Celebrating Women's History Month

Winter | Issue 43 | Date: March 20, 2024

Funding Great Schools. Rooted in Community.

Pictured above: students and educators from GALS and RiseUp Community School

March provides us with a great opportunity to honor the contributions and achievements of women throughout history. We’re especially fortunate to have a long list of notable women and girls right here in Denver who have built a vibrant education landscape and who continue to build upon it.

Several images above are from Girls Athletic Leadership School (GALS), whose mission is “empowering students to succeed academically, lead confidently, live boldly, and thrive physically.” The success of the unique GALS model was recently in the spotlight when Carol Bowar, GALS executive director, was honored as the Charter School Leader of the Year at the annual Colorado League of Charter Schools conference.

Jennifer Holladay, another local education leader who has made an incredible positive impact in DPS and nationally, was also honored at the CLCS conference with a Lifetime Advocate Award.

Congratulations to these deserving award recipients, and thank you to all of Denver’s women in education - past, present, and future - who have worked tirelessly to create and improve our schools and ensure that our students receive the best possible education.

DPS SchoolChoice Round 2 Opens April 10

Round 2 of SchoolChoice is on a first-come, first-served basis, within school priority groups, and is for families who missed Round 1; took part in Round 1 but want to re-explore their options; or are new to DPS for next school year.

To submit a Round 2 application, sign into your SchoolChoice account and apply to your preferred schools. If you don’t have an account, you can create one using your email address or a current Parent Portal login. You can also call the Choice Hotline at 720-423-3493 for assistance with submitting a Round 2 application.

Don’t forget to use the Mile High School Guide to view and compare school information to help you make your choice.

How exactly do we define a "good school" in Denver?

Karen Mortimer, a DPS parent, DPS District Accountability Committee Chair, and key advocate in the ongoing work to bring more transparency to those looking for information on DPS schools, recently wrote an op-ed for the Denver Post. Karen's input was extremely valuable in the creation of Mile High School Guide, and we appreciate her thoughtful piece.

“...we’ve missed opportunities to shine a light on schools that deserve a high-five from the community. We’ve also been deprived of visibility into our schools that are struggling so we can know where to advocate for more resources and support." Karen writes. Read on for more of her insights:

Read the full Denver Post op-ed

Compass Academy: Trusting students to their own learning

A recent edition of Boardhawk featured the fieldwork being done by students at Compass Academy, a public charter middle school in southwest Denver.

“Coming out of COVID, Compass students were telling school leaders and showing through their behavior that the traditional model of school no longer worked for them. Students wanted to be more active participants in their education.”

Introducing the concept of fieldwork allowed students to learn through real-world experiences throughout Denver. The school developed community partnerships that give students the chance to engage with others throughout the community, drawing relevance to the in-school learning and encouraging students to apply this learning outside the classroom walls.

Read more about fieldwork at Compass and the culture shift that has happened because of it:

Read the full Boardhawk article

Colorado Digital Accessibility Laws

HB21-1110 and SB23-244

Important information for schools: all Colorado government entities, including schools, must ensure that their digital technology is compliant with state web accessibility standards by July 1, 2024.

Proper accessibility ensures that everyone with and without disabilities can access the same digital information. This digital technology includes websites, applications, digital signage, documents, and videos. School websites can often use a scanning tool to determine whether their websites are currently meeting standards for accessibility.

Reach out to OIT_Accessibility@state.co.us for more information.

Harmful Charter Schools Accountability Bill

HB24-1363

Advocacy alert from our friends at the Colorado League of Charter Schools: Please send a message to all members of the Colorado State Legislature's House Education Committee committee to VOTE NO on HB24-1363. The bill aims to undermine some of the most foundational aspects of public charter schools.

Public charter schools are subject to rigorous accountability, transparency, and financial standards under current law and HB24-1363 not only ignores and repeats that existing law but also disrupts well-functioning systems and creates division between charter and traditional schools rather than improving public education. We need your voice to help stop this harmful proposal and ensure that Colorado public charter schools continue to have the flexibility and autonomy they need to be effective.

Take action by filling out this form to send to the House Education Committee:

Speak up and stop HB24-1363

We’re looking for our newest team member! RootED is hiring for a Director of School Quality, who will lead initiatives and projects related to overall school quality and charter sector work related to collaboration, advocacy, growth, and district relations with DPS. Preferred application deadline is Tuesday, March 26.

Read the job description