Force principal Lisa Mahanna, left

The district just released the CSAP scores for 3rd graders, and we have some notable schools.  These are the percentages of 3rd graders at or above proficiency.

Castro: In 2009, of 47 students, 19% were at/above.  This year, of 55 students, 27% were at/above.  Gain of 8 points.

College View: In 2009, of 39 students, 38% were at/above.  This year, of 44 students, 39% were at/above.  Gain of 1 point.

Force: In 2009, of 41 students, 37% were at/above.  This year, of 53 students, 45% were at/above.  Gain of 8 points.

Grant Ranch: In 2009, of 65 students, 54% were at/above.  This year, of 78 students, 58% were at/above.  Gain of 4 points.

A Gust kindergarten sight words pyramid

Gust: In 2009, of 44 students, 41% were at/above.  This year, of 61 students, 57% were at/above.  Gain of 16 points.  Yes, I said 16.

Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy: In their first year, of 50 students, 56% were at/above.

(The beleaguered) Munroe: In 2009, of 36 students, 28% were at/above.  This year, of 58 students, 33% were at/above.  Gain of 5 points.

Newlon: In 2009, of 55 students, 25% were at/above.  This year, of 74 students, 39% were at/above.  Gain of 14 points.

Schenck/CMS: In 2009, of 34 students, 29% were at/above.  This year, of 46 students, 35% were at/above.  Gain of 6 points.

Valverde: In 2009, of 23 students, 39% were at/above.  This year, of 19 students, 42% were at/above.  Gain of 3 points.

Now, a little gratuitous cheerleading…

• Best improved under duress: This award absolutely HAS to go to Munroe.  With a principal Dr. Abigail Brown in the driver’s seat for less than a year, these are fantastic results.


Kunsmiller's Dr. Diana Howard (in green)

• Southwest Denver’s best-kept secret: Right out of the chute, this award goes to Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy.  This is what happens when you offer a whole-child education to primarily low-income kids: more than half of them are at/above proficiency.  Under the loving and nuturing leadership of the amazing Dr. Diana Howard, this school has nowhere to go but up!  Keep in mind that Dr. Howard also prematurely took on the former, phased-out Kunsmiller Middle School kids instead of letting them be displaced to other schools.
• Runner up for Jewel of the Southwest: Cheers for Newlon, nestled in the West Barnum neighborhood, chock-full of low-income families.
• Official Jewel of the Southwest: This prize goes to gifted/talented magnet school Gust Elementary.  Led by principal Jamie Roybal, this school took a sharp uptick in student population and spiked their results.  Jamie is an extremely purposeful and caring leader, and I’m so proud of the school’s work.  Plus, her dad is a former administrator and a member of the Southwest Denver Kiwanis Club…very nice man.

Overall, the district did well.  There are a couple new trouble spots, and I will be making personal visits to these schools to see what I can do to help.  I’ll keep you posted.

One of Munroe's ELA-S kindergarten classes. Look at those smiles!

Let me tell you a little about a jewel of  the Westwood neighborhood, a great elementary school called Munroe Elementary.  It’s led by a talented principal, new to DPS, Dr. Abigail Brown.  She took the helm of Munroe in August 2009, and since then has worked very hard to shape the culture of the school.  A fluent Spanish speaker, she has upwards of 100 parents that come to meetings.

I spoke to the DCTA representative on site, who calls Dr. Brown “a godsend.”  I’m not exaggerating here.  He reports extreme overall satisfaction with the principal, with a near-100% sense of commitment and collaboration from among the staff.  He says that she has turned the school around and has gotten buy-in from every teacher on her initiative to turn Munroe from red to green…which is actually the school’s unofficial staff motto.  He even reports that she has no problem following the guidelines of the teachers’ contract.

So far, so good, right?

A third-grader's interim assessment progress chart. Good job!

Munroe is right now the only “red school” in all of Southwest Denver, or “accredited on probation.”  This is how their growth in the last few years has mapped out:

2007:

• Math, 33% at/above proficient
• Reading, 43% at/above proficient
• Writing, 32% at/above proficient

2008:

• Math, 35% at/above proficient
• Reading, 46% at/above proficient
• Writing, 33% at/above proficient

2009:

• Math, 37% at/above proficient
• Reading, 47% at/above proficient
• Writing, 36% at/above proficient

Statistically speaking, they have been stagnant, which justified the change in leadership.  Munroe has just taken the CSAP, and I’m excited to see the change.

But Munroe has recently been forced onto my immediate radar screen because of what the district has been doing behind the scenes.  Here’s what I mean:

• On February 18, 2010, the district releases a “Call for Quality Schools” RFP, saying “There is a need for significant interventions at the elementary level in Southwest Denver to increase the number of high performing seats. This may include school turnarounds, replacement of existing schools, or the introduction of new high performing elementary options.”
• On April 1, 201o, the district informs the Board that some schools, including Munroe, would be engaged in an “Expedited Diagnostic Review conducted by the Colorado Department of Education.”

Keep in mind that before the district decided to close Lake Middle School (that was the original intent that they were forced to change), they scheduled a review by the Colorado Department of Education.  So of course, this starts to seem a little strange to me, especially since as of the time that all this activity starts to happen, the school hadn’t even taken its CSAPs, nor had the new principal been there for a year.

So, being fairly keen about the facts, I decide to do a little fact finding.  “Is the district justified in taking these steps,” I wonder.  I called the principal and talked to her and set up a time for a visit.  I asked for help contacting parent leaders, and she gave me the email address of the parent liaison.  I exchange emails with the liaison, asking her for parent contact information.  She tells me that she’ll get back to me, and then I get this email from Pat Slaughter, the district’s K-8 executive director:

I left a message for you at the 303-325-5600 number. I spoke with Abigail Brown, principal at Munroe, about your concerns regarding the external review that CDE will conduct at Munroe on April 27.  Know that we view this as an opportunity for the school to gather additional information on school culture, organization, and performance from an external source to support the principal and school leadership team with their planning process and efforts for continuous school improvement at Munroe. I’m glad that you will have an opportunity to visit Munroe. Abigail and team have made good progress under her leadership this year.  We don’t plan to convene a group of parents to meet with you on Friday.  There will be a parent meeting in May to share the results of the review.  We will share the date with you so you can attend.

In other words, I take this to mean that the school staff was told to NOT help me get in touch with parents.

Why?  Why is DPS so intent on interrupting the positive progress of schools that struggle?  Why waste the talents of such a great principal leader and committed staff by upsetting the apple cart?  Why does it seem that DPS intends to close the school and replace it with a “high-performing elementary school”?

I did finally get a chance to visit the school, though, and I am enchanted with what I found.  I saw data charts proudly drawn up by 3rd graders, displaying their individual growth on their interim assessments, hanging from the walls of the school.  I saw calm classrooms and energetic teachers.  I saw a principal and assistant principal just bursting with pride as we walked from room to room.

And I saw this classroom, that Dr. Brown calls “magical.” Look at the calmness of the kids and how intently they’re working on their poems about ice cream and the accompanying pictures.  Watch how no one is being disruptive, how everyone is in their place or is passing in an orderly fashion to where they need to go, engrossed in their work.  All this to the tune of Mozart’s Horn Concerto Number 4, second movement. Yeah.  This is a classroom full of kids that are purposefully going about the work of learning…a lot.  Good job, teacher!

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Johnson teacher Kendra Smith, toting sacks of pinto beans.

I had the honor of helping out Kendra Smith and her mother, Berna Smith, on December 17 for the 2nd annual Johnson Elementary Food Drive.  Kendra is a teacher there at Johnson, and she worries not only about the fundamentals, but also the overall well-being of her students.

Kendra knows that many students go hungry over the winter break, when normally they depend on the free breakfast and free/reduced lunch that school offers.  Her motivation?  Here are her own words:

As we have all seen the state of our economy turn for the worse this year, the Johnson community, like many, has endured some of its worst times. Parents have lost jobs, students continually come to school hungry and some without supplies and winter coats and I could add to the list enough heart aches to fill this page. These parents love their children, support their education and yearn for their future successes, but struggle to provide what seems so simple, a healthy and balanced meal.

I am so thankful for Kendra and Berna and for all the other teachers that came to help that day.  They really did a beautiful thing by organizing this food drive, so please join me in thanking them by sending Kendra an email.

It’s wonderful to have everyday heroes like Kendra in the Southwest Denver family.

A partially-filled box for a family

A partially-filled box for a family

Teachers bringing in the food

Teachers bringing in the food

Berna Smith (center) giving out marching orders

Berna Smith (center) giving out marching orders

Here's where a hill of beans amounts to something!

Here's where a hill of beans amounts to something!

Portioning out bags and boxes for families

Portioning out bags and boxes for families

MSLA has kindergarten, first and second grades right now and expects to add new grades every year.  The interesting part about this program is the fact that there is no principal; rather, it’s led by two lead teachers.  I was visiting the building this past summer and got to see the enthusiasm of the teaching staff.  When I arrived, they were opening little microscopes, and you would think they were 5 year olds on Christmas morning.  It was charming.

Click here to visit their Facebook page.

Below is a video from the series on the space sharing at Rishel Middle School.  It’s fraught with some issues, but everyone is making the best of the situation.

Incidentally, it was suggested at a recent Board meeting that a Multiple Pathways center (an alternative education program) be also located at the Rishel campus.  Keeping in mind that on that block in the Athmar Park neighborhood there are already five different schools (Rishel, MSLA, Kipp High School, Kipp Middle School, Valverde Elementary), I am opposed to that location as a solution.  I am working with Senator Chris Romer and Representative Mark Ferrandino to find an alternate location and not place undue stress on the Athmar Park area.  If you have an idea for an alternate site, please contact me to send me your suggestions.

Anyway, here’s the video:

KCAA has recorded a fantastic video as their entry in the contest. It’s really a great piece of art, and you will find yourself smiling as you watch it.  The energy and happiness of these kids is highly contagious.

Watch the video, then vote!

We Gotta be Creative!

Click here to visit the KCAA website.