Just off I-70 and Peña Boulevard is a 35-acre space with several brightly colored buildings that have solar panels on the roofs and an energy-efficient geothermal system running underground. Inside are touch-screen TVs, interactive whiteboards, collaborative huddle spaces and and even a Wii game console in a fitness room. It’s not Google, Facebook or the secret beginnings of Amazon’s HQ2.…
Category: Equity
When 5-year-old black boys are disproportionately suspended in school, it’s time to talk about racial bias
The latest Government Accountability Office analysis of school discipline policies has everyone talking about the disproportionate rates at which Black students are disciplined in school. It’s not surprising that Black students across the country continue to be disciplined more often and more harshly for behaviors similar to that of their White peers. We see it in our prisons; why would…
Dr. King’s Legacy of Equal Education Echoes in the Voices of Today’s Black Teachers
Fifty years ago today, one of the strongest advocates for equality in education and society at large was silenced. With the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, African-Americans across the country mourned the loss of a man whose voice spoke truth to power and the promise of a better tomorrow for our children and our children’s children. But…
Coffee Break: These community organizers believe #10outof10 students can have access to a high-quality school—with parents leading the way
Even before the clock struck midnight on January 1, 2018, the voices of those who have been ignored, drowned out and silenced by the powerful and elite have steadily increased their volume. From #BlackLivesMatter to #MeToo and #Enough, underrepresented groups are shaping a new narrative and demanding a space to be heard. If the founders of Transform Education Now (TEN)…
Facing the future: Sustainable, equitable schools for Denver Public Schools
In Strengthening Neighborhoods committee meetings—which were filled with dozens of different people representing different perspectives, histories and relationships with Denver Public Schools (DPS)—every person felt the weight of responsibility that the district has to serve students in this challenging, changing city. I felt it as a former math teacher in both district-run and charter high schools in DPS, and now…