 🎉Celebrating milestones and looking ahead The Supreme Court blocked Oklahoma’s first religious charter school, Denver investigates discrimination claims, and Chavez Huerta faces uncertainty. Plus, new HVAC guidelines for charters and how teacher turnover has declined. Your next iced vanilla latte could be on us! ☕ Be one of the next five survey takers to help us shape future groups and cohorts and receive a $10 Starbucks gift card; five more will be randomly selected for the same! Share your opinion and enter now. As the school year wraps up, let’s celebrate your impact! Share your graduation or continuation photos with us at [email protected] for a chance to be featured in our newsletter and on social media. 📲 Share your campus news with us by 12 PM each Thursday for inclusion in the NEWS.   Colorado adds HVAC improvement compliance rules for BOCES and charter schools
Citizen Portal | May 16
Students and staff in Colorado's public schools deserve access to clean, healthy air along with proper heating and cooling to improve their opportunities to learn. Two Colorado SKIES Academy Teachers Selected for Prestigious NASA LiftOff Summer Institute 2025
VBNG | March 26
Colorado SKIES Academy is proud to announce that two of its outstanding educators, Mary Gispan and Craig Kemper, have been selected to participate in the LiftOff Summer Institute 2025: Flight Path to Innovation, hosted by NASA's Texas Space Grant Consortium and the Center for Space Research at The University of Texas at Austin.   An agenda for raising student achievement
Fordham Institute | May 22
Earlier this month, Dana Goldstein of the New York Times wrote one of the most important education articles in years. In it, she argues that both political parties have abandoned the ed-reform agenda.
As Movement Grows, Microschools Aren’t So ‘Micro’ Anymore
The 74 | May 21
In 2021, Tiffany Blassingame, who comes from a family of educators, opened her own school in a building attached to a Baptist church in downtown Decatur, Georgia. Congress usually snubs private school choice expansion. Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ embraces it.
Chalkbeat | May 16
A big Republican budget bill in Congress would establish a nationwide, federal school choice program — a potential political breakthrough that conservative lawmakers and advocates have discussed for years but which has consistently stalled.  Podcast: Processing AI in Education Out Loud
The 74 | May 16
In this episode of their miniseries on artificial intelligence in education, Diane Tavenner and Michael Horn reflect on what they’ve learned. Do “climate” surveys measure school performance?
Fordham Institute | May 15
What matters more when we evaluate a school’s contribution to a child’s future: reading and math test scores or students’ opinions about its academic environment?    Take Our Survey & Win a $10 Starbucks Gift Card
Members, we want your input! Please take a quick survey to help us shape future groups and cohorts. To thank you, the next five survey takers will each receive a $10 Starbucks gift card, and five more will be randomly selected for the same. Don’t miss your chance to share your voice and grab some coffee on us!
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
 How Parents Think About School Enrollment
Avela, a leading provider of enrollment and school choice solutions, recently surveyed hundreds of parents across the country to understand how families search for and select schools. The findings reveal key insights that can help charter leaders improve outreach, increase enrollment, and better meet family needs. Download the full report. Evidence-Informed Strategies for Math Instruction (July Cohort)
CDE’s free, self-paced math course is now accepting interest forms for its third cohort. Designed for K–12 educators, it offers 14 modules, school-wide facilitation guides, and optional graduate credit—complete the form for priority registration.
GET INVOLVED
Nominate Outstanding Educators
Help build the Colorado Educator Talent Pool! CDE is seeking exceptional teachers and school leaders for statewide advisory boards, task forces, and recognition programs. Nominations are due by Tuesday, June 17. Shape the Future of Math Education in Colorado
The Colorado Department of Education wants to hear from you! Join a virtual Community Conversation this May or June to share your thoughts on the future of math education in Colorado. Sessions are available for educators, families, students, and leaders—or share your input through a short survey. Learn more.  Find a Learning Cohort
Advance your professional growth through our ten specialized Learning Communities. Whether you’re a board chair, marketing professional, or another charter school leader, these cohorts offer a chance to collaborate, learn, and build a stronger charter school community together.
RESOURCES & GRANTS
 New Tools for Multilingual Learners
CDE released a new resource to support linguistically responsive, data-based instruction for multilingual learners. The webpage walks teams through Like-Peer Comparisons to support RTI, reading interventions, and more. Free Amplify CKLA Materials Available for Donation
AXIS is updating its K–5 Amplify CKLA curriculum and has unused workbooks and readers available for donation. Schools interested in picking up materials this summer are encouraged to reach out to learn more.  Free Girls’ Leadership Curriculum
Lean In Girls is a free, evidence-based leadership curriculum for girls ages 11–15, designed to build confidence, reframe failure, and inspire bold leadership. With 15 one-hour sessions, it’s easy to implement in after-school programs, advisory, or enrichment periods. Learn more or join an info session to see how schools nationwide are empowering girls to lead with confidence! Free K-12 Math Resources
The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) has released free K-12 math resources to improve student proficiency. Developed with educators and institutions, these toolkits offer research-based materials, assessments, and activities to address declining math scores.
CDE UPDATES
Leadership Transition in Schools of Choice Unit
After eight years, Bill is leaving his role as Executive Director of the Schools of Choice Unit to lead The STEAD School, a project-based charter high school. He highlights the growth and resilience of Colorado’s charter, online, and innovation schools, now serving over one in four public students. The unit remains in strong hands for the next chapter.  Preliminary Title I-A Allocations Update
The Colorado Department of Education announced a slight decline in the state’s preliminary Fiscal Year 2025 Title I-A allocation, due to approximately 3,400 fewer eligible students based on census data. Preliminary LEA allocations will be available by mid-June. All prior communications are available on the CDE website. Celebrating Excellence in Colorado Schools
CDE awarded 695 honors to 71 districts and 346 schools for exceptional performance in the 2023 and 2024 school years. Recognized schools include Denver School of the Arts, Liberty Common High School, The Classical Academy, and Peak to Peak Charter School — each demonstrating outstanding academic growth and achievement. Senate Votes to Overturn FCC Hotspot Rule
On May 8, the Senate passed a measure to overturn the FCC rule allowing E-Rate funds for off-campus Wi-Fi hotspots for students. The House has not yet acted. If enacted, the rule change would block current and future use of E-Rate funds for hotspots.  Updates and the Latest News Our latest updates on the New Grant have been posted here. And our latest newsletter is here. Please read both of these to get up-to-date information from the Great Schools Team. Required Policies + Procedures – June 10  Our next session on Tuesday, June 10 from 5–6 p.m. will address the topic of Required Policies and Procedures. We’ll cover the essential documents you’ll need to have in place — from board governance and conflict of interest policies to enrollment procedures, academic performance expectations, and more. Attendees will have time to ask questions, edit draft documents, and engage in peer learning.
Not receiving Great Schools Colorado newsletters? Join our mailing list to stay connected. The Great Schools newsletter archive is here.
| 22nd May 2025 |
| Cuningham Group Architecture |
| Meet Cuningham—an employee-owned architecture firm blending creativity, sustainability, and community in every project. |
|
| Healthy Kids Colorado Survey Returns Fall 2025 |
| All Colorado public secondary schools are encouraged to participate in the fall 2025 HKCS—our state’s most comprehensive survey on youth health and wellbeing. Learn more through the new outreach video and sign up by emailing [email protected]. |
|
| $10K Scholarships Available in Dairy Snack Innovation Competition |
| High schoolers can win up to $10,000 by creating a unique dairy-based snack in the Dairy MAX Innovation Competition. Encourage students to enter through FFA, 4H, or culinary teams. |
|
| Free Landscape of Wellbeing& Belonging Virtual Conference (Sept. 17) |
| On September 17, 2025, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., educators, leaders, and advocates are invited to a free, one-day virtual conference focused on building systems that support student and staff wellbeing, belonging, and connection. |
|
  SIGN UP FOR OUR CHARTER SENSE NEWSLETTER ON LINKEDIN
| The League provides a variety of quality professional development opportunities for member schools. |
Vendors and partners are ready to support our membership. Check out options across all categories. |
The League's ACT Network mobilizes charter school communities to strengthen and support schools statewide. |
Thank you to our Premium Sponsors |
 |
|
