Fall | Issue 27 | Date: November 30, 2022 |
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Funding Great Schools. Rooted in Community. |
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A Season of Giving and Gratitude |
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Our team is proud to partner with schools, community-based organizations and programs, whose innovative work is advancing our shared vision of equity and opportunity for all Denver Public Schools students. You can find a complete list of autonomous schools and community-based organizations and programs we support on our website.
In this season of giving and gratitude, our team is sharing more about some of the partners whose work we’re thankful to support. We’d love for you to visit all our partners’ web pages, engage with them on social media, and advance the work they’re doing.
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ICYMI: RootED Denver's Annual Impact Report is Live |
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In 2021-22, RootED Denver awarded 57 grants totaling $3,765,100 to schools, community-based organizations and programs that, like us, are deeply committed to partnering with students, families, educators and communities to co-create learning environments and experiences that advance racial equity, and are culturally responsive, rigorous, and effective. More than $1.9 million—or 51% of total 2021-22 grant dollars—was given to organizations led by Black, Indigenous people and leaders of color.
Now, you can learn more about the work RootED has funded and supported in our 2021-22 annual impact report, which includes our featured partners: the Family Engagement Collaborative, Moonshot edVentures, Juntos, 5280 Freedom School, Montessori on Wheels, RiseUp Community School, and Cole Arts & Science Academy.
Discover more about the measurable and profound impact our partners in education have had on students, families, educators and communities in the Denver Metro Area.
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Cool Schools: 9News Features STRIVE Prep Noel's Gifted and Talented Program |
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STRIVE Prep Noel offers an after-school gifted and talented program for all students—and that caught the eye of 9News reporter Byron Reed, who featured the school on the station’s popular “Cool Schools” segment.
In the segment, STRIVE Prep Noel’s educators say they want to create a safe and supportive environment for students, and that the school’s goal is to create “the most equitable gifted and talented program” in Colorado.
The school’s gifted and talented program coordinator, Julie Keys, says they’re making a concerted effort to expand the gifted and talented program by reducing barriers to participation.
“One of the ways to build equity is to recognize that our students are more than just academic talents—they are artists, they are leaders, they are actors, and those talents deserve to be recognized and developed as much as any other academic talents would be developed,” Keys told the news station.
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Save the Date: Learn More About CU Denver's New Research Study, 'The System-Level Effects of Denver's Portfolio District Strategy' |
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The CU Denver Center for Education Policy Analysis at the School of Public Affairs invites you to a showcase of the results of a first-of-a-kind research study.
The study, "The System-Level Effects of Denver's Portfolio District Strategy," assesses Denver Public Schools' system-wide education reform strategy from 2008-2019. Join CU Denver to learn more and discuss the report’s findings, which provide a comprehensive, system-level answer to the question of whether Denver’s reform strategy led to improved academic outcomes for students.
The CU Denver Center for Education Policy Analysis will host a virtual event to discuss the research findings on Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 12:30 p.m. Register today and share this invitation with your network.
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Update on Denver’s Declining Enrollment and School Closures and Consolidations |
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The Denver Public Schools Board of Education voted Nov. 17 against closing or consolidating two schools. The board was originally scheduled to vote on superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero’s recommendation to close or consolidate 10 schools.
After families, students, educators and community leaders pleaded with board members and the district to keep their schools open, the superintendent twice changed his recommendation—first to close or consolidate just five schools, and then only two.
Dr. Marrero’s final recommendation—to close Denver Discovery School and Math and Science Leadership Academy, the two smallest schools from the original list—was rejected by the board in a 6-1 vote.
The board then voted to revoke a 2021 resolution that directed the superintendent to address declining enrollment, which started the discussions about closure and consolidation criteria.
The revocation of the 2021 resolution makes the district’s next steps on declining enrollment and school closures or consolidations unclear.
In a letter to the community after the board’s vote, Marrero wrote, “The budget crisis that we are facing as a district is not expected to go away. Following their vote, the board pledged to provide direction to move the district forward. I look forward to engaging with the community and with the board to develop other ways that we can address the crisis.”
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1390 Lawrence Street, Suite #200
Denver, CO 80204
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