Barely out of bed and still waiting for the fog of sleep to lift, Ameera Sierra used to start her mornings staring at an endless stream of selfies, tweets and Snapchat stories. It was almost a ritual for the 17-year-old: Roll over, turn off the alarm, grab the phone and begin scrolling, the glow from […]
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Posted inColoradans, Education, News
Democrats formalize plan for expanded preschool, early childhood department. But will Colorado have enough teachers?
A nearly 500-page bill released Friday fills in new details about the Department of Early Childhood as it launches and prepares to oversee Colorado’s expansion of preschool in fall 2023. The Democrat-backed bill reflects close to a year of planning among lawmakers, state agencies, the governor’s office, early childhood providers and advocates, and parents — […]
Posted inCOVID, Education, News
Most Colorado school districts ditch mask mandates
Mask mandates are out in Colorado school districts. Over the last two weeks, districts around the state have dropped their mask requirements or set deadlines to do so as local public health departments have also lifted their school mandates. Colorado hasn’t had a statewide mask requirement since May 2021. The decisions come as COVID cases are in […]
Posted inColoradans, Education, Health, News
Learning to save lives at 16: Denver teens train to become EMTs amid Colorado shortage
Samantha Rudnick has been fly-fishing since she was 2 and has spent more time off the grid in the mountains than just about anywhere else. Now, the mountains offer her the kind of escape that helps her cope with all the stress that comes with being a teenager living and studying in Denver and trying […]
Posted inColoradans, Education, News
Polis defends lowering preschool teacher requirements, says it’s “small piece” of state’s expansion plan
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis this week defended recent cuts to hiring requirements for preschool teachers, rejecting criticism from advocates who fear they could erode the quality of a preschool education just as the state prepares to roll out a major expansion. Polis argued that rather than lowering the bar for early childhood educators, the new […]
Posted inColoradans, Education, News, Wildfire
“The only piece of their life that’s normal”: Schools are scrambling to help 800 kids displaced by the Marshall fire
After the Marshall fire tore through Boulder County on Dec. 30, razing more than 1,000 homes in its path, the count of students without stable housing in Boulder Valley School District swelled from about 300 to more than 1,100. Figuring out how to keep their children attending classes wasn’t necessarily the first priority for families […]
Posted inColoradans, COVID, Education, News
Declining birth rates, coupled with COVID disruptions, are driving down enrollment in Colorado public schools
Student enrollment has continued declining across Colorado public schools, with the state counting about 1,200 fewer students in kindergarten through 12th grade this fall than last year, when enrollment in preschool through high school plunged by about 30,000 students. State officials largely attributed last year’s enrollment slump — which was the first of its kind […]
Posted inColoradans, Education, News
Colorado is lowering teacher qualifications amid staff shortage a year before expanding preschool access
Tens of thousands of Colorado children will be eligible to enroll in the state’s expanded preschool program come fall of 2023, but as an educator shortage has swelled to “crisis” levels, pressure is mounting to find enough teachers to staff classrooms. One solution the state implemented in December: lowering the bar on credentials to become […]
Posted inColoradans, Education, News
“Is this another fire?”: Sisters haunted by the loss of their home in Marshall fire now face returning to school
Menacing winds that fanned flames from the Marshall fire into Jaden Crawley’s Superior home last week were back to wake her up Tuesday morning. For a few paralyzing moments, the 15-year-old peered out the window beside the bed, watching as a nearby street lamp cast an orange glow through tree branches. As the tree blew […]
Posted inColoradans, COVID, Education, News
“I can’t do this to myself anymore”: Pandemic stress has driven some Colorado teachers to leave the classroom
Diane Santorico was a year shy of completing her third decade as a teacher when the profession that once gave her so much joy nearly stole all of it. She was sick – physically sick – and tired. The first few weeks of school had demanded that she teach in a second-floor classroom baking at […]