Welcome to the NEWS for May 24, 2024

As charter school campuses across Colorado welcome summer break, the state is launching a program to address teacher shortages, and DPS is considering its school closure and consolidation policy. Absenteeism and solutions are also in the news.

What’s happening in your community? Share your campus news with us by 12 PM each Thursday.

Top News

21st May 2024 The Denver school board is once again debating a school closure policy Chalkbeat Denver Public Schools has already closed and consolidated some schools due to declining enrollment, but the board anticipates more such decisions. Read more.

17th May 2024 Colorado is launching a teacher apprenticeship program in race to solve chronic staff shortages The Colorado Sun They barely ever stop wiggling or giggling, and yet Deejha Blash-Lopez still manages to teach her kindergarten class how to sound out words and syllables — the same skills she learned decades ago in a classroom just down the hallway. Read more.

18th May 2024 These teens were missing too much school. Here's what it took to get them back NPR Sophomore Neomi sits quietly in an office at her high school in a Colorado mountain town west of Denver. It's a cold December morning, and she's wearing gold and black Nikes and a gray hoodie, pulled up. Read more.

17th May 2024 70 years after Brown v. Board of Education, segregation has increased within the last three decades in Colorado schools CPR News 70 years after Brown v. Board of Education, segregation has increased within the last three decades in Colorado schools. Read more.

23rd May 2024 Blaming charters for segregation is dumb Thomas Fordham Every year, someone sounds the alarm about the “resegregation of American public schools.” It’s a problem with deep roots and is said to have nasty downstream consequences for students in communities with less social capital. That’s like blaming a storm shelter for the hurricane. Read more.

Local Headlines

Crestone Charter grads embody dedication and kindness
Alamosa News   |   May 21
Before an audience of about 70 friends and family on May 17, Crestone Charter School graduates Kaley VanWalleghan, and Ziah Knight Pesqueira received their high school diplomas. The ceremony began with remarks by school director Thomas Cleary, who spoke about "Haters Gonna Hate." Read more.

Thompson School District receives $2 million for career and technical education
Loveland Reporter-Herald   |   May 21
Larimer County approved a joint grant to the Poudre School District and the Thompson School District worth $2 million each that will fund further career and technical education in both districts. Read more.

KinderCare Learning Companies Expands Before and After School Programs with National Heritage Academies
PR Newswire   |  May 21
KinderCare Learning Companies today announced that Champions, KinderCare's before-and-after school program, will be available for registered National Heritage Academies charter school families across 16 select schools in Colorado, Michigan, and Ohio in the 2024-2025 school year. Read more.

New DPS board members must push for a real, external evaluation of Marrero
Boardhawk   |   May 21
A conversation at last week’s Denver school board meeting about how district leaders receive feedback on their job performance was frustrating in the extreme to watch. I imagine it was also frustrating to the three newest board members. Read more.

Jeffco Public Schools, teachers union strike deal for 5% cost-of-living raises
The Denver Post   |   May 20
Jeffco Public Schools and the district’s teachers union have reached a tentative deal for a new four-year contract that, if ratified, will give educators a 5% cost-of-living raise, the Jefferson County Education Association announced Monday. Read more.

Colorado will ease path to college by paying back 2 years of tuition for lower-income students
The Denver Post   |   May 20
Colorado students whose families make $90,000 a year or less would be eligible to be reimbursed for two years of in-state tuition at public four-year universities, community colleges and technical schools under a bill awaiting Gov. Jared Polis’ signature. Read more (paywall).

Denver mayor, schools superintendent announce youth summer programs meant to help curb gun violence
Chalkbeat   |   May 20
The city of Denver is aiming to connect 1,000 more teenagers with jobs this summer, help families find summer camps, and fund pop-up events like BBQs and basketball tournaments in some neighborhoods, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston announced Monday. Read more.

Practicality, intentionality, and trying new things > complaining
Boardhawk   |   May 16
I’m going to suggest three ideas to improve outcomes for schools, the problem we are solving for, associated myths, associated facts, the theory of change, the change idea, and the level of spice I think it might contain. Read more.

National Views

$9.2 Million! Did New Orleans HS Grad Just Make History With College Scholarships?
The 74   |   May 23
May has been quite the month for 17-year-old Amari Shepherd. A published author and precocious civic leader, she gave the valedictory speech at graduation ceremonies at her KIPP New Orleans high school, Frederick A. Douglass, on May 17. A few days before that, she picked up an associate degree from Bard Early College. And she has racked up a potentially record-setting $9.2 million in scholarship offers, as well as acceptances from 162 colleges. As Shepherd prepares to enroll at Spelman College in Atlanta, Beth Hawkins offers five things to know about this distinguished scholar. Read more.

Should Elementary Schools Teach Reading Comprehension?
Thomas Fordham Institute   |   May 22
For decades, conventional wisdom held that reading comprehension depends on the acquisition of isolatable, teachable, and generalizable skills, such as “finding the main idea.” A new brief published by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute today revisits this orthodoxy. In it, author Daniel Buck contends that once students have learned to decode, reading with understanding depends more on broad knowledge of the world than discrete skills. Read more

Final Showdown Over ESAs in Texas as Abbott Looks to Oust Opponents
Chalkbeat   |   May 22
It’s not often that statehouse elections in rural Texas steer the national conversation about school choice. But that might change next week, when four Republican lawmakers face primary challenges over their opposition to education savings accounts. Gov. Greg Abbott has campaigned energetically to defeat the incumbents, while national groups like the Club for Growth have spent liberally in an effort to prolong the winning streak enjoyed by school choice advocates the last few years. Kevin Mahnken reports. Read more.

The Math of School Closures: How District Leaders Should Navigate the Perfect Storm of Budget Shortfalls & Declining Student Enrollment
The 74   |   May 21
It makes intuitive sense: Smaller districts with fewer kids need fewer schools. A district with 40,000 students operates many more school buildings than a district with 20,000, which in turn runs more than a district with 10,000. Read more.

70 years after Brown, too many U.S. schools remain hypersegregated and unequal
Chalkbeat   |   May 17
I was 21 when I started teaching at Hope-Hill Elementary School in Atlanta. I had big dreams and bold ideas — some held, others fettered as the toll of teaching in majority Black schools suffering from resource deprivation took hold. Read more.

Interactive: In Many Schools, Declines in Student Enrollment Are Here to Stay 
The 74   |   April 29
Aldeman: Districts with the steepest drops can't escape the financial pressures that come with serving fewer kids. See what's happening in your state. Read more.

Community Announcements

LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

Local Title I School Receives Grants to Help Increase the Safety & Security of the School Campus & Improve the BuildingPinnacle recently applied for and received a Safety and Security grant for approximately $200,000 that will be applied directly to helping ensure that students are as safe as possible, and able to be fully engaged in learning.  Pinnacle Charter School has also been shortlisted for the BEST grant. The State Board of Education will provide final approval and the award letter in June 2024 for this funding, which will allow the Pinnacle to complete several facilities projects over the next three years to ensure students are learning in the best and safest environment.  Read more.

Introduction to ASL Course for Professionals Working with the Deaf
This course is designed specifically for professionals working with the Deaf. Through engaging lectures, interactive activities, and practical exercises, participants will develop essential communication skills in ASL. Gain confidence in effectively communicating with Deaf clients, students, or patients in various settings, including educational, healthcare, and social services environments. This is a synchronous remote class to be held via Zoom on Tuesdays, June 4th through August 6th from 9am to 11am. We will be issuing 2 CEUs for this course. More information can be found here.

Charter School Changemakers Raise Their Voices on Capitol Hill
Last week, seven passionate charter school leaders convened on Capitol Hill to participate in a panel discussion focused on advocating for public education. Hosted by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, the panel brought together the 2024 Charter School Changemakers, individuals who are making an exceptional difference in their schools and communities, and who go above and beyond to shape students’ lives for the better. These seven individuals are unique in their communities, but together, represent a unified force for creating more high-quality public education options for families. Read more.

Scholarships and Success Coaching for Graduating High School Seniors 
Recent high school graduates across the Centennial State will be eligible to receive education and career coaching this month thanks to Opportunity Next Colorado, a new $25 million statewide scholarship and advising program administered by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT). Through a new collaboration with coaching nonprofit InsideTrack, participating learners across the state will receive coaching and advising support to help them navigate the complex, often daunting process of planning for a career and life after high school. Learn more.

Calling all History & Social Studies Teachers: Join the SSEWA 2024 Summer Institute
Center for Asian Studies of CU Boulder is offering a program to promote its South, Southeast, and West Asia (SSEWA) Outreach Program, which aims to help Colorado teachers enhance their curriculum and instruction about the SSEWA regions. With the Paris Olympics fast approaching, this would be a great opportunity to explore and learn more about colonialism and imperialism through the lens of sports and help educators prepare curriculum plans for the coming academic year. We’ll have speakers on cricket, basketball, physical education policies in former colonies, and indigenous sports and physical activities from South and Southeast Asia. Participants will be provided a $500 stipend for attending and submitting a project after the summer institute. Interested faculty members may sign up here.

Practices Improve Learning Experiences & More for Students with Disabilities
The Networked Improvement Community for Students with Disabilities, a group of 10 public charter school networks, worked to reimagine how they serve students furthest from opportunity. Using the tools of improvement science, educators and content experts developed and refined more than 20 evidence-based practices to improve learning experiences, environments, and outcomes for Black and Latinx students with disabilities experiencing poverty. The practices address common challenges schools face in five areas and offer step-by-step instructions, templates, and case studies. Learn more.

Math Instruction Professional Development  |  June 2024
Elementary, middle school and high school teachers are invited to register for free online professional development in math instruction. The virtual asynchronous sessions will begin in June and will provide participants with practical tools and techniques to engage students, foster deeper understanding and cultivate an engaging learning environment around math. Register here.

Get Your School in its A-GAME
Over the past five years, a bold group of charter school authorizers from across the country have been reflecting on better ways to measure school quality. We have embraced the slogan: Measure What Matters, When It Matters.  We now know we can only go so far without YOU at the table. Join these upcoming conversations as we get on our A-GAME together.

ADVOCACY & ACTION

Governor Signs House Bill 1394 into law
On April 18, Governor Polis signed House Bill 1394 into law. This is the bill that once and for all fully equalizes mill levy funding for CSI and the more than 20,000 students that attend CSI schools. It was a historic day for the Colorado charter school sector. Ever since 2017 when we successfully advocated for the equitable inclusion of district-authorized charters in local mill levy override revenue, we've been fighting alongside CSI to ensure the playing field was level for CSI schools as well. Learn more.

Grace Period Regarding Noncompliance of Digital Accessibility
UPDATE: On April 15, the Colorado legislature introduced HB24-1454: Grace Period Noncompliance Digital Accessibility. The bill was passed and will provide a one-year extension to July 1, 2025, of immunity from liability for failure to comply with the digital accessibility standards for an agency that demonstrates good faith efforts toward compliance or toward resolution of any complaint of noncompliance. Learn more.

House Education Committee Made Right Call Defeating HB24-1363
The League is grateful to Colorado House of Representatives Education Committee members for voting to kill Colorado House Bill 24-1363, which took unnecessary aim at students benefiting from Colorado’s effective and impactful public charter school system. The Colorado League of Charter Schools believes that all children in our state, regardless of zip code or background, deserve access to high-quality public school options. We express our gratitude to the Representatives who voted against this bill and prevented it from moving forward to the detriment of students statewide. Read the League's full statement here.

THIS & THAT

Charging Station Surplus from Thompson Schools
I'm Andy Larkins with Thompson School District in Loveland. I have about 120 chromebook/laptop charging stations that I do not need. I hate to send them to a recycler if someone can use them. They're about 3-4 years old, and most have not been used very heavily. They are free for the taking if anyone is interested, but I need them out of my warehouse by mid-June. Interested parties can contact me directly: 970-613-5163 or [email protected].

Type A Electric Bus for Sale or Lease
Peak to Peak Charter School in Lafayette has a Type A (small) bus it wants to re-lease or sell through its partnership with Highland Electric Fleets. This is a 2023 Chevrolet 4500 Chassis Collins Bus with a capacity for 18. It is nearly new with only 948 miles on it. Because of its seating capacity, a driver with a Commercial Driver's License is required. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Jennifer Douglas at Peak to Peak Charter School at 303-453-4611 or [email protected]. 

Government Instrumentality for ERTC in Colorado Charter Schools
In response to ongoing inquiries, the League sought an additional legal opinion on Colorado charter schools' eligibility for the federal Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) program. Conducted by Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP, this opinion differs from previous ones. While schools are encouraged to consult their attorneys before acting, it's essential to note that the ERTC program is currently on hold at the federal level, pending legislation such as the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024. If passed, claims made after January 31, 2024, would not be allowed. This update aims to provide transparency and guidance to our members amid evolving legal and legislative landscapes. Check out the full legal response here.

CDE UPDATES

Informational CMAS Science & AEC Performance Framework Results Now Live
The 2023 informational performance framework reports containing 2023 CMAS Science for all districts and attendance/truancy results for Alternative Education Campuses have been provided to district accountability contacts via Syncplicity. For questions related to Syncplicity, training, or support, email [email protected].

Nominate an Exceptional Teacher for the 2025 Colorado Teacher of the Year
Do you know an exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable, and skilled K 12 teacher? Nominate him or her to apply for the 2025 Colorado Teacher of the Year award by Wednesday, May 28. The selected teacher will represent the entire profession in the state and automatically become Colorado’s nominee for the National Teacher of the Year Program. 

Upcoming Events

29 May 2024 Title IX: Board 2024 Regulation Update Join us online or in-person for this free Title IX Regulation update for Boards. Title IX, Hybrid

2 July 2024 Colorado Happy Hour at National Conference Join us at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools' Conference in Boston for an exclusive Colorado Happy Hour on July 2nd. Boston Exhibition & Convention Center

11 October 2024 Leadership Summit 2024 Join us at the Colorado League of Charter Schools Leadership Summit on October 11, 2024, where we'll celebrate the theme of Catalysts: Supporting & Celebrating Agents of Change. Your sponsorship empowers leaders from 261 schools, impacting over 135,000 students, as we gather to spark conversations, forge connections, and cultivate skills. This annual summit brings together visionary leaders and decision-makers from across Colorado, serving as catalysts for innovation and progress in public education. With attendees representing over 15% of all public school students and significant financial influence, this event is pivotal in shaping the educational landscape of our state. Be a catalyst for change and join us in shaping the future of education in Colorado! Leadership Summit

Health & Wellness

Careers 

Chief Financial Officer Contract type: Full-Time Salary: $115,000 - $137,000 Closing date: May 31, 2024 12:00 AM Atlas Preparatory School, Colorado Springs, CO

K-8 Principal Contract type: Full-Time Salary: 89,900-103,000 Closing date: May 31, 2024 12:00 AM Compass for Lifelong Discovery, Carbondale, CO

1:1 Paraprofessional at KIPP Denver Collegiate High School (24/25) Contract type: Full-Time Salary: $40,130 Closing date: Sep 01, 2024 12:00 AM KIPP Colorado Public Schools, Denver, CO

Recent League Newsletters

• NEWS (May 17, 2024)

• MOVE (May 10, 2024)

• LEGISLATIVE UPDATE (May 8, 2024)

• CONNECT COHORT (May 23, 2024)

• ACT (April 22, 2024)

Upcoming Trainings The League provides a variety of quality professional development opportunities for member schools.	Our Marketplace Vendors and partners are ready to support our membership. Check out options across all categories.	ACT for Charter Schools The League's ACT Network mobilizes charter school communities to strengthen and support schools statewide.
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