Denver school board member John Youngquist is alleging that the board violated state open meetings law by misstating the purpose of a recent executive session, and by excluding him from that session because it dealt with a matter he had raised about his compensation.
Commentary
As students prepared to return to the classroom in Denver, Boardhawk asked teachers to share what they were hopeful for in the new year and what they wished for their students.
In the upside down world of schools, classroom teachers rank the lowest while those closest to administrators rank the highest.
From columnist Alexis Menocal Harrigan: It’s clear this email campaign did too much and missed the mark by focusing on self-promotion and not the immediate needs of students and families. When parents like me are seeking reassurance and helpful information as the school year begins, we were instead met with a barrage of grandstanding that did little to address anything we are concerned with at present.
When students saw teachers hitting the Nae Nae, they were elated. It’s a clearcut example of how Hip Hop improved schools. When teachers did the dance, students began to see them as human as opposed to disinterested adults that know nothing about them. Teachers connected with students in a way that was authentic to them. Connecting with students in authentic ways directly contributes to student engagement.
Each student brings a unique perspective, and I find immense joy in encouraging and motivating each of them in different ways.
One of our primary goals with Montessori on Wheels is to help children and families look out their windows and see their communities as spaces for learning and innovation.
Short of outright corruption, we should always vote in favor of DPS bonds and mill levies, especially when those ballot initiatives do not increase taxes, as has been the case the last several election cycles.
Consider the message sent by spending almost $100,000 to deconstruct the egalitarian philosophy that drove Denver Public Schools management for more than a decade. The superintendent’s corner office with a bank of windows looking over downtown and the soundproofing all but scream: ”Stay away. I have no time for the likes of you. And what happens behind that door is none of your damned business.”
What we haven’t acknowledged is that the pain that police officers felt in schools impacted them in negative ways just like everyone else. Now, add power to the equation. A scorned police officer using real, possibly negative school experiences as a foundation. That’s a scary concept.
From Ednium: Financial literacy, cultural and ethnic studies courses should reshape DPS student experience
We have an opportunity in Denver to lead the way in how to equip students with these vital skills; to be the standard of financial education and cultural awareness in the state and beyond. However, for this to be possible, we need to create the systems and structures in DPS to last beyond any administrative changes, personnel movement and alumni who graduate from Denver high schools.