EDUCATION NEWS
IN RESPONSE | Education reformers tried to hold Democrats hostage
On April 14, 3,400 leaders and activists from across Colorado came together to proudly proclaim our long-held beliefs that all children in Colorado deserve an equitable public education. Read more . . .
What other schools can learn from two Colorado Schools of Opportunity
Schools of Opportunity are institutions that go above and beyond to help all their students succeed. Kevin Welner, director of the National Education Policy Center and a professor at CU’s School of Education, said the program is designed to counter the “Best High Schools in America” rankings from U.S. News & World Report and similar lists. Read more . . .
How one high-poverty Jefferson County school saw a huge leap in its high school graduation rates
Eighty percent of Jefferson Jr./Sr. High School seniors last school year graduated in four years — a much higher percentage of students than in past years. The Class of 2015 had a 64 percent on-time graduation rate, making for a stunning turnaround. Read more . . .
"National School Choice Week" Fueled by Major Right-Wing Funders and Corporate Lobby Groups
"The National School Choice Week website’s Partners page provides a who’s-who gallery of Koch network groups, corporations, and billionaires promoting privatization," said Lisa Graves, CMD’s Executive Director, adding: "although the week features many local events, it is backed by national entities, some of which are hostile to the idea of public schools and whose goals have included full privatization. Read more . . .
Florida’s education system — the one Betsy DeVos cites as a model — is in chaos
Traditional public school districts are trying to absorb the loss of millions of dollars for the new school year that starts within weeks. That money, which comes from local property taxes, is used for capital funding but now must be shared with charter schools as a result of a widely criticized $419 million K-12 public education bill crafted by Republican legislative leaders in secret and recently signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott — at a Catholic school. Read more . . .
The Myth of the New Orleans Makeover
The Louisiana state standards are among the lowest in the nation. The new research also says little about high school performance. And the average composite ACT score for the Recovery School District was 16.4 in 2014, well below the minimum required score for admission to a four-year public university in Louisiana. Read more . . .
Denver school board picks district-run programs to take over low-performing schools
In a rare split vote, the Denver school board voted 6-1 Monday to place a program called the Montbello Children’s Network at Amesse starting in fall 2018. Proposed by McGlone leaders with input from Amesse teachers and families, the network would seek to replicate the success that once-struggling McGlone has had in boosting its own students’ learning. Read more . . .
Dark money just keeps on coming in school board races
Raising Colorado, whose formal designation is an independent expenditure committee (IEC), is not a grass-roots organization. It is part of what looks like an elaborate shell game intended to hide the identities of wealthy out-of-state donors who want to overwhelm races with their contributions, but do not want their identities known. Read more . . .
DFER: Why Colo. Democrats threw it out of their state assembly
On April 14, in what was the most dramatic moment in the Democratic Party’s state assembly, party activists won delegates’ assembly approval for a demand that the Colorado chapter of Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) stop using the word “Democrat” in its name.
How charter schools are dodging Colorado laws
Parents should be aware of the astounding number of teachers in charter school classrooms today who do not hold the basic state certification to teach,” said Kerrie Dallman, a high school teacher and president of the Colorado Education Association. “Waiving schools from this statute isn’t good for kids. In fact, there’s not any research that waiving out of any of these laws improves student achievement.” Read more . . .
It’s NOT Education Reform – It’s School Sabotage
Names matter. What you call something becomes an intellectual shorthand. Positive or negative connotations become baked in. Hence the Colorado Democratic Party’s criticism of Democrats for Education Reform (DFER). After impassioned debate, delegates demanded DFER remove “Democrat” from their name.
