Fall | Issue 26 | Date: October 27, 2022 |
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Funding Great Schools. Rooted in Community. |
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Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8.
Are You Ready to Vote?
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Navigating elections can be overwhelming. With Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8, fast approaching, it’s important you’re informed and engaged. RootED Denver has compiled information and resources to help you prepare to cast your ballot. Learn more below.
Where can I find more information?
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Quick links to resources:
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Meet Anita Bañuelos, the New Director of Community Organizing for Transform Education Now |
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Bañuelos, who joined the advocacy organization TEN as director of community organizing last month, is a Denver native and has long been active in serving the city’s residents.
She has worked as a legislative aide for councilmember Jolon Clark in Denver’s District 7, representing Athmar Park, College View, Historic Baker, Overland Park, Platt Park, Ruby Hill, West Washington Park, and Valverde.
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Bañuelos has also worked for a charter school network, has been involved in education advocacy through Stand for Children Colorado, and has served as a co-chair of a Southwest Denver committee fighting for quality education.
“In this role, as the director of community organizing, it feels like I’m going back to my roots,” said Bañuelos, who joined the advocacy organization last month. “I’m passionate about quality education and quality schools, and my goal is to inform families and give them the tools to use their voices to be a powerhouse for themselves and their kids and their communities.”
As a first-generation Latina-American, she knows how important education is to families because it gives students opportunities they might not have otherwise had, she said. She also knows how difficult it can be for families to understand public education.
In her role, Bañuelos is eager to develop family members as leaders in their communities and help them navigate systems that can be complex and overwhelming. She wants to help families understand choices they have for their kids and help them speak up when their children’s schools aren’t serving students.
“I want to be sure parents who face language barriers or don’t feel welcome in their kids’ schools do feel welcome and do speak up for their kids,” she said. “I want to be sure they have someone helping them get access to information and supporting them in their advocacy and their decision making, because parents know what’s best for their kids.”
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Declining Enrollment: Denver Superintendent Recommends Closing or Consolidating 10 Schools |
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Denver Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero has recommended closing or consolidating 10 elementary and middle schools due to declining enrollment.
According to the district's website, principals of the identified schools will be holding family meetings this week to share more information about the recommendation and to answer questions.
On Nov. 3, the recommendation will be presented to the Denver Public Schools Board of Education, and the board is expected to vote on the recommendation on Nov. 17.
If the board approves closures or consolidations, those changes will be in effect for the 2023-24 school year.
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Grantee Spotlight: Generation Teach is Diversifying the Teacher Pipeline |
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Generation Teach is helping to diversify the teacher pipeline by providing college and college-bound students with teaching experiences. It partners with districts to engage students in summer learning, invest undergraduate and high-school students in teaching, and develop professional teachers as leaders.
The national nonprofit organization is committed to ending racial injustice and inequity in education. Its mission is to co-create loving communities where generations of students, teachers, and leaders learn, grow, and develop.
Generation Teach launched in Colorado in 2014 and has grown to 15 sites in four states. In Denver, Generation Teach is growing to serve six sites in 2023. During the summer of 2022, 129 aspiring teachers, 72% of whom were people of color and 75% of whom were local to the area, participated in the Generation Teach AmeriCorps Summer Teaching Fellowship in Denver.
Of that, 95% reported growth as teachers. Since 2014, 824 Generation Teach teaching fellows across the country have graduated from college; 70% are people of color; 63% have entered careers in education, and 53% have become classroom teachers.
“Generation Teach is a wonderful summer experience that teaches you how to grow as a teacher and a leader,” one Denver Teaching Fellow shared. “I struggled narrowing down specific career paths, but this experience allowed me to figure out my passions. Now I feel confident and prepared to step into the real world.”
Watch this video about Generation Teach’s program; and to learn more about Generation Teach and discuss ways to partner, book time to connect with Heidi Dotterrer, chief external affairs officer.
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Apply to Lead: Denver Families LEAD Applications Due Nov. 2 |
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Are you interested in running for local office or influencing education policy in Denver?
Our partners at Denver Families for Public Schools are hosting Leaders for Education Advocacy Denver (LEAD), a three-day training Nov. 11-13 for Denver residents to learn more about local education policy and how to effectively communicate on issues that matter; gain knowledge, skills, and execution strategies to be effective candidates and campaigners; and engage in dialogue with civic leaders, former and current elected officials, and other local voices passionate about public education.
The deadline to apply is Nov. 2, so act fast. Learn more and apply now.
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EDUCATE Denver Aims to Elevate and Engage |
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EDUCATE Denver: A Civic Coalition for Denver Public Schools Students wants to make education the city’s top priority.
Members of the new coalition—which includes RootED Denver’s managing partner Patrick Donovan—believe that every young person in Denver deserves a high-quality public education, and that a healthy city and high-quality public schools go hand-in-hand.
EDUCATE Denver’s co-chairs, Sen. James Coleman, and former Denver Public Schools Board of Education director Rosemary Rodriguez authored an op-ed in The Denver Post and have talked with Boardhawk and CBS Colorado to share more about the coalition’s vision and work.
"We have to eliminate this political culture of folks not being involved and engaged just because they're not elected," Coleman told CBS Colorado.
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1390 Lawrence Street, Suite #200
Denver, CO 80204
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