Commentary
Former Denver Mayor Federico Peña this week authored a provocative article in Westword advocating for merging Denver Public Schools, which he calls a “failing institution,” into Denver city government. He came on the podcast to explain his reasons, and how this might be made a reality down the road.
What struck me most in reading about Dr. Gladys West’s life was not only her brilliance, but her perseverance. A deep love of geometry sparked a career that unfolded in the face of profound racial and gender discrimination, in an era when Black women were systematically excluded from advanced mathematics and scientific fields. Her story raises an uncomfortable question closer to home. Are Denver’s public schools systematically cultivating the next generation of Gladys Wests, or are they leaving that talent unrealized?
Colorado public schools are experiencing sustained enrollment declines (Denver less than many other districts), and that’s reshaping everything — school funding, staffing, program offerings, district politics, and debates over school choice. This is more than a demographic story; it’s a governance and values story. Today we are joined by Brian Eschacher to unpack enrollment trends, how school choice fits into the picture, and what districts and policy makers should be paying attention to next.
Three Denver high school students spell out their aspirational dreams for our country, in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in a very dark time.
Dr. Katy Anthes served as Commissioner of Education in Colorado from 2016-2023, and is widely respected for her commitment to listen to diverse perspectives and her legacy of developing solutions that are founded on productive middle ground. Her perspective on how to foster meaningful dialogue and change across political and ideological differences has carried forward into her current work on a project called FORWARD: From Polarization to Progress.
In this piece, Colorado Mesa State University Trustee Alison Griffin offers a rebuttal to a recent column by Peter Huidekoper Jr. that argued that college students are being forced into career paths too quickly, at the expense of exploration and healthy uncertainty.
Boardhawk columnist Aaron Massey says the mass hooting last weekend at Brown University hit close to home. What, he asks, do teachers think about how to approach gun violence in American schools? “If you ask me, they are the ones that can make progress in solving gun violence.Teachers have a unique positionality in society in that they see children progress through the human developmental stages.”
For many education reformers, this moment marks not only the end of portfolio management in Denver but the end of any real hope for sustained academic improvement, particularly for low-income students and students of color. While I remain a strong proponent of portfolio management, that conclusion is too simplistic and ultimately too pessimistic. There is still reason for cautious optimism, even under a centralized governance model that many of the reformers of the last decade instinctively distrust. Traditional, centrally managed districts, when led well, can improve student outcomes.
We asked Boulder school board member Alex Medler on to discuss his district’s bell-to-bell cellphone restriction policy, which is gaining momentum across the country (DPS is just forming a community committee to study the issue and make recommendations). We also wanted to hear his provocative thoughts, as a long time charter school advocate and “ed reformer” on how his perspective has changed after two years as a school board member. He has strong opinions about where reformers, and the foundations that fund them, have gone astray.
From Boulder Valley School District board member Alex Medler: Last fall, the Boulder Valley School District board took that responsibility seriously and voted for a bell-to-bell phone-free policy across all grades and all school hours. Adopting this “away for the day” policy was, I believe, one of the most powerful and positive decisions our board has ever made for our children. And it is exactly the kind of decision school boards across the country should have the courage to make.
Daily Round-Up
Among today’s headlines:
Denver promised to expand and diversify its elite public arts school. It hasn’t happened yet.
Student-led ‘Day of Action’ at the Capitol pushes for stricter illegal firearm regulations
Podcast season 2 episode 5: Former Mayor Federico Peña on why ‘failing’ DPS should merge with city government
Former Denver Mayor Federico Peña this week authored a provocative article in Westword advocating for merging Denver Public Schools, which he calls a “failing institution,” into Denver city government. He came on the podcast to explain his reasons, and how this might be made a reality down the road.