News

Pryor hearing testimony raises questions on limits of free speech

The court case turns on what constitutes First Amendment speech protection versus what degree of threats, harassment and bullying justify the kind of restrictions that have been imposed by Denver Public Schools on Brandon Pryor.

DPS eases ban on Brandon Pryor, but restrictions remain

Denver Public Schools has informed Brandon Pryor that the ban the district imposed on him in October has been modified allowing him to speak at school board meetings and attend certain public activities at schools.

Brandon Pryor has his (first) day in court vs. DPS

Pryor was on the witness stand all day before U.S. District Court Judge John Kane as part of his lawsuit against the district, which banned him in October from board meetings and schools where his children do not attend because of what the district described as his “repeated abusive, bulling, threatening and intimidating conduct” directed at DPS administrators, including Superintendent Alex Marrero.

DPS faces board revolt over school closures

It became clear at Monday night’s community meeting about proposed Denver school closures that a revolt is brewing on the school board that is likely to send Superintendent Alex Marrero and his team back to square one as they try to “right-size” the district.

A deep-dive opportunity for people thinking of running for DPS board

Denver Families for Public Schools, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that focuses on increasing civic engagement and voter participation to help families better engage their public school system, recently launched a training program for prospective school board candidates. There's still time to sign up for the next session, which begins Nov. 11

EDUCATE Denver calls for more transparent school closure process

EDUCATE Denver, a new coalition of civic and business leaders created to push for better academic outcomes and the closing of opportunity gaps in Denver Public Schools, issued a statement Friday detailing how it believes DPS should go about deciding which schools should close as enrollment declines.

From The Colorado Sun: Background check of DPS special ed director missed prior allegations of inappropriate behavior

Denver Public Schools’ recently promoted special education director was hired by district officials who did not know he had been accused of making sexually inappropriate comments to high school girls when he was principal of a California school, where he had used a different first name. 

Coalition of civic, business leaders pledges to help DPS improve

"This is not a group of yes- men and yes-women. We might have our disagreements, but we are all aligned in the belief that business and civic leaders need to get involved at a higher level, and we need to elevate education to a primary focus and make sure folks are getting engaged in any way that they can."

Students state their case against DPS in “Know Justice, Know Peace” court fight

Students and community supporters Wednesday widened their fight to retain rights to “Know Justice, Know Peace” from their federal court lawsuit against Denver Public Schools to winning in the court of public opinion.

DPS threatens to sue former principal, students over “Know Justice Know Peace” trademark

Denver Public Schools has threatened to sue the former principal of a Northeast Denver school along with several students to stop them from promoting the acclaimed “Know Justice, Know Peace” branded racial justice campaign that the students themselves created.

Denver Public Schools loses another charter school appeal

The Colorado State Board of Education Wednesday rejected the Denver Public Schools board’s June denial of a charter school application centered on the needs of Black students and sent the application back to the district for reconsideration.

STRIVE, Rocky Mountain Prep leaders discuss pending merger

The impending merger of Rocky Mountain Prep and STRIVE, two of Metro Denver’s most successful charter school networks, is the most consequential change in the city’s charter sector in many years, if not ever. Read what the two people leading the transition have to say about the opportunities and challenges it presents.

Contentious meeting, survey results highlight ongoing DPS board divisions

Much of the current animosity appears to stem from board President Xóchitl “Sochi” Gaytán’s June media interviews, during which she accused Anderson and board member Scott Esserman of a mix of sexism, misogyny and racism for disrespecting and undermining her role as president.

How one charter school is working to counter Covid learning loss

Academy 360, a Denver charter school, has banded together with eight other charters using a state grant to use summer school to help stem Covid learning loss.

UPDATED: DPS board to vote June 16 on restoring some innovation school freedoms

The Denver school board will hold a special meeting June 16 to vote on restoring some freedoms that were stripped from 52 innovation schools by a hastily passed policy change earlier this spring.

Quickhits

Commentary

Recent Comments