship may feel like a fairy tale in our hyper-politicized environment right now, but our neighbors in Durango showed in the November election that there is hope for a more functional future in Colorado. Nearly 72% of residents – a landslide by any standard – came together to approve Ballot Issue 4A, which means $90 […]
Posted inColoradans, COVID, Education, News
As coronavirus drives more Colorado school districts to stop in-person learning, some neighboring charter schools buck that trend
Schools across Jefferson County are trading in-person learning for remote instruction as the Thanksgiving break approaches and coronavirus cases surge, but not all students in Jeffco Public Schools will turn to their screens to finish out the first semester. Two Roads Charter School, which has campuses in Arvada and Littleton, has committed to in-person instruction […]
Posted inColoradans, Education, News, Politics and Government
A bill is coming that would change enrollment rules for Colorado charter schools. Could it also deter more from opening?
A lawmaker worried that charter schools aren’t offering kids with disabilities the same opportunities as traditional public schools wants to change the rules. But education advocates say Rep. Shannon Bird’s proposed changes unfairly target charter schools and are trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist. Through legislation she plans to introduce next week, Bird, […]
Posted inEducation, News
Charter school network STRIVE Prep to close northwest Denver high school in possible sign of what’s to come
Denver’s second-largest charter school network has decided to merge two of its high schools, effectively closing one of them. The reason? Declining student enrollment, which is a districtwide issue affecting not only charter schools but district-run schools, too. The STRIVE Prep board of directors voted unanimously Monday night to close STRIVE Prep — Excel, a […]