Author: Yesenia Robles
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As employers and universities adopt vaccine mandates, Colorado school districts mostly quiet
As more employers across Colorado require workers to be vaccinated against COVID, school districts seem to be in no hurry to mandate vaccines for teachers and other staff. One local district, the Aurora Public Schools, announced as far back as May that it planned to require the vaccine for employees as soon as it received…
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Bucking metro area trends, Mapleton schools grow by attracting out-of-district students
When Jennifer Velez was unhappy with her kids’ schools, she didn’t know that in Colorado she could take them across district boundaries. Then, a friend who was coaching her son’s youth football team said he was moving his son to Mapleton. If she sent her son, too, the kids would at least have each other…
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Jeffco paid for a report on school closure, then shelved it. Four years later, the district faces the same challenges.
When Jeffco leaders saved four out of five schools from closure in 2017, they knew they were just kicking the problem down the road. They said so at the time. They even paid an education consulting firm $170,000 to look at how other districts handle school closures and make recommendations, but the report was shelved…
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One finalist withdraws, leaving sole finalist for Adams 14 superintendent role
One of two finalists for superintendent of Adams 14 has dropped out. That leaves Karla Loria, currently the chief academic officer of the Clark County School District in Nevada, as the sole finalist to lead the working-class suburban district. In a statement announcing his withdrawal, the other candidate, Stephen Linkous apologized for the timing. “After…
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Giving families little notice, Jeffco lays out plan to close small elementary school
The Jeffco school district is planning to close Allendale, a small elementary school in Arvada, at the end of this school year. It’s a decision, district leaders acknowledged, that comes at a bad time and with short notice. But leaders said they rushed to consider closing the school only in the last few months when…
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Adams 14 has a new position this year. Meet the district’s director of equity.
The Adams 14 school district has a new leadership position this year. It’s one of the results of the reorganization that MGT Consulting has done as it works to improve the district. Jeanette Patterson was already working in Adams 14, in different leadership roles including human resources and academics, when she was tapped to become…
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‘Not waiting until summer’: Adams 14 leaders try to get ninth graders back on track after more than half fail two or more classes
Across the country, most students struggled with remote learning, but among high school freshmen in the Adams 14 district, more than half failed two or more of their classes last fall. “Once they fail a class, they fall behind for four years,” said Ron Peterson, the high school turnaround specialist for MGT Consulting, the management…
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Some school districts are exploring new ways to reduce risk of COVID through air
As school districts begin their second semester trying once again to bring students into classrooms, more are adding new layers of protection — this time looking to address airborne transmission of the coronavirus. They’re adding filters to catch smaller particles, and retrofitting heating and air conditioning systems. And some are trying newer methods to treat…
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Colorado school districts start announcing plans to return to in-person in January
Following a new push from state officials, several school districts Tuesday announced plans to bring students back to in-person learning in January. District leaders called the plans tentative, and urged their communities to help COVID transmission continue to decrease so that schools can remain open once students return. The plans in Aurora, Adams 14, and Cherry…
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Here’s how Aurora schools are offering some students in-person instruction
Two rows of middle school students, each with their backs against opposing walls, stood on spaced out “X”s in the hallway at North Middle School in Aurora on Friday. There they practiced speaking English — using full sentences as they had just learned in class. “Hi. My name is…” they practiced saying to their partner…