Tag: public education
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More access, more options: How El Paso County schools are preparing today’s students for tomorrow’s careers
Promise programs, early college and career training expand across El Paso County schools Both the education and workforce landscape continue to adapt to meet current and future demands and El Paso County’s schools are no exception. From guaranteed, paid college admission to revitalized career training, school districts across Colorado are preparing today’s students for tomorrow’s…
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What families need to know for school choice enrollment in Colorado
By Laura Fitzgerald, Special to The Gazette All Colorado families can apply for any public school of their choice, regardless of where they live, through open enrollment. School choice applications are now open in El Paso County for the 2026-27 school year, ensuring every child has access to a free education. Here is what families…
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Return to normalcy? Colorado Springs-area educators reflect on lessons learned since pandemic years
Dana Bottolfson knew she wanted to be a teacher since she was little. Like most people who pursue the profession, she felt an innate desire to help others in a way she believed would be the most meaningful and impactful. “Whether it was teaching swimming lessons or Sunday school or volunteering in my mom’s classroom,…
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What families need to know for school choice enrollment in Colorado
By Laura Fitzgerald, Special to The Gazette All Colorado families can apply for any public school of their choice, regardless of where they live, through open enrollment. School choice applications are now open in El Paso County for the 2026-27 school year, ensuring every child has access to a free education. Here is what families…
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El Paso County school districts come together to advance career education
Years of discussions and planning across El Paso County’s industries and school districts culminated Thursday afternoon during a ceremony to bolster the local workforce. Announced last year by the Colorado Springs Chamber and EDC and education nonprofit Peak Education, Innovate Pikes Peak is a collaboration designed to close skills gaps in the region by connecting…
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Cheyenne Mountain school board candidates discuss AI, student mental health at forum
With two seats up for Cheyenne Mountain D-12 Board of Education this November, the four candidates came together for a forum at Cheyenne Mountain High School to answer community members’ questions Thursday night. Janna Blanter, Kara Mehall, Jessica Lehman and David Schulz are all looking to succeed outgoing Vice President Nissa Steinhour and Treasurer Randy…
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The Vanguard School celebrates 30th year, school choice legacy
In 1993, Colorado made public charter schools the law of the land. In 1995, Colorado Springs opened its first options for this kind of school choice. Offering a classical liberal arts education, Vanguard is the culmination of parents searching for more rigorous and structured instruction that was typically found in private schools. Dress codes to…
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D-11 and teachers union prepping for one-day strike
Years of building tension between Colorado Springs School District 11’s leadership and its teachers’ union may reach its climax this week through a one-day strike set to take place throughout the district and its schools. On Oct. 8, teachers, families and community supporters will gather outside of D-11 schools in the morning before speaking with…
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How do local schools ‘turn around’ after years of poor performance?
To ensure success for every student in Colorado schools, the state’s accountability system gives underperforming schools the chance to address their shortcomings before intervention. How exactly a school achieves this transformation can depend on a myriad of conditions. In Harrison D-2, El Paso County’s most racially and economically diverse school district, the road to school…
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Colorado Springs-area superintendent tapped to lead Colorado Association of School Executives
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save The Colorado Association of School Executives recently appointed a Colorado Springs-area district leader as its future president. Wendy Birhanzel, superintendent of Harrison School District 2, was named president-elect at a CASE convention last week. Birhanzel,…