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The problem with transparency at DPS
Posted in Board of Education on Jan. 06, 2010
Instead of capitalizing on the good press of a grant proposal to fund a more robust teacher evaluation system, DPS insists on closing the briefing to the public.
About the $344,000 in executive bonuses
Posted in Board of Education on Jan. 05, 2010
I want to state my opinion about the recent Denver Post article, DPS execs got $344K in bonuses.
Maybe it’s just me, but I’m having a lot of trouble justifying these bonuses in a district with a 48% graduation rate, with the impending likelihood that more than $30 million in cuts will need to be made [...]
The REAL graduation rate and what Lincoln is doing about it
Posted in High Schools on Jan. 01, 2010
Last week, Superintendent Tom Boasberg reported to the Board about the new graduation rate, and according to the press release, it’s at 52%. But that’s not what the Colorado Department of Education says. They list DPS’ graduation rate at around 48% (click here to read the data).
I asked the Superintendent how he could account for [...]
Johnson Elementary Teachers Feed 50+ Families
Posted in Elementary Schools on Dec. 23, 2009
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 [...]
Community Engagement, Part II
Posted in Community on Dec. 18, 2009
Interestingly enough, I found a great source for information on effective community engagement and case studies: the Centers for Disease Control. It has a great primer on the basics of Community Engagement that I’m posting here, as well as with my interjections in italics.
Principles of Community Engagement
Before Starting a Community Engagement Effort . . .
Be [...]
A glimpse into the Rishel shared campus
Posted in Elementary Schools, High Schools, Middle Schools on Dec. 13, 2009
Did you know that the Rishel Middle School building is actually home to three different schools? First is the 7th and 8th grade of the old Rishel program that is being phased out one year at a time. Second is the KIPP charter high school. Finally is the Math and Science Leadership Academy (MSLA), which [...]
Last night’s ALHS Winter Concert was great!
Posted in High Schools on Dec. 11, 2009
A big congratulations goes to the music ensembles at Abraham Lincoln High School. I attended their winter concert last night, and I’m happy to see such a vibrant music program. The performing ensembles were the Beginning Choir, Orchestra, Concert Choir and Concert Band, led by Melissa Grundy. The Mariachi ensemble also performed, and is led [...]
Authentic Community Engagement
Posted in Community on Dec. 07, 2009
What is “authentic community engagement”? I will be making an ongoing study of this concept, and I’ll share things with you.
Here’s a short video excerpt of a speech by Richard Harwood, founder and president of The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation. Tell me what you think of the issues this video raises.
CASB: Day 2
Posted in Board of Education on Dec. 05, 2009
Today I sat in on a very informative session led by Dr. Phil Boyle, entitled “Governing from Good to Great!” It was a discussion about crafting policy solutions in a truly collaborative board atmosphere, and I think I have some great ideas to take back to the group. I’m very glad that I already entered [...]
Legalities of November 30
Posted in Board of Education on Dec. 05, 2009
I’d like to post a few comments about the legalities of last Monday evening.
State law requires the school board to be sworn in no later than 10 days after election certification. My election was certified on November 19 at 3 p.m. (2:58 p.m., to be precise), and the countdown started on November 20 at 3 [...]