Not long ago, I found a statistic that blew my mind: 104 of 178 school districts in Colorado operate on a four-day school week. My brain started to race in an effort to address two key questions: What could we do with that extra day? And how could we help districts and administrators do more for kids? I came up…
Category: Students
It shouldn’t be over ‘til the students really have a say
For months, I’ve been meeting with other student leaders about the search for a new superintendent of Denver Public Schools (DPS). We testified in front of the Board of Education multiple times, asking for two basic things: first, that the Board announce multiple finalists for a superintendent and second, that students be allowed to interview them before a selection is…
I always worry about the health and safety of my kids in school, but today I left my worry at the ballot box
As the mother of two beautiful children who attend Aurora Public Schools, every day I think about the opportunities that may find my children as they head out for school. Like many mothers, I also think about challenges they’ll face and the ways in which I wish I could be there to keep them happy and healthy. While there’s no…
How My Class Would Benefit From Amendment 73
As a teacher, one of my most difficult tasks is to differentiate for the varying abilities of students in my classes. This year, one of my non-English-speaking students is Asian and deaf. Kanda just moved to the U.S. from Thailand, where she was taught the Asian Sign Language. This is different from the American Sign Language; just ask my interpreter,…
I wanted to stop suffering, just like Jamel Myles
The first time I contemplated and attempted suicide, I was a high school freshman. An email circulated around my friend group that said I was gay, and was posted up by the lockers. The school administration worked with the IT department to track down the source of the email. To use the computers, you had to sign in to the…