As a naturally quiet person, it was easy for me to be overlooked in the classroom when I was younger. Although I was born in the United States, I spent my childhood in a Tibetan exile community in India and only knew a few words of English when I moved to Denver as a fourth grader. Throughout elementary and middle…
Category: School Choice
20 Years After Columbine, I Still Have to Worry About My Students’ Safety
Before I left school on Tuesday, I looked at my classroom. Not to check and make sure the floor was clean, or to look for coats left behind, water bottles on the floor, or rows askew. Rather it was to glance at the line of sight from my door. I spent my last minutes in my room debating whether I…

There’s a Lot to Like About Stacey Abrams But Her Opposition to School Choice Isn’t One of Them
Stacey Abrams became something of a household name in the weeks leading up to the 2018 midterms and tonight she will give the Democrat response to the President’s State of the Union Address. Abrams shot to political stardom when she came close to becoming Georgia’s first Black woman governor. And there would have been much to cheer about that glass…

Charter Schools Play a Critical Role in Setting Up Kids Like Mine For Success
This week marks the start of National School Choice Week. As the parent of public charter school students in Denver, I’ve witnessed firsthand just how transformational the experience has been for my children. From the moment my son walked through the doors of DSST: College View High School, he has felt accepted as a part of the community and the…

Families in my neighborhood are getting a new school option thanks to a charter network crossing the Denver divide
It’s been less than six months since I moved into Stapleton’s Bluff Lake neighborhood. My neighbors are warm and welcoming. The Bluff Lake Nature Center is the perfect city oasis for a runner like me, and the Stanley Marketplace is quickly becoming one of those places “where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.” Oh, and there’s…