The Denver school board's decision to reopen two comprehensive high schools that struggled in the past is popular with some people, and baffling to others.
Overall, more than traditionally-schooled children, Black homeschooled students experience physical and emotional safety, score higher on math and literacy assessments, and are able to adjust to a variety of social situations.
One Colorado charter network has kept its doors open for in-person learning all the way through the COVID-19 pandemic, and in that time, no student, faculty or staff member has transmitted the virus to another person. The secret? There is none.
In the days before mandated state testing, schools could hide their dismal service to these children behind vague, aggregated data that masked opportunity gaps from public view.
I have now had direct experience with what many educators have known for decades: No two learners are created equal. And like most parents, I have a new appreciation for the work of our teachers, para-professionals, student support counselors and administrators.Â
While I love highlighting all things Black, I know that equity doesn’t come through Black history month. Equity comes from listening to the needs/desires of community, being accountable to community, and taking action to make systemic change happen.
I challenge my fellow immigrants to develop an understanding of oppression that Black Americans face in this country. I believe it starts with education.
Should Colorado test its public school students this year to get some data on how the pandemic has affected different groups of kids? Or is the idea absurd on its face during a pandemic?
Colorado charter schools will receive more than $2 million in state grants to support innovative solutions to help state students affected by the economic, social and health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.