School discipline, once considered too lax, has now swung too far in the opposite direction, say several state lawmakers and child advocates. As such, Colorado is one of a growing number of places rethinking harsh, “zero-tolerance” policies that lead to students being jailed for writing on bathroom stalls with marker…
As explained in the Westword story “Tough Subject,” the recent resignation of brand-new West High School principal Santiago Grado was sudden. To help parents make sense of the change, West High held a meeting on September 29 at 4 p.m. However, only one person showed up. Now, a West grandmother…
Santiago Grado resigned last month as principal of Denver’s West High School after only a month and a half on the job. School officials say he chose to do so after issues with his academic leadership were raised. But Grado tells Westword that it was a difference in leadership philosophies,…
Tomorrow at 11 a.m., supporters of Proposition 103, which would hike taxes to better fund schools, will rally at the State Capitol on behalf of the measure. And while most political observers doubt 103’s will win the day, one advocate thinks such so-called experts are selling voters short…
Was Dakota Ridge High School student Bryce Benson punished for wearing a T-shirt that read “Border Patrol” while others who staged a mock-demonstration featuring signs that read “Fuck America” weren’t — or at least not initially? Ex-Congressman and recent gubernatorial candidate Tom Tancredo’s not sure of all the particulars, but…
Recently, West High School’s brand-new principal, Santiago Grado, abruptly resigned. The reason, according to Denver Public Schools officials? He wasn’t a strong academic leader. But the man who replaced him, assistant principal Domonic Martinez, has had some leadership problems, too, as explained in the story “Tough Subject.”…
The media isn’t always interested in good news, says Tom Boasberg, Denver Public Schools’ superintendent. “Generally speaking, stories that are more sensational or, in some cases, more negative will tend to attract more media coverage,” he says. To offer a different view, Boasberg began a weekly e-mail newsletter called “myDPS”…
Thirty students at Colorado State University have been thinking a lot about the future recently. For the next three years, CSU has tied itself to the future of the automotive industry as a participant in its quest for sustainable transportation. And with a new donation from Siemens, the university is…
If you’ve ever wondered how Colorado knows, say, that its youth are more likely to smoke on school campuses than the average U.S. student, the answer is that it asks them. Every other year since 1991, the Center for Disease Control has administered the Youth Risk Behavior Survey at a…
This morning, school reform organization A+ Denver released the results of a survey of the nine candidates for Denver Public School Board. The survey asked them to rank 28 statements, such as “DPS needs radical reform,” on a scale of strongly agree to strongly disagree. Seven candidates complied…
An investigation into allegations of cheating within the credit recovery program at North High School found that while the program’s online classes were “challenging,” staff members did not sufficiently monitor the students enrolled. “It is discouraging when adult decisions jeopardize opportunities for students,” the report says…
After concerns about North High School’s credit recovery program were raised in the Westword cover story “Passing on Education,” Denver Public Schools asked the Colorado Department of Education to investigate allegations that students were allowed to cheat on online courses. The results of that investigation are now in — and…
Update: Earlier this month, CU-Boulder spokesman Bronson Hilliard speculated that Michael Hoffman, a 21-year-old student from New Jersey who passed away after being found unconscious near an apartment house in the neighborhood known as the Hill, died of an alcohol overdose. Turns out he was mostly correct, although there was…
City Year, an AmeriCorps program that focuses on mentoring at-risk students at high-needs schools across the country, has come to Denver. Fifty young adults ages 17 to 24 are now serving as tutors and mentors in five Denver public schools…
An anonymous donor has given $1 million to Metropolitan State College of Denver to launch a water education program with the best name ever: the OWOW Center, which is short for the One World, One Water Center for Urban Water Education and Stewardship. Starting in fall 2012, Metro will offer…
Last week, DPS launched the Great Lives in Colorado History series. Written by local educators, the thirteen biographies completed so far introduce Coloradans of the past to third-graders of the present. The results are both educational and complete: In the two we borrowed to channel our inner eight-year-olds, we’ve already…
It took almost losing her job for Sara Woodyard to realize she couldn’t have done enough with it anyway. Facing the end of the probation period that marked the first three years of her work life, Woodyard, a fifth-grade teacher, developed an acute awareness of what budget cuts can mean…
Cat DeRose has lived near Little Raven Street for years, but she has Denver Public Schools’ third graders to thank for all that she now knows about its namesake. And later this month, they’ll be able to thank her back. DeRose’s 23-page book, Little Raven, Chief of the Southern Arapaho,…
Ask yourself, right now, how often you down five drinks (or more) in a single sitting. Answer honestly. Depending on what you decided, you might be a binge drinker. The good news here is that you’re not alone. The bad news is that Denver’s youth population is joining you…
Tom Boasberg, Denver Public Schools superintendent, is a much-scrutinized man. In addition to often serving as the target of petitions and publicly aired grievances, he’s also evaluated each year by the school board. This year, the board will present its annual evaluation at a special meeting Thursday at noon. Crafting…
In the little more than a week since the University of Denver’s most recent sustainability effort began, it has surpassed the national average for early membership. WeCar, a program in which DU partners with Enterprise Rent-A-Car to provide shared rides to students and their neighbors in the area, began September…
Last year, we wrote about a new radio series sponsored by Denver Public Schools to teach English to Spanish-speakers. More than 3,000 tuned in and 220 completed the course. Now it’s returning for another year…
