Category Archives: Engagement

Housing and Public Schools

Posted on June 10, 2013 by axooms

Imagine, for a moment, that the public school district of the city in which you live decided to start a program to charge families who wanted to send their kids to a specific school.  The price was pretty expensive — … Continue reading →

Posted in Engagement, Fiscal & Economic, Poverty | Tagged | 5 Comments

Does School Choice Increase Segregation?

Posted on May 15, 2013 by axooms

One of the arguments opponents of school choice — and particularly those who are anti charter schools — now make most frequently is that increased options and the ability for families to select schools rather than be assigned to them … Continue reading →

Posted in Charter Schools, Engagement, Poverty | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Teacher Surveys and Public Opinion

Posted on May 2, 2013 by axooms

The debate over SB 191 — better known as the bill that revamped teacher evaluations — was a watershed moment in Colorado, and one of the most bitterly debated education issues of the decade.  Proponents of the bill took out … Continue reading →

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Creating Teacher-Led Innovation

Posted on February 25, 2013 by axooms

On the surface, Colorado has all the right ingredients for K-12 innovation: a fertile ecosystem of talented educators, an engaged philanthropic community, supportive legislation and policy, and the open and collaborative culture of the West. However these promising ingredients have … Continue reading →

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Scorpions and Frogs: A Parable about the DPS Board

Posted on February 15, 2013 by axooms

You know the story. It goes like this: A scorpion and a frog meet on the bank of a wide river, and the scorpion asked the frog to carry him across on his back. “How do I know you won’t sting … Continue reading →

Posted in District Performance, Engagement | Tagged | 3 Comments

The Tragic Legacy of Rachel B. Noel

Posted on February 8, 2013 by axooms

This week marks the 40th anniversary of the landmark Keyes case, which was instrumental in desegregating the Denver school system. Colorado Public Radio’s enterprising Jenny Brundin has a brief but mesmerizing story that summarizes the case. Keyes was remarkable as it marked … Continue reading →

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DPS’s gifted and talented: separated or segregated?

Posted on February 4, 2013 by axooms

There was a terrific article a few weeks back in the New York Times about the demographic imbalance in the gifted and talented (G&T) programs within the public school system in New York City. The school system serves primarily students … Continue reading →

Posted in Engagement, Fiscal & Economic, Poverty | Tagged , , | 1 Comment