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Podcast season 2 episode 3: School enrollment expert Brian Eschbacher on the root causes of enrollment declines (school choice is not the culprit)

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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. 

Podcast season 2 episode 3: School enrollment expert Brian Eschbacher on the root causes of enrollment declines (school choice is not the culprit) Read More »

Podcast season 2, episode 2: former Colorado Education Commissioner Katy Anthes on leading effectively in polarized times

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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.

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An illustration of college students holding hands and standing around a pile of flowers in front of the Brown University gates, which read, "In Memoriam - Brown Strong."

We should ask teachers how to solve gun violence in America

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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.”

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An illustration of a scale with a stack of books on both sides, one labeled "portfolio management" and the other labeled "top-down management."

Despite a return to top-down management, all is not lost for Denver Public Schools students

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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.

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Podcast episode 35: Boulder school board member Alex Medler on limiting cell phones in schools, and where reformers, philanthropy got things wrong on improving schools

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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.

Podcast episode 35: Boulder school board member Alex Medler on limiting cell phones in schools, and where reformers, philanthropy got things wrong on improving schools Read More »

High school students sitting around a desk. Their teacher is standing over them. Everyone is smiling, and the students appear to be engaged and interested.

Boulder made its schools cellphone free. Other districts should do the same

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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.

Boulder made its schools cellphone free. Other districts should do the same Read More »

An illustration of school board candidates giving speeches to a crowd of adults, while two girls labeled "student voters" look on angrily.

SHIFT Chronicles: What school board election turnout tells students about young voter engagement

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Editor’s note: The SHIFT Chronicles is a monthly feature dedicated to amplifying student voices, where those most impacted by the public education system share their thoughts, reflections, and experiences. In collaboration with FaithBridge SHIFT fellows, these commentaries offer a genuine glimpse into the challenges students are facing within our city’s schools. These students represent a diverse range

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DPS Board President Xóchitl Gaytán's headshot.

Hopes and worries as the new DPS board takes office

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As we enter a new moment in Denver Public Schools governance, I intend to remain hopeful that the bumpy days of the past several years could be behind us. I will observe the new board carefully (the name Boardhawk remains relevant), and with respect and goodwill.

Yet I’d be foolishly naïve if I were pretend that the ghosts of the recent past don’t threaten to haunt the board and its three new members. There has been a lot of acrimony, pettiness, and ideologically rooted foolishness that has hampered the board and district’s progress in recent years.

Here, then are a few hopes and worries I carry in my mind as the new DPS board settles in.

Hopes and worries as the new DPS board takes office Read More »