Ninety four of Colorado’s 178 school districts are experiencing dips in enrollment this school year.
Denver Public Schools
What role should parents play in schools? Five Colorado districts are teaming up to include them.
The pandemic changed the way parents are involved in their kids’ education. A new family engagement center shared by five districts will better incorporate their input into schools.
Despite surprise reprieve in Denver, school closures likely to continue in metro area
10 Denver schools slated for closure still are “on watch,” Aurora has shuttered 8 schools and Jeffco will close 15.
Background check of Denver schools’ special ed director did not reveal prior allegations of inappropriate behavior
Denver Public Schools officials said their vetting process doesn’t involve internet searches and they only learned about Michael Winston’s past because a parent threatened to tell the media
Denver teachers union, district reach agreement on 8.7% pay increase
The Denver teachers union and Denver Public Schools reached a tentative agreement that raises wages an average of 8.7%, sets starting salary a little above $50,000, and promises teachers more planning time during the work day. The announcement of a deal Thursday comes after a marathon bargaining session between the Denver Classroom Teachers Association and district leaders […]
As Colorado schools get hotter, air conditioning is still out of reach for some
Schools across Colorado began opening for the fall semester in the middle of August, with daytime temperatures reaching into the 90s in some places. Tens of thousands of Colorado public school students attend school in buildings with no air conditioning in their classrooms, and often—especially in buildings that are many decades old—no air conditioning in […]
“At a crisis point”: Homes are out of reach for many Colorado teachers. What does that mean for schools?
Fewer than one-fifth of homes across Colorado are affordable to teachers who make an average salary in their district, even as average teacher salaries have increased by about 25% in the past seven years, according to a report published Tuesday by the nonpartisan Keystone Policy Center. The report puts numbers to a problem that prices […]
Denver Public Schools to pay $2.1M settlement after allegations the district lied to obtain AmeriCorps funds
Denver Public Schools will pay $2.1 million to settle a lawsuit alleging the school district lied about service hours for two years to collect grant money from AmeriCorps, a national education service program. The school district falsely reported that a significant portion of the district’s members had performed the necessary service hours to qualify for […]
A first look at Denver Public Schools’ new strategic plan
A year into his tenure, Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero is rolling out a new strategic plan to guide Colorado’s largest school district. The plan, which Marrero calls a roadmap, focuses on three broad goals: improving the student experience, improving the adult experience for educators and families, and replacing “ineffective, destructive systems” with “equitable, […]
Denver, Jefferson County school districts raise hourly wages for support staff struggling to afford food and housing
Amid mounting public pressure, two of Colorado’s largest school districts have approved 20% pay raises for school support staff, with Denver Public Schools pledging to boost pay by more than $4 per hour for many workers this year and Jeffco Public Schools agreeing to increase compensation by $3 per hour by September 2023. The pay […]