Animas High School

YOUTH EXPO TONIGHT!

2012-03-06T05:55:00.000-08:00

AHS Weekly Update- Week of March 5th, 2012

2012-03-06T05:51:00.002-08:00

AHS 9th and 10th graders are participating in TCAP state testing all week. The 11th graders complete their final full week of classes before leaving for their LINK internships http://www.wix.com/ahslink/ahslink#

With so much happening at campus, please take a moment to review the following updates:

Durango Youth Expo
PAC Update
Spanish Exhibition
AHS Enrollment Continues
2012 CLCS Essay Contest

Durango Youth Expo

The City of Durango’s Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission, in partnership with the Durango Discovery Museum, are proud to offer the first-ever Youth Expo on March 6th from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Discovery Museum. The Youth Expo is an all-in-one forum that allows teenagers to learn about all of the local options for high school, activities, clubs, volunteer opportunities, jobs, internships, and resources available to local teens. For more information about the event, or to find out how to be an exhibitor, please visit the website at www.durangogov.org, or contact us at 375-5005 or by email at Uth@durangogov.org.

PAC Update

There will be a Parent Advisory Committee Meeting on Thursday, March 15th at 6:00 p.m. at AHS. Parents of current and prospective students are welcome to attend.

There will be an All School Cleaning Day on Friday, March 16 from 3:30p.m.-6:00 p.m. Volunteers would be greatly appreciated. Please RSVP to pac@animashighschool.com

Animas High’s Second Annual Sports Sale-Saturday, April 21st from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at the Boys and Girls Club
Donations of sporting equipment are currently being accepted at the school’s Main Office during school hours.

Spanish Exhibition

Sophomore and Junior Spanish "Art and Language" Project Exhibition / La Exposición del Trabajo de "Arte y Lengua"

Who? / ¿Quién? - We would love to have friends, family, and interested community members join us for the evening!

What? / ¿Qué? - Animas High School Spanish students (sophomores and juniors) will be exhibiting their art pieces inspired by their Spanish/Latin American mentor artists' styles. In addition to their artwork, students will have their Spanish-language artists' statements and will be prepared to speak EN ESPAÑOL (in Spanish) about the project and their pieces.

Where? / ¿Dónde? - Animas High School (3206 N. Main).

When? / ¿Cuándo? - Wednesday, March 21st, 5:30-7:00pm

Why? / ¿Por qué? - These students have been hard at work creating some amazing art pieces and refining their Spanish skills. Please join us for an excellent evening!

Finalmente: ¿Ud. va a asistir y habla español? -- Por favor, póngase en contacto con Becca (beccakatz.teacher@gmail.com) para aprender de su papel distinto como espectador.

AHS Enrollment Continues

AHS 2012-13 Admissions Lottery Results: http://www.animashighschool.blogspot.com/2012/03/2012-2013-ahs-admissions-lottery.html

Animas High School continues to accept enrollment for the 2012-13 school year. The school is currently enrolling students for a limited number of spots in next year’s 10th and 11th grades (Class of 2014 & 2015). Students seeking admission into next year’s 9th grade class (Class of 2016) are welcome to sign up for the school’s Waiting List.

Thursday Info Night Sessions continue on March 15th from 5 to6:30 at campus.

Student Shadow Experiences are available for prospective students on Fridays throughout the month. Shadow space is limited- SIGN UP NOW! Please contact the AHS Main Office at 247-2474 to schedule or with questions.

2012 Colorado Charter Schools Essay Contest

Win a Scholarship from S&S Worldwide

Deadline: March 30, 2012
Colorado charter school students, it's time to sharpen your pencils (or charge up your laptops) and enter this year's Charter Schools Week Essay Contest. Four lucky winners will receive a scholarship from S&S Worldwide. Deadline for essay submissions is Friday, March 30.

Click https://www.coloradoleague.org/charterweek/essaycontest.php more information and to download an entry form.

Winners will be honored during the Colorado Charter Schools Rally at the State Capitol on April 19, 2012.

2012-2013 AHS Admissions Lottery

2012-03-01T08:20:00.003-08:00

Today, Animas High School conducted an admissions lottery to seat the Class of 2016.

Numbers were assigned and distributed via email to all lottery entrants. Results from the lottery are posted below:

Lottery Number Order

1 L201601
2 L201606
3 L201607
4 L201616
5 L201617
6 L201620
7 L201622
8 L201625
9 L201631

10 L201632
11 L201634
12 L201637
13 L201640
14 L201642
15 L201646
16 L201647
17 L201650
18 L201653
19 L201656

20 L201657
21 L201658
22 L201664
23 L201665
24 L201666
25 L201668
26 L201669
27 L201672
28 L201675
29 L201677

30 L201678
31 L201682
32 L201686
33 L201688
34 L201689
35 L201697
36 201609
37 201611
38 201614
39 201604

40 201661
41 201696
42 201667
43 201629
44 201655
45 201670
46 201633
47 201699
48 201615
49 201624

50 201605
51 201683
52 201695
53 201621
54 201649
55 201641
56 201636
57 201673
58 201691
59 201648

60 201674
61 201612
62 201659
63 201627
64 201692
65 201638
66 201690
67 201687
68 201684
69 201602

70 201613
71 201623
72 201610
73 201652
74 201643
75 201694
76 201645
77 201608
78 201644
79 201619

80 201654
81 201626

Waiting List

1 201618
2 201680
3 201693
4 201681
5 201639
6 201679
7 201660
8 201698
9 201630

10 201663
11 201671
12 201635
13 201651
14 201628
15 201685
16 201603
17 201676

AHS Weekly Update- Week of February 27th, 2012

2012-02-27T12:08:00.002-08:00

We're looking forward to seeing everyone at SLCs this week! Please take a moment to review the following updates:

Upcoming Student Events

PAC Updates

AHS Enrollment Continues

TCAPs Next Week

Upcoming Student Events

Model United Nations

Come join us for the 3rd Annual Animas High School Model United Nations Conference. We welcome students, their families and the greater Durango community to AHS to observe
9th graders tackling the world's problems from the perspective of a country they are representing. For this conference, students will be representing countries from around the world
as the United Nations Security Council. They will be debating how the Security Council should respond to Iran's nuclear program. Come see project based learning in action!

The conference will be held TONIGHT, Monday, February 27 from 4:30 - 7:30 at Ft. Lewis College, Noble Hall, rooms115, 130, and 140.

Student Led Conferences

SLCs will take place this Wednesday, February 29 from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at AHS. Parents, please sign up on the night of SLCs if you’d like to schedule time for individual meetings with your student’s teachers.

Durango Youth Expo Event

The City of Durango’s Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission, in partnership with the Durango Discovery Museum, are proud to offer the first-ever Youth Expo on March 6th from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Discovery Museum. The Youth Expo is an all-in-one forum that allows teenagers to learn about all of the local options for high school, activities, clubs, volunteer opportunities, jobs, internships, and resources available to local teens. For more information about the event, or to find out how to be an exhibitor, please visit the website at www.durangogov.org, or contact us at 375-5005 or by email at Uth@durangogov.org.

PAC Update

There will be an All School Cleaning Day on Friday, March 16 from 3:30p.m.-6:00 p.m. Volunteers would be greatly appreciated. Please RSVP to pac@animashighschool.com

Animas High’s Second Annual Sports Sale-Saturday, April 21st from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at the Boys and Girls Club
Donations of sporting equipment are currently being accepted at the school’s Main Office during school hours.

AHS Enrollment Continues

Enrollment for the 2012-13 school year continues at Animas High School. Students and families looking to enroll at AHS should visit www.animashighschool.com and complete an online intent to enroll form. Animas High will hold an enrollment lottery on March 1st, 2012 . Enrollment will remain open until next fall. AHS is also accepting enrollments for a limited number of openings in our 10th and 11th grade classes.

AHS continues to host numerous opportunities for students and their families to learn more about Animas High School.

Thursday Info Night Sessions continue on February 28th from 5 to 6:30 at campus.

Student Shadow Experiences are available for prospective students on Fridays throughout the month. Shadow space is limited-
SIGN UP NOW! Please contact the AHS Main Office at 247-2474 to schedule or with questions.

TCAPs Next Week

AHS 9th and 10th Graders will be participating in mandatory State TCAP (think CSAP) testing next week. Students will have a modified daily schedule with testing planned for each day. Students will also have truncated instructional time in all their classes next week. It will be a full week of instruction for AHS 11th graders as they make the most of their final week on campus before their LINK internships begin.

A complete TCAP schedule will be posted to the AHS HOS Blog at www.animashighschool.blogspot.com later in the week. Questions or concerns should be forwarded to the AHS Head of School.

Animas High School Values:

Rigorous academics, where all students are prepared for college success
Culture of excellence, where students are held to high expectations
Strong faculty-student relationships, where students are well known
Engaging learning, where students see the relevance of their education

AHS Weekly Update- Week of February 20th, 2012

2012-02-20T06:29:00.000-08:00

A reminder to AHS students and their families that there is no school today, February 20th (President’s Day) and Tuesday, February 21st (Faculty Professional Development Day) Campus will reopen for normal programming on Wednesday, February 22nd at 7 am. Please take a moment to review the following updates:

Upcoming Student Events
PAC Updates
AHS Enrollment Continues
Support CO Charter Schools

Upcoming Student Events

Model United Nations

Come join us for the 3rd Annual Animas High School Model United Nations Conference. We welcome students, their families and the greater Durango community to AHS to observe 9th graders tackling the world's problems from the perspective of a country they are representing. For this conference, students will be representing countries from around the world as the United Nations Security Council. They will be debating how the Security Council should respond to Iran's nuclear program. Come see project based learning in action!

The conference will be held Monday, February 27 from 4:30 - 7:30 at Ft. Lewis College, Noble Hall, rooms115, 130, and 140.

Student Led Conferences

SLCs will take place on Wednesday, February 29 from 4:00-6:00 p.m. at AHS. Parents, please sign up on the night of SLCs if you’d like to schedule time for individual meetings with your student’s teachers.

Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission’s Youth Expo

The City of Durango’s Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission, in partnershipwith the Durango Discovery Museum, are proud to offer the first- ever Youth Expo on March 6th from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Discovery Museum. The Youth Expo is an all-in-one forum that allows teenagers to learn about all of the local options for high school, activities, clubs, volunteer opportunities, jobs, internships, and resources available to local
teens.
“The Mayor’s Youth Advisory Commission conducted a survey last year and found that Durango teens feel like there is a lack of resources for them,” commented Aiyana Anderson, Chair of the Youth Expo Committee. “We decided to create an opportunity for teens to learn what is
already available to them, and the idea for the Youth Expo was born! The response from the community has been tremendous – we already have almost 20 exhibitors and are still accepting applications.”
Admission to the event is free. For more information about the event, or to find out how to be an exhibitor, please visit the website at www.durangogov.org, or contact us at 375-5005 or by email at Uth@durangogov.org.

PAC Updates

There will be an All School Cleaning Day on Friday, March 16 from 3:30p.m.-6:00 p.m. Volunteers would be greatly appreciated. Please RSVP to pac@animashighschool.com

Animas High’s Second Annual Sports Sale-Saturday, April 21st from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at the Boys and Girls Club Donations of sporting equipment are currently being accepted at the school’s Main Office during school hours.

AHS Enrollment Continues

Enrollment for the 2012-13 school year continues at Animas High School. Students and families looking to enroll at AHS should visit www.animashighschool.com and complete an online intent to enroll form. Animas High will hold an enrollment lottery on March 1st, 2012 . Enrollment will remain open until next fall. AHS is also accepting enrollments for a limited number of openings in our 10th and 11th grade classes.

AHS continues to host numerous opportunities for students and their families to learn more about Animas High School.

Thursday Info Night Sessions continue on March 15th from 5 to 6:30 at campus.

Student Shadow Experiences are available for prospective students on Fridays throughout the month. Shadow space is limited-SIGN UP NOW! Please contact the AHS Main Office at 247-2474 to schedule or with questions.

Support CO Charter Schools

WE NEED YOUR HELP. Charter schools are being singled out and targeted again this legislative session. This time legislators are going after at-risk funding. After the past few years of budget cuts we understand that legislators are looking everywhere to find money for public schools, but targeting charter schools at risk dollars should be off the table. Please take the time to send a letter to some of the legislators on the Senate Education Committee letting them know that this is unacceptable. Senate Bill 12-103 mandates that at risk funding to districts directly follows students to a charter school and on its face this doesn't sound like something controversial. But, until this same mandate applies to all school district schools and to all streams of revenue flowing into district coffers, we won't stand for it. If this bill is to pass CHARTER SCHOOLS WILL LOSE UP TO 7 MILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY. 7 million dollars.

Tell the bill sponsor, Senator Bacon, and key members of the Senate Education Committee that until legislators get serious about distributing at-risk dollars - and, for that matter, all education funding -equitably to ALL schools, then we will not be singled out. If this bill is to be taken seriously, then legislators need to also mandate that all education dollars be distributed equitably to all students in a district. Until that happens this bill is off the table. PLEASE TAKE 5 MINUTES TO PERSONALIZE THIS MESSAGE by: a:) Telling the legislators your role within the charter school community, b) Reminding them of the impact that your school has on your child's education, c) Including a personal story of your district not sharing revenues equitably.

Click the link below to log in and send your message:
http://www.votervoice.net/link/target/colcs/Bzz9i26c.aspx

Animas High School Values:

Rigorous academics, where all students are prepared for college success
Culture of excellence, where students are held to high expectations
Strong faculty-student relationships, where students are well known
Engaging learning, where students see the relevance of their education

AHS Weekly Update- Week of February 13th, 2012

2012-02-14T06:24:00.001-08:00

Please take a moment to review the following updates:

Model United Nations

AHS Enrollment Continues

PAC Update-Annual Sports Sale

DHS Spring Sports

Free Parent Sessions at the Colorado Charter Schools Conference

Model United Nations

Come join us for the 3^rd Annual Animas High School Model United Nations Conference. We welcome students, their families and the greater Durango community to AHS to observe 9th graders tackling the world's problems from the perspective of a country they are representing.

Conference #2: Monday, February 27 from 4:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Topic: Iran's Nuclear Program

Location: Fort Lewis College, Noble Hall, Rooms 115, 130, 140

AHS Enrollment Continues

Enrollment for the 2012-13 school year continues at Animas High School. Students and families looking to enroll at AHS should visit www.animashighschool.com and complete an online intent to enroll form. Animas High will hold an enrollment lottery on March 1^st, 2012 for admission into the Class of 2016. AHS is also accepting enrollments for a limited number of openings in our 10th and 11th grade classes.

AHS continues to host numerous opportunities for students and their families to learn more about Animas High School.

Thursday Info Night Sessions continue on February 16th from 5 to 6:30 at campus.

Student Shadow Experiences are available for prospective students on Fridays throughout the month. Shadow space is limited- SIGN UP NOW! Please contact the AHS Main Office at 247-2474 to schedule or with questions.

PAC Update-Annual Sports Sale

Animas High Second Annual Sports Sale-Saturday, April 21st from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at the Boys and Girls Club. Donations of sporting equipment are currently being accepted at the Main Office during school hours.

For volunteers interested in helping, our first organizational meeting will take place on Wednesday, February 22nd at 5:30 p.m. at the Adaptive Sports Association at 125 East 32nd Street. For questions, contact pac@animashighschool.com

DHS Spring Sports

Durango High School Spring Sports begin on Monday, February 27^th. Spring Sports include Baseball, Girls Golf, Boys Lacrosse, Girls Lacrosse, Girls Soccer, Boys Swimming, Girls Tennis & Track for Boys & Girls.

A completed Athletic Form must be on file in the Activity Director's office for every student participating in interscholastic athletic competition. No student will be permitted to participate in any athletic program without the form and fees paid by the first day of practice. Please return your form to the Athletic Office along with your participation fee and get your red card BEFORE Monday, February 27. The Athletic Office will be open and available to issue red cards on Friday, February 24 from 8:00-12:00 Noon and 1:00-4:00 PM.

A mandatory meeting will be held on Monday, March 5 at 7:00 PM in the DHS Gym for all spring athletes, parents and coaches.

Free Parent Sessions at the Colorado Charter Schools Conference

Thursday, February 23?8:30 - 11:00 AM

Omni Interlocken Resort

500 Interlocken Blvd, Broomfield (map)

The Colorado League of Charter Schools is excited to offer parents a FREE, half-day admission to the 18th Annual Colorado Charter School Conference (a $100 value)! Meals not included.?Click Here to Register

(be sure to select Parent Half Day Session) ?For more information visit www.coloradoleague.org/charterconference

Free Parent Registration is limited to the following sessions:

ENGAGE - EDUCATE - EMPOWER: The Power of Parent Involvement

Time: 8:30-9:45AM

Description: Each year communities and schools face new challenges related to education. Sometimes these are funding or legislative challenges and sometimes these are neighborhood or school specific challenges. When parents speak up and work together it can make a big difference. Hear from local advocacy groups who are engaged in authentic parent involvement from the school level to the state level as well as a school leader.

Presenters:

Jason Callegari, Colorado League of Charter Schools

Richard Garcia, Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition

Mike Kromrey, Metro Organization for People

Charter School 101 - Educating Yourself and the Public about Charter Schools

Time: 9:45-11:00AM

Description: When parents enroll their children in a charter school, they are often barraged with questions from family, friends and neighbors about how charters differ from traditional public schools. Learn how to overcome mis-information about charters and educate the public about the role and importance of your child's school. Participants will learn how to talk to a variety of audiences including friends and family, other charter school parents, school board members and even the media. Whether you want to talk to friends about the importance of your school, write a letter to the editor or testify to the district board of education on behalf of your school, this session has something for everyone who wants to increase public awareness about charter schools.

Presenters:

Jason Callegari, Colorado League of Charter Schools

Stacy Rivera, Colorado League of Charter Schools

Click here for more information about the Colorado Charter Schools Conference, February 23-24, in Broomfield.

Questions? Email conference@coloradoleague.org or call Sarah Pearman at 303-989-5356, ext. 114.

Animas High School Values:

Rigorous academics, where all students are prepared for college success
Culture of excellence, where students are held to high expectations
Strong faculty-student relationships, where students are well known
Engaging learning, where students see the relevance of their education

Breaking News- CO granted waiver from No Child Left Behind (NCLB)

2012-02-09T11:20:00.000-08:00

Colorado Department of Education
201 E. Colfax Ave.
Denver, CO 80203
Phone: 303-866-6822
303-866-2334

Feb. 9, 2012

News Release

For more information, contact: Janelle Asmus, Chief Communications Officer, 303-866-6822
Megan McDermott, Asst. Dir. of Communications, 303-866-2334

NOTE: The Colorado Department of Education will conduct a media briefing on this announcement today at 10:30 a.m. at its headquarters at 201 E. Colfax Ave, Denver, in Room 103, the conference room on the first floor next to the State Board of Education meeting room.

Colorado among first in nation to be granted waivers from NCLB

Colorado got further affirmation today of its strong education reform system when the White House announced it was among a very select few states to earn waivers from the federal No Child Left Behind law.

The waiver now gives Colorado the authority to use the state’s accountability system in place of key federal accountability requirements. Colorado’s state accountability system will now meet many of the No Child Left Behind requirements, including the requisite to annually determine school and district progress in meeting performance targets.

“Clearly Colorado is a noted leader in the nation for making the right changes in our education system to better support student learning,” Colorado’s Education Commissioner Robert Hammond said. “Colorado’s comprehensive state accountability system has gained the U.S. Department of Education’s quality seal of approval and has become a model for other states.”

The Colorado Department of Education aggressively pursued the waiver and the flexibility it offered when the option was first announced by the U.S. Department of Education in September. State officials see the waiver as a solid support to the state’s education reform system aimed at getting students college- and career-ready upon graduation. For Colorado, an important aspect of the waiver flexibility was around holding schools accountable for student growth, especially with regard to historically disadvantaged subgroups of students such as English language learners, students with disabilities, and students who are not yet proficient.

In the past, Colorado used two different accountability systems – a state system and a federal system. With the waiver granted, Colorado will now have one, unified accountability system which will better streamline schools’ improvement work and it will be much easier for parents and the public to fully understand.

“The waiver really supports our state system of continuous improvement and allows schools and districts to focus their energies on one accountability system designed to elevate student achievement,” Hammond added.

Colorado’s full waiver application is online at www.cde.state.co.us/Accountability/NCLBWaiver.asp.

The state department of education plans to exercise its waiver flexibility quickly. Work on implementation planning will begin immediately. However, because Colorado’s waiver application was based largely on its existing system, the current state accountability requirements as outlined in Colorado’s Educational Accountability Act will remain in effect, with some small changes.

Any changes in accountability determinations and sanctions will be in effect for the 2012-13 school year, based on the results of the 2011-12 assessments and the most recent postsecondary and workforce readiness measures. That begins in August 2012 when the federal Adequate Yearly Progress results are no longer calculated and consequences aren’t based on those results. Rather, school accountability will be based on the results of Colorado’s own accountability system.

For more details about the waiver and Colorado’s education accountability system, visit www.cde.state.co.us/Accountability/NCLBWaiver.asp.

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Questions and Answers
NCLB Waivers

1. So Colorado got waivers from NCLB. Why is that important? Why should taxpayers, parents or educators care?
The ESEA waiver affirms the strength of Colorado’s education reform initiatives in the areas of accountability, educator effectiveness, standards, and assessments. With the waiver, Colorado can shift from an accountability system based on federal definitions and sanctions to its own state accountability system. This allows the state, districts, schools and parents to share a common understanding of district and school performance and to meaningfully distinguish those schools and districts that are meeting performance expectations from those that are not. CDE and districts will be better able to direct resources to those that need them the most, and to focus their improvement efforts on what matters most: ensuring college- and career-readiness for all students.

2. How does the granting of a waiver change what schools and districts now do?
Rather than having to communicate and respond to results on both a federal and a state accountability system, schools and districts can now work within a single accountability system which sends a consistent set of signals. Accountability determinations under Title IA of NCLB through Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) will be replaced by the state accountability determinations, and certain sanctions under Title IA of NCLB will no longer need to be implemented. Schools and districts can instead focus on the results of the State Performance Framework reports and the improvement planning process that follows. This will allow for targeted attention on student growth, allowing educators to focus their attention on their efforts to move students towards college- and career-readiness. Removing AYP has the added benefit of reducing the amount of time and effort Colorado’s school districts and CDE staff spend on AYP calculations and appeals at a time when resources are needed elsewhere.

3. How does this waiver improve education in Colorado?
The waiver creates the right conditions for educational improvement in Colorado. Educators have long worried about the unintended consequences of No Child Left Behind. While the federal law promoted a focus on student performance outcomes at a time when not all states had such a focus, it identified some schools as struggling when they were in fact fostering great growth among students. Other schools were not identified while their students were not making much growth at all. The waiver allows Colorado to focus on what matters most in the performance of schools and districts: student academic growth, or learning, which is the heart of the state’s accountability system. When the accountability system incentivizes the right goals, school and district resources and instruction follow based on that focus.

4. How soon will the waiver be applied in Colorado’s schools and districts?
Work on implementation planning will take place immediately. However, the noticeable impact will occur in August 2012 when AYP results are not calculated and consequences are no longer based on those results.

Because Colorado’s waiver application was based largely on its existing system, the existing state accountability requirements as outlined in SB09-163 will remain in effect, with some small changes. Any changes in accountability determinations and sanctions will be in effect for the coming fall (the 2012-13 school year, based on the results of the 2011-12 assessments and the most recent postsecondary and workforce readiness measures).

5. What are the small changes in the state accountability system that will occur as a result of this waiver?
Colorado proposed including calculations for disaggregated graduation rates and for growth on the English language proficiency assessment in the state Performance Framework reports. Also, the federal government required states to identify a set of “Priority” and “Focus” schools, based on their definitions. Essentially these are low-performing Title I schools that will receive additional assistance beyond existing state law.

6. Does the waiver impact any kind of funding for the state or districts? Or, is this simply relief from some federal requirements? Will it reduce paperwork, staff time or effort?
Approval of the waiver does not bring any additional funds, nor does it take any existing funds away. Some of the Title I funds allocated to districts may be used with greater flexibility as a result of the waiver. The waiver removes the duplicative reporting requirements, paperwork, and staff time associated with implementing two separate accountability systems.

7. What aspects of Colorado’s reform plan are other states emulating?
Because many of the reform initiatives are already in motion in Colorado, many states are looking to build and implement components of Colorado’s education reform package in their own states. In particular, states are looking to Colorado’s Great Teachers and Great Leaders Bill (SB-191) as a model for how to develop educator effectiveness systems and to Colorado’s Educational Accountability Act (SB-163) for how to develop accountability and support systems. Within the latter, other states are particularly interested in Colorado’s use of growth data within its accountability system. Nineteen other states have already signed on to use the Colorado Growth Model. They share the value that Colorado places on being able to measure how much progress students make towards proficiency and college- and career-readiness.

8. Was it difficult to get the waiver? How so?
Colorado was well-positioned for approval as the state was already implementing next-generation standards, assessments, accountability, and educator effectiveness measures (rather than just plans for those reforms), based on state legislation passed during the last three years. In that regard, Colorado was essentially already well down the path of implementing the system required by the waiver, even before the waiver opportunity was announced.

However, challenges did exist throughout this process, including:
· Negotiating how Colorado’s accountability and support system aligns with the requirements set by the U.S. Department of Education;
· Collecting and incorporating various stakeholder feedback; and
· Working across CDE, and the state, to present a cohesive description of Colorado’s reform system.

9. Why do you think Colorado was chosen for waivers while other states weren’t?
The federal government had its own process for evaluating waiver applications, and every state’s system is different, so the U.S. Department of Education had a very complex task in deciding which applications met its requirements. Although some states may not have yet received waiver approval that does not mean those states were essentially denied. Rather, those states may continue to revise their application until they receive approval to implement a system at a later date.

Again, Colorado was well positioned for approval in that, over the last three years, state legislation and implementation of next-generation standards, assessments, accountability, and educator effectiveness measures were already under way. Colorado worked closely with the U.S. Department of Education to come to agreement on how to stay true to the state’s system while also including those components most important to the U.S. Department of Education and the President.

10. Will this waiver status improve Colorado’s chances for other opportunities such as grants or relief from other laws?
The waiver status indicates that Colorado is a leader in the country around accountability, standards and assessments, and educator effectiveness. As much as other grants or future waiver possibilities are based on those conditions, we have documented that our state has strong, effective policies and practices in these areas.

11. We noticed at the announcement in Washington today, the commissioners of the other states earning the waiver were present for the news conference. Why wasn’t Colorado represented by our commissioner?
Commissioner Robert Hammond takes his responsibility to the state’s education system to heart. Unfortunately, the announcement fell on the same day as a scheduled public State Board of Education meeting. As much as the Commissioner would have loved to be at the announcement, he was needed in Colorado to keep the reform agenda moving forward.

12. Some say this waiver will actually reduce the level of accountability and that some schools that have been on improvement plans through the old federal system, are now just going to be able to re-set the clock and “take a pass.” Is that true? Explain.
One of the main reasons the President called on the U.S. Department of Education to open this waiver process to states was that the federal system of AYP had become outdated. With expectations nearing 100% proficiency, AYP was no longer able to distinguish between schools that were truly struggling and those that weren’t as high-performing as we’d wish they could be. Schools received either a pass or a fail determination, and too many schools were being identified as failing.

Our state system doesn’t just label all schools that aren’t near 100% proficiency as failing. Colorado recognizes there are nuances, and that rating everyone as failing isn’t particularly helpful. So, the Colorado system gives schools one of four performance ratings and districts one of five accreditation ratings. This doesn’t give schools or districts a “pass” and it doesn’t re-set the clock. The state accountability system includes at least two years of results for schools and three years of results for districts on the School and District Performance Framework report. Those schools and districts on five consecutive years of Priority Improvement or Turnaround (our lowest performance ratings) will face sanctions, as directed by the State Board, which may include school closure or loss of district accreditation. These are serious consequences for schools and districts that don’t improve.

Additionally, our state system actually holds more schools and students accountable than the AYP system did. For example, by calculating a minority disaggregated group in the School Performance Framework reports, as opposed to the calculations required for AYP, nearly all minority students in the state are included in accountability determinations. The state’s system accounts for 98 percent of minority students, whereas AYP accounted for 82 percent of minority students.

Colorado’s accountability system is also more comprehensive, moving beyond just math and reading proficiency and graduation rates. Colorado’s system incorporates performance on achievement (proficiency) in writing and science, growth and growth to standard, gaps in student group growth and growth to standard, and postsecondary and workforce readiness indicators that, in addition to graduation rate, also includes dropout rate and ACT scores.
This provides a more complete look at school and districts’ success in moving students to college and career readiness.

Additionally, through Colorado’s Unified Improvement Plan process, all schools and districts annually participate in a continuous improvement process, using data to reflect on their performance, identifying performance challenges and root causes, and creating plans for improvement. All schools and districts annually submit these plans to CDE and they are posted for public review. We know even our high-performing schools can find ways to do even better.
We firmly believe the waiver will allow for greater improvements and focus on school and district performance. It is a step forward for meaningful, student-centered accountability.

AHS Weekly Update- Week of February 6th, 2012

2012-02-06T11:34:00.000-08:00

Animas High School students are participating in and producing amazing work. After a flurry of recent 9th grade exhibition events, we are looking forward to another strong, albeit quieter, week here on campus. There’s always something up next so please make sure you are staying abreast of all the updates:

PAC Happenings
Advisory Surveys
American Math Competition
Power Lunch Today
AHS Winter Dance
AHS Enrollment for 2012-13

PAC Happenings

All-School Cleaning Afternoon
Volunteers are encouraged to join PAC for the second cleaning campaign of semester two at Animas High School. Join parents, students and siblings for an afternoon of cleaning and stewardship at our campus! Bring supplies, a positive attitude and some elbow grease and join us this Friday, February 10th at AHS from 3:30 to 6 PM. Together, we’ll continue to make our school shine! RSVP or Questions to volunteer@animashighschool.com

2nd Annual PAC Sports Sale
Donationsare now being accepted for Animas High School’s 2nd Annual PAC Sports Sale! Drop off any type of sporting equipment at the AHS campus during regular school hours. Questions? Contact PAC@animashighschool.com

Advisory Surveys

This Wednesday during our weekly Advisory class, AHS students will participate in an anonymous survey targeting student health, safety and wellness. Students' responses are anonymous and confidential and their answers will inform health and education providers with key data to strengthen and support programs for youth in our community.

Please let the school know via the Main Office if you would like to excuse your student from taking this survey.

American Math Competition

Twenty-one AHS students will be participating in the American Math Competition on Tuesday, February 7th. Best of Luck to all of our Mathletes!

Power Lunch Today

Power Lunch Today! 11:30 AM in the AHS Physics room with Engineers Without Borders. The Engineers Without Borders (EWB) program at Fort Lewis College travels each summer to Laos andEcuador to construct simple water systems in poor, rural villages. Beyond construction of the water systems, projects also include community development, education, sanitation projects, and water quality testing. The Power Lunch Presentation will include an overview of the EWB FLC program and projects, along with colorful pictures from rural villages such as Ganquis, Ecuador and Songhak, Laos. Refreshments will be served!

AHS Winter Dance

It’s that time again! Grab your dancing shoes and join us Friday, February 10th from 6 to 9 PM at the La Plata County Fairgrounds for AHS’s annual winter dance. Animas High’s Student Government has secured Durango’s own local spin star, DJ Ben K to bump the bass for our student body!

This year’s winter dance is open to all Animas High School students and their guests. Each AHS student may bring one, high school aged guest who must possess a valid school ID. Please consult the AHS Student Handbook for additional rules related to Guests at School Events.

Tickets for the dance are $10.00 and are available for sale in the AHS Main Office and at the door the night of the event. STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATE IN FRIDAY’S ALL-SCHOOL CLEANING AFTERNOON, WILL RECEIVE FREE ADMISSION TO FRIDAY NIGHT’S DANCE! (NOTE: Students must participate in 2hrs. of cleaning/stewardship to receive free admission- tickets will be distributed at the end of the cleaning campaign)

AHS Enrollment for 2012-13

There’s Only 23 Days Left Until Animas High School’s 2012-13 Admissions Lottery to Seat the Class of 2016. Interested in enrolling at Animas High School? Please fill out an intent to enroll form

Animas High School will conduct an Admissions Lottery on March 1st, 2012 for spots in the incoming Freshman Class of 2016. Animas High School is currently enrolling students for spots in next year’s Sophomore (2015) and Junior (2014) classes. Enrollment in the 10th and 11th grades at AHS is available on a first-come, first-serve basis as space allows!

AHS continues to host numerous opportunities for students and their families to learn more about Animas High School.

Thursday Info Night Sessions continue on February 9th from 5 to 6:30 at campus. Campus Tours run Wednesday afternoons at 1:30.

Student Shadow Experiences are available for prospective students on Fridays throughout the month. Shadow space is limited-SIGN UP NOW! Please contact the AHS Main Office at 247-2474 to schedule or with questions and be sure to check out our homepage: www.animashighschool.com for more information.

Animas High School Values:

Rigorous academics, where all students are prepared for college success
Culture of excellence, where students are held to high expectations
Strong faculty-student relationships, where students are well known
Engaging learning, where students see the relevance of their education

Durangoans have decent credit; Animas High students survey 600 residents

2012-02-05T11:30:00.000-08:00

Article published Feb 5, 2012

Poll: Durangoans have decent credit

Animas High students survey 600 residents

Photo by: Courtesy of Animas High School

Animas High School students polled Durangoans about their credit card habits in mid-December and compiled the results in a report last month. Locals “seem to be doing quite a bit better with their plastic than the rest of the nation,” the report said.

By Emery Cowan Herald Staff Writer

Durangoans appear to manage their credit cards better than the rest of the nation, according to a new study coming from an unlikely source: pre-calculus students at Animas High School.

The class found that Durangoans own fewer credit cards per person and almost half have a higher credit score than the national average.

Out of 606 people the students polled, 76 percent had a credit card, compared with the national average of 66 percent and the average number of credit cards owned by locals was 2.15, well below the national average of 3.5.

The high-schoolers decided to poll Durangoans about their credit card scores, usage and debt after a lesson about exponential and logarithmic functions. Credit card debt was a perfect real-life example of those functions, said Jennifer Snead, the class’ instructor.

The Animas High School survey also found that 43 percent of Durangoans have a credit score above 700. The national average is 692.

Just more than half of locals – 54 percent – pay off their balance in full every month, which is the same as nationwide statistics.

More men than women in Durango have been subject to identity theft – 21 percent versus 19 percent – and Durangoans aged 35 to 44 had the highest rate of bankruptcy, a statistic that was in line with the nation.

For a week in mid-December, 10 Animas High School students conducted the survey, hitting locations such as the Durango Public Library, Main Avenue and City Market. The average age of respondents was 42 and the majority were females, students said.

To build the survey, each student chose a national statistic about credit cards and created a question that would produce a similar statistic among Durangoans.

While doing the survey, the class learned the benefits of having a credit card, said student Caleb Darland.

“If you can, it helps your credit score a lot,” Darland said. “Credit is everything.”

Many times, survey takers stopped to share their experiences with credit cards, students said.

It’s better for students to learn about the risks and rewards of credit cards now, before they enter college where they will be bombarded with card offers, Snead said.

“It’s not just a free gift,” she said.

The class’ overall conclusion? Durango may be the worst-dressed city in America, but it has pretty good credit.

ecowan@durangoherald.com

AHS Weekly Update- Week of January 30th, 2012

2012-01-31T17:56:00.000-08:00

Happy Snowdown!

Once Upon a Weekly Update…

American Mathematics Competition
Power Lunch
PAC Meeting
Upcoming Exhibition Events
The College Chronicle- An Upperclassmen Update for 2013
2012-2013 Enrollment

American Mathematics Competition

On Tuesday February 7, 2012, twenty AHS students will participate in the American Mathematics Competition AMC-10 for 9th & 10th grade students and the AMC-12 for 11th & 12th grade students.

The AMC is an annual competition, offering students the opportunity to compete among their peers on a national level by answering 25 math questions involving algebra,geometry, probability and trigonometry in 75 minutes.

Students earning a qualifying AMC score advance to the American Mathematics Examination (AIME). The top students from the AIME may be invited to the USA Mathematical Olympiad.

Power Lunch

Next PowerLunch will be Tuesday Feb. 7th at 11:30 AM in the AHS Physics room with Engineers Without Borders. The Engineers Without Borders (EWB) program at Fort Lewis College travels each summer to Laos and Ecuador to construct simple water systems in poor, rural villages. Beyond construction of the water systems, projects also include community development, education, sanitationprojects, and water quality testing. The Power Lunch Presentation will include an overview of the EWB FLC program and projects, along with colorful pictures from rural villages such as Ganquis, Ecuador and Songhak, Loas. Refreshments will be served!

PAC Meeting

Please join us for the next PAC Meeting, February 6th at 12:30 PM at AHS. The meeting agenda will include discussions on:
Parent Survey Results
STAC update
ALL School Cleaning Day-Feb 10
Sports Equipment Fundraising Sale
Flower Power Fundraising Sale

Upcoming Exhibition Events

9th Grade Rube Goldberg Physics Exhibition
Join our 9th grade physics students for Animas High School's most popular exhibition of the year! Physics students will be presenting their Rube Goldberg projects to the community this Thursday, February 2nd, 2012 from 5:30 to 7:30 at the Durango Discovery Museum!

Model United Nations
Come join us for the 3rd Annual Animas High School Model United Nations Conference. We welcome students, their families and the greater Durango community to AHS to observe 9th graders tackling the world's problems from the perspective of a country they are representing. We will be running two separate simulations this year, one daytime conference on the Palestinian refugee crisis, and an evening conference on Iran and nuclear weapons. We would love you to attend either or both.

Conference #1: Monday, February 6 from 8:15 AM - 11:15 AM Topic: Palestinian Refugees. Location: AHS

Conference #2: Monday, February 27 from 4:30 PM - 7:30 PM Topic: Nuclear Iran. Location: AHS

The College Chronicle- An Upperclassmen Update for 2013

Animas High School is excited to release the College Chronicle Newsletter. The Chronicle has been created to assist the Class of 2013 as they get ready for the college admissions process. Inside the newsletter, students and parents will find a College Admissions Timeline, an update on the AHS College Counseling Dept., an overview of the upcoming LINK program, an extensive listing of Standardized Testing logistics and test prep opportunities. We are excited to provide our Juniors this guiding document and look forward to supporting the Class of 2013 as they work towards post-secondary success! Find the College Chronicle here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/79241341/2013-College-Chronicle

2012-2013 Enrollment

Enrollment for the 2012-13 school year continues at Animas High School. Students and families looking to enroll at AHS should visit www.animashighschool.com and complete an online intent to enroll form. Animas High will hold an enrollment lottery on March 1st, 2012 if the number of interested, in-coming 9th grade students exceeds the school’s enrollment capacity. AHS is also accepting enrollments for a limited number of openings in our 10th and 11th grade classes.

AHS continues to host numerous opportunities for students and their families to learn more about Animas High School.

Thursday Info Night Sessions continue on February 2nd from 5 to 6:30 at campus. Campus Tours run Wednesday afternoons at 1:30.

Student Shadow Experiences are available for prospective students on Fridays throughout the month. Shadow space is limited-
SIGN UP NOW! Please contact the AHS Main Office at 247-2474 to schedule or with questions.

Animas High School Values:

Rigorous academics, where all students are prepared for college success
Culture of excellence, where students are held to high expectations
Strong faculty-student relationships, where students are well known
Engaging learning, where students see the relevance of their education

AHS Weekly Update- Week of January 23rd, 2012

2012-01-24T15:12:00.000-08:00

Please take a moment to review the following updates:

National School Choice Week
Upcoming Exhibition Events
The College Chronicle- An Upperclassmen Update for 2013
2012-2013 Enrollment

National School Choice Week

January 22nd through January 28th is National School Choice Week! Please take a moment to visit the School Choice Week homepage and please consider participating in one of the many hundreds of events and advocacy opportunities. Go to http://www.schoolchoiceweek.com/home to show your support for school choice!

Upcoming Exhibition Events

Model United Nations
Come join us for the 3rd Annual Animas High School Model United Nations Conference. We welcome students, their families and the greater Durango community to AHS to observe 9th graders tackling the world's problems from the perspective of a country they are representing. We will be running two separate simulations this year, one daytime conference on the Palestinian refugee crisis, and an evening conference on Iran and nuclear weapons. We would love you to attend either or both.

Conference #1: Monday, February 6 from 8:15 AM - 11:15 AM Topic: Palestinian Refugees. Location: AHS

Conference #2: Monday, February 27 from 4:30 PM - 7:30 PM Topic: Nuclear Iran. Location: AHS

9th Grade Rube Goldberg Physics Exhibition
Join our 9th grade physics students for Animas High School's most popular exhibition of the year! Physics students will be presenting their Rube Goldberg projects to the community on Thursday, February 2nd, 2012 from 5:30 to 7:30 at the Durango Discovery Museum.

The College Chronicle- An Upperclassmen Update for 2013

Animas High School is excited to release the College Chronicle Newsletter. The Chronicle has been created to assist the Class of 2013 as they get ready for the college admissions process. Inside the newsletter, students and parents will find a College Admissions Timeline, an update on the AHS College Counseling Dept., an overview of the upcoming LINK program, an extensive listing of Standardized Testing logistics and test prep opportunities. We are excited to provide our Juniors this guiding document and look forward to supporting the Class of 2013 as they work towards post-secondary success! Find the College Chronicle here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/79241341/2013-College-Chronicle

2012-2013 Enrollment

Enrollment for the 2012-13 school year continues at Animas High School. Students and families looking to enroll at AHS should visit www.animashighschool.com and complete an online intent to enroll form. Animas High will hold an enrollment lottery on March 1st, 2012 if the number of interested, in-coming 9th grade students exceeds the school’s enrollment capacity. AHS is also accepting enrollments for a limited number of openings in our 10th and 11th grade classes.

AHS continues to host numerous opportunities for students and their families to learn more about Animas High School.

Thursday Info Night Sessions continue on January 26th from 5 to 6:30 at campus. Campus Tours run Wednesday afternoons at 1:30.

Student Shadow Experiences are available for prospective students on Fridays throughout the month. Shadow space is limited-
SIGN UP NOW! Please contact the AHS Main Office at 247-2474 to schedule or with questions.

Animas High School Values:

Rigorous academics, where all students are prepared for college success
Culture of excellence, where students are held to high expectations
Strong faculty-student relationships, where students are well known
Engaging learning, where students see the relevance of their education

AHS College Chronicle- An Upperclassmen Update for 2013

2012-01-24T10:08:00.000-08:00

2013 College Chronicle

AHS Weekly Updatep Week of January 16th, 2012

2012-01-18T09:40:00.001-08:00

We've had an excellent start to semester two here at school! Please take a moment to review the following updates:

AHS Student Happenings & Events

Power Lunch

2012 Project Week Postponed

Animas High on the Airwaves

AHS Enrollment Continues

AHS Student Happenings & Events

Model United Nations Conference I- The first of three 9^th grade MUN conferences will take place Monday, January 30^th

9^th Grade Rube Goldberg Physics Exhibition- Join our 9^th grade physics students at the Durango Discovery Museum on Thursday, February 2^nd.

AHS Student Art Exhibit- Showing Now at Raider Ridge Café in Durango

AHS Student Digital Portfolios are up! See them here:

9^th grade: http://faculty.animashighschool.com/~rmcknight/Mastered/2011%202012%20Freshmen.html

10^th grade: http://faculty.animashighschool.com/~rmcknight/NewHorizon1-0/digitalportfolios.html

11^th grade: http://faculty.animashighschool.com/~rmcknight/purpleseries/purpleseries/digitalportfolios10th.html

11^th Grade Chemistry Students will be participating in field work on Wednesday, January 18, 2012 as part of their work with the Riverwatch program monitoring Junction Creek. Chemistry students will also be participating in labs this Friday, January 20^th at FLC.

Power Lunch

Our next Power Lunch is scheduled for Wednesday, January 18th at 11:30 in the Physics Room. Our guest speaker is avalanche guru, Andy Gleason, who will give a presentation on local snow science and the basics of avalanche awareness. And yes….refreshments will be served. See you there!

2012 Project Week Postponed

Due to the incredible amount of constructive feedback from students, staff and families, Animas High School is postponing 2012 Project Week. The school received much input concerning our inaugural Project Week in 2011 and there is much work to be done to refine this week-long program. Animas High School staff and directors are considering substantive changes to the Project Week model and we will share these modifications and enhancements with the community later this year. The week that was formerly scheduled for 2012 Project Week in April (April 2-6, 2012), will be a normal week of instruction and classes here at campus. Spring Break remains unchanged by these developments and will take place the following week. (April 9-13, 2012)

Animas High on the Airwaves

Listen to Head of School Michael Ackerman talk about Animas High School, CO education reform and the US charter school movement on Achieving Your Dreams in a Crazy World; A national talk show airing each week on WebTalk Radio with Dr. Murray Nabors. Listen to the episode here:

http://webtalkradio.net/2012/01/16/achieving-your-dreams-in-our-crazy-world-%E2%80%93-charter-schools-a-format-for-educational-success/

And be sure to listen to Michael on K P T E Durango 99.7-99.3 FM tomorrow afternoon (1/19) from 4 to 5 pm.

AHS Enrollment Continues

Pot shops near schools in hot seat

2012-01-13T05:53:00.000-08:00

Pot shops near schools in hot seat

California-style crackdowns come to Colorado dispensaries

By P. SOLOMON BANDA
Associated Press

Article Last Updated: Thursday, January 12, 2012 9:15pm

DENVER – Federal officials on Thursday began a California-style crackdown on medical marijuana businesses in Colorado – targeting those located near schools.

U.S. Attorney John Walsh said 23 dispensaries within 1,000 feet of schools have until Feb. 27 to shut down or face federal penalties, which can include asset seizure or forfeiture of property. The warning letters dated Thursday were being sent to dispensary owners and their landlords.

He said the letters were a first step and prosecutors were looking for medical marijuana businesses to target near schools. Walsh’s office declined to release a list of targeted businesses, saying they do not make public individuals under investigation.

State regulations prohibit medical marijuana businesses within 1,000 feet of schools, but grand-fathered in those businesses already in existence before regulations were passed last year.

The city of Durango has restricted marijuana medical businesses from being within 500 feet of schools. At least two local dispensaries, the Durango Healing Center, 473 E. College Drive, near Park Elementary School, and Rocky Mountain High, 129 E. 32nd St,, near Animas High School, appear to be close or within the 1,000 feet exclusion area.

A representative for Durango Healing Center said the store had not been informed of any violation as of Thursday. He believed the store to be far enough from Park but was uncertain of the distance.

A representative for Rocky Mountain High said the dispensary was safe for legal reasons because nearby Animas High School, a charter school, is located in a storefront and is not in a school zone.

Sixteen states have passed laws allowing medical marijuana, beginning with California in 1996. Unlike California, Washington and Montana, where federal officials have cracked down on businesses sanctioned by the state, Colorado’s industry is heavily state-regulated. A ballot measure is pending to make it legal for recreational use, and state officials have asked the federal government to recognize the plant as a medicine.

“When the voters of Colorado passed the limited medical marijuana amendment in 2000, they could not have anticipated that their vote would be used to justify large marijuana stores located within blocks of our schools,” Walsh said.

Colorado’s medical marijuana industry began its boom after a September 2009 memo by then-Deputy Attorney General David Ogden that said federal prosecutors should not focus investigative resources on patients and caregivers complying with state laws. But faced with dispensaries and states passing laws regulating medical marijuana, Ogden’s replacement, James Cole, in June issued another memo that took a tougher stance and said state medical marijuana laws do not provide immunity from federal prosecution.

He said commercial enterprises that sell or profit from marijuana sales should be a priority. He reinforced that cancer patients and caregivers shouldn’t be targeted.

Colorado’s attorney general, John Suthers, who opposed regulations under the argument that they legitimize an illegal enterprise under federal law, said he long warned lawmakers of the clash between state and federal law.

“I would expect the federal government, having jurisdiction, to do what they think is necessary to limit drug problems in the state of Colorado,” Suthers said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. “I’m not going to oppose it.”

Colorado has more than 600 retail shops, 900 cultivations and 230 infused-product manufacturers operating under state law, according to the state revenue department. A spokeswoman for the department’s Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division did not immediately return a call Thursday.

Samantha Beckmann manages a dispensary across from a high school, with the school’s baseball fields on the other side of a crosswalk of a busy street. She said the U.S. attorney’s action is discriminatory because it singles out certain dispensaries.

“We will move. We will make it happen,” she said. “If they’re going to do anything, they should shut everyone down. They shouldn’t discriminate.”

Outside the Colorado state Capitol, about three dozen marijuana activists rallied as Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper gave his annual State of the State address.

The governor did not mention pot, though he signed a marijuana regulation law last year and his administration recently joined other states in asking the Drug Enforcement Administration to reclassify marijuana so it could be considered a medical treatment.

A community organizer at the marijuana rally said he wasn’t surprised by the crackdown. He blamed state authorities and the state’s larger marijuana businesses for setting up elaborate rules for how medical marijuana can be bought and sold.

“They set up all these rules, and now they’re coming back to pinch them in the butt,” said Miguel Lopez of The Denver 4/20 rally, which attracted 20,000 people last year. Lopez favors full legalization for the drug, not Colorado’s system of dispensaries regulated by the state Department of Revenue.

Herald Staff Writer Jim Haug contributed to this report.

AHS Weekly Update- Week of January 9th, 2012

2012-01-10T14:57:00.000-08:00

Please take a moment to review the following updates:

Parent Survey
Cleaning Campaign
PAC Meeting
MLK Day Holiday
2012-13 Enrollment Open
Student Ambassadors

Parent Survey

There is only one more week to complete your Animas High School Parent Surveys! We are targeting 100 percent participation from all of our families. Your participation and completion of the survey not only helps inform curricula and programatic decisions at AHS, it also demonstrates andhonors our school’s commitment to involving parents and the community in shaping the direction of Animas High. Please help us continue to make AHS the strongest possible program for all of our students! Take the survey now at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/animashighschoolparentsurvey2012

Cleaning Campaign

A HUGE THANK YOU to all the parents, grandparents, students and siblings that turned out for this past Saturday’s Cleaning Campaign. AHS was blessed to have over thirty volunteers show up and log over one hundredhours of volunteer time deep cleaning our campus and sprucing up our school for semester two. We’ll be cleaning each month so stay tuned for more opportunities to help out at AHS!
PAC Meeting

A reminder that our next PAC meeting is on Thursday, January 12 at 6:00 p.m. at AHS

MLK Day Holiday

Animas High School will be closed on Monday, January 16th in recognition of the Martin Luther King Holiday. Campus will re-open on Tuesday, January 17th at 7 AM.

2012-13 Enrollment Open

Animas High School is excited to announce the opening of enrollment for the 2012-13 school year. Students and families looking to enroll at AHS should visit www.animashighschool.com and complete an online intent to enroll form. Animas High will hold an enrollment lottery on March 1st, 2012 if the number of interested, in-coming 9th grade students exceeds the school’s enrollment capacity. AHS is also accepting enrollments for a limited number of openings in our 10th and 11th grade classes.

AHS continues to host a numerous opportunities for students and their families to learn more about Animas High School.

January Info Night Sessions will run from 5 to 6:30 on January 12th, 19th and 26th at campus. Campus Tours run on Wednesday afternoons at 1:30.

Student Shadow Experiences are available to interested students on Fridays throughout the month. Shadow space is limited! Please contact the AHS Main Office at 247-2474 to schedule or with questions.

Student Ambassadors

Congratulations to those chosen as AHS Student Ambassadors for the 2011-12 School Year. There was a tremendous amount of interest this year and the faculty was involved in many conversations, spirited debates and tough votes concerning these appointments.

Additionally, because interest in this year’s student ambassador program was so robust, staff strictly adhered to appointment criteria and application deadlines. (We only had room for 24 appointments and we had to turn away some students who did not submit applications on time! )

There will be a MANDATORY AHS Ambassador Training on WEDNESDAY, JAN 11th at 3:30 at AHS in the Commons Room. Appointees who do not attend the training cannot serve as Student Ambassadors. Our first info night is this Thursday and first shadow students attend this Friday.

Thanks to everyone who applied for this year’s student ambassador program!

2011-12 Animas High School Student Ambassadors

Aiyana
Nano
Molly
Hannah W.
Shannon E.
Jonathan
Clara
Jessie D.
Martina
Marley
Hunter
Riley W (10th)
Hannah Q.
Zach M.
Heidi W.
Sarah L.
Will E.
Ranier
Alicia A.
Jack H.
Jack S.
Avra
Tatum
Isabelle

Animas High School Values:

Rigorous academics, where all students are prepared for college success
Culture of excellence, where students are held to high expectations
Strong faculty-student relationships, where students are well known
Engaging learning, where students see the relevance of their education

Home Page » News » Local News » Do our schools make the grade? Do our schools make the grade?

2012-01-07T11:10:00.000-08:00

Do our schools make the grade?

Group’s assessment gives 6 local schools a B; the rest get C or lower

By Emery Cowan Herald Staff Writer

Article Last Updated: Friday, January 06, 2012 6:19pm

Enlargephoto

JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

What’s more reflective of schools’ performance? Durango School District 9-R official Christy Bloomquist, bathed in the projection of testing data, says the state’s system is best. A new, community-based group aims to clarify the evaluation process for noneducators.

A coalition of community groups has taken the A through F grading system so familiar to students and applied it to Colorado’s schools.

Enlargephoto

JERRY McBRIDE/Durango Herald

Cindy Keresey, left, who works in literary intervention at Park Elementary School, Kathleen Lau, center, interim principal, and Lindsay Neiman, instructional coach, look at testing data on Friday.

Enlargephoto

The grade most Durango schools received was merely passing. None received an A.

The website, Colorado School Grades, uses students’ standardized test scores to create a report card for each school that’s meant to decipher the somewhat cryptic school performance data published by the state.

The nearly $1 million project was launched last month by a coalition of community organizations.

In proposing an alternative, the grading website has shone a spotlight on the Colorado Department of Education’s current ranking system and questioned its effectiveness at informing parents, students and community members about school performance.

But administrators defended the state’s system and cited the potential of the new grading scheme to cause confusion about school performance.

“Why do you need another report card when all the data is right here?” said Christy Bloomquist, supervisor of federal programs and assessments with Durango School District 9-R.

The state’s system ranks schools from highest- to lowest-performing using the descriptors performance, improvement, priority improvement and turnaround. Its rating is based on schools’ absolute scores, while Colorado School Grades rates them based on how well they perform relative to others in the state.

Matching method to purpose

Some said the meaningfulness of the rating depends on the audience. The Colorado School Grades website is meant for parents, students and community members, so it simplifies the information into an easily understandable report, said Colorado Succeeds president Tim Taylor, a member of the Colorado School Grades coalition.

The Colorado Department of Education’s performance frameworks are aimed at educators, Bloomquist said. That data allow them to dissect where schools are excelling and where they need to improve.

The letter grades don’t drill down far enough for educators seeking to make improvements, she said.

The new grading website used the same standardized test results as the education department. The difference is that the grades website applied a curve that highlights the top performers. Only the top 10 percent of schools received an A, while schools in the 15th to 65th percentile range received a C. Meanwhile, CDE’s grading system gives the top ranking, performance, to the top 60 percent of schools.

The aim of Colorado School Grades is to help parents better distinguish between different schools’ performance.

“Nowhere else in our lives would we say 42nd percentile and 98th percentile would be called the same thing,” Taylor said.

Six of the 16 district schools in La Plata County that were ranked by Colorado School Grades received B grades and eight received C grades. One school received a D and another an F.

Bloomquist said the A through F grades can be misleading because they don’t match up to a school’s CDE percentage score and may not accurately reflect its actual performance. Sunnyside’s B-minus rating, for example, doesn’t reflect that the school received two awards last year from the Colorado Department of Education that put it in the top 8 percent of schools in the state and named it one of state’s top 10 highly effective Title I schools.

It also would be impossible to compare schools between the two ratings because they use different scales, said Rocco Fuschetto, superintendent of Ignacio School District.

“It’s like comparing apples and oranges,” Fuschetto said.

Despite some drawbacks, the grading system contributes to the overall effort to disseminate information about the schools, which is a good thing, said Bill Esterbrook, interim superintendent of Durango’s schools.

“I like anything that keeps how our schools are doing in front of the public eye,” he said. “The more transparent the better.”

Suzanne Carlson, a parent of three elementary school students, said that, from a parent’s perspective, the education department’s rankings aren’t published and publicized in a way that is understandable and accessible.

“I don’t know why the district doesn’t take information and make an easy-to-understand way for parents to see it,” Carlson said.

Esterbrook agreed that the state could be better.

“In some cases there’s way too much data,” he said.

Compared to years ago, when the information was a guarded secret, the state has done a good job making it transparent. But “it’s not the best process yet,” he said.

The monitoring challenge

The new grading system brings up the longstanding challenge for districts to analyze their progress. Most agree the once-a-year state standardized tests aren’t an effective measure by themselves.

The monitoring report Durango School District presents to its school board, for example, includes students’ grades, their standardized test scores and their performance on triannual tests that cover reading, writing, math and science.

It’s a more wholistic analysis than the state’s performance frameworks, Bloomquist said. The district continues to seek a more comprehensive means of accessing performance and has been working to add data about discipline and progress toward graduation.

Fuschetto said he has been preaching for years about the downfalls of evaluating schools only through standardized testing, which doesn’t measure the impact of programs like art, agriculture or welding that add to the learning experience.

And standardized testing has always been a struggle for charter schools, said Michael Ackerman, head of school at Animas High School. The high school received a B-minus by Colorado School Grades and was ranked a performance school with a score of 74 percent by the state Department of Education.

Animas takes a project-based approach to learning that doesn’t prioritize preparing students to meet standardized testing standards.

“It’s like we play basketball all year, and we show up one day for a baseball game,” Ackerman said.

The best way to judge a school?

Come inside and walk around, educators said.

ecowan@durangoherald.com

Animas High School rates among state’s best schools

2012-01-07T10:11:00.000-08:00

Animas High School rates among state’s best schools

Article Last Updated: Tuesday, January 03, 2012 9:35pm

Animas High School was the only Durango school to be named among the top 8 percent of Colorado public schools this year.

The charter school, now in its third year, received the John Irwin Schools of Excellence Award, which recognizes schools for high achievement on statewide assessments.

Four other high schools on the Western Slope also received the award.

Animas Head of School Michael Ackerman credited the school’s emphasis on project-based learning that allows students to “apply their learning in relevant, real-world ways.”

Sunnyside Elementary was a recipient of the John Irwin award last year.

A Letter to Mountain Middle School Families from AHS

2012-01-06T13:10:00.000-08:00

January 6, 2012

Dear Mountain Middle School Families,

As many of you know, Animas High School is a Durango charter high school based on the High Tech schools, just like Mountain Middle School.

Animas enrollment for the 2012/2013 school year is now open! We invite MMS families to enroll at www.AnimasHighSchool.com (or stop in at 3206 North Main and complete an enrollment form.)

We are excited that Mountain Middle School students entering freshmen year will already have had an opportunity to be educated through such an engaging, meaningful model!

As MMS and AHS are separate schools, we have slightly different procedures.

Enrollment Process at AHS

Facts about Animas’ enrollment process that differ from MMS’ process:

- AHS has been able to accommodate all students interested in enrolling.

- AHS will enroll up to 81 students for the freshmen class in 2012, and has been authorized to enroll 100 students per grade.

- If there is a lottery, it will be held on March 1st, 2012.

- Enrollment forms must be submitted no later than 5 pm on February 29, 2012.

Learn About AHS and its Award-winning Academics

We encourage MMS families to learn about Animas High:

- Info Night for MMS at AHS– February 23 from 5:00 – 6:30 pm

- Info Nights at AHS – Thursdays throughout second semester. (Upcoming dates are Jan 12, 19, 26, Feb 2, 9, from 5:00 – 6:30 pm)

- Student Shadow opportunities – many Fridays through second semester. (Please call AHS at 247-2474 to reserve your Shadow date; these fill fast.)

- Tours on Wednesdays at 1:30

AHS Lottery Exemption – Past and Present

Due to requirements of the Colorado Department of Education, the AHS lottery exemption policy is different than the MMS lottery exemption policy.

At AHS:

- Families could volunteer 100 hours for exemption status UNTIL the school opened.

- After the school opened in 2009, Animas could no longer accept volunteer hours for lottery exemption.

- This limitation to earn lottery exemption status was lifted the summer of 2011. Now, there are again opportunities to volunteer 75 hours to earn lottery exemption.

- For more details about this option and the Animas requirements for lottery exemption please visit our website (www.AnimasHighSchool.com).

Warm regards,

Michael Ackerman,

Head of School, Animas High School

AHS Weekly Update- Week of January 2nd, 2012

2012-01-03T06:53:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year and Welcome Back to School! Please take a moment to review the following updates:

2012-13 Enrollment Opens AHS Student Ambassadors Test Prep at AHS MLK Holiday 2012-13 Enrollment Opens

Animas High School is excited to announce the opening of enrollment for the 2012-13 school year. Students and families looking to enroll at AHS should visit www.animashighschool.com and complete an online intent to enroll form. Animas High will hold an enrollment lottery on March 1st, 2012 if the number of interested, in-coming students exceeds the school’s enrollment capacity. AHS will host a number of opportunities for students and their families to learn more about Animas High School.

January Info Night Sessions will run from 5 to 6:30 on January 12th, 19th and 26th at campus.

Student Shadow Experiences are available to interested students on Fridays throughout the month. Shadow space is limited! Please contact the AHS Main Office at 247-2474 to schedule or with questions.

AHS Student Ambassadors

Student Ambassadors are the face of our school during second semester at Animas High. In addition to their responsibilities at SLCs, POLs and Exhibitions, AHS Student Ambassadors are selected to represent our school at all outreach, service and public information events. Ambassadors are chosen by the AHS faculty and include students who embody Animas High’s commitment to academic, cultural and community excellence.

In 2012 AHS Student Ambassadors will participate in campus centered outreach efforts as well ascommunity based presentations, service opportunities and youth events. Serving as an Animas High Student Ambassador is an honor bestowed to a limited number of students. Students must re-apply each year and faculty select appointment to the program based upon a student’s application and prior performance in semester one of the 2011-12 school year.

Applications for this year’s Student Ambassador program are available now in the AHS Main Office or online at: http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/3379371/2012-student-ambassador-app-docx-december-24-2011-8-59-am-277k?da=y

Test Prep at AHS

In conjunction with our programming partners at Animas Academics, Animas High School is sponsoring our second test prep course of the 2011-12 school year. The test prep courses are open to a limited number of participants and the classes fill quickly with a waiting list . In response to the demand for additional test prep opportunities, Animas Academics will be sponsoring a Saturday morning ACT practice test onJanuary 28th, 2012. This opportunity has been designed to provide additonal exam practice and offers students a simulated, four hour exam sitting. This ACT practice test experience is being offered for 10.00 and is open to any and all AHS students. Interested in participating- email krisit@animasacademics.com

MLK Holiday

Animas High School will be closed on Monday, January 16th in recognition of the Martin Luther King Holiday. Campus will re-open on Tuesday, January 17th at 7 AM.

"The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically...intelligence plus character-that is the goal of a true education." -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Animas High School Values:

Rigorous academics, where all students are prepared for college success

Culture of excellence, where students are held to high expectations

Strong faculty-student relationships, where students are well known

Engaging learning, where students see the relevance of their education

2012 Student Ambassador Program Announcement

2011-12-24T08:10:00.001-08:00

Who’s Going to Be the Face of AHS this Year?

Student Ambassador Program

Student Ambassadors are the face of our school during second semester at Animas High. In addition to their responsibilities at SLCs, POLs and Exhibitions, AHS Student Ambassadors are selected to represent our school at all outreach, service and public information events. Ambassadors are chosen by the AHS faculty and include students who embody Animas High’s commitment to academic, cultural and community excellence.

In 2012 AHS Student Ambassadors will participate in campus centered outreach efforts as well as community based presentations, service opportunities and youth events. Serving as an Animas High Student Ambassador is an honor bestowed to a limited number of students. Students must re-apply each year and faculty select appointment to the program based upon a student’s application and prior performance in semester one of the 2011-12 school year.

Applications for this year’s Student Ambassador program are available now in the AHS Main Office or online at: http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/3379371/2012-student-ambassador-app-docx-december-24-2011-8-59-am-277k?da=y

Colorado receives $17.9 million Race to the Top education gran

2011-12-24T08:09:00.001-08:00

Posted: 12/23/2011 01:00:00 AM MST
Updated: 12/23/2011 08:46:57 AM MSTBy Yesenia Robles

The Denver Post

Students work on number diagrams during the first day of school for DPS at Amos Steck Elementary on Thursday, August 18, 2011. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

After three failed attempts, Colorado has finally landed a Race to the Top grant.

"We're extremely happy," said state Education Commissioner Robert Hammond. "Obviously there's been a lot of hard work and disappointment in the past. Even though this is a reduced amount, we believe it will be extremely helpful."

Colorado was one of seven states that won money for this round of Race to the Top. The fund was set aside for finalists that didn't receive money in the second round.

Nine states were eligible for a share of $200 million provided by Congress. Colorado received $17.9 million.

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said all the states funded in this round were finalists that had already earned the department's trust.

"We had a high level of confidence in these states," Duncan said. "We were simply looking for them to articulate their plans and ideas."

Because the grants are smaller than in the first two rounds — Colorado had originally applied for $175 million — the original phase's two applications had to be rewritten to limit the scope.

Putting together the application cost the state $60,000 this year, but the cost was covered with funds that education advocacy groups helped raise.

Colorado focused on four areas covering two projects: implementation of new state standards, including creating assessments and teaching resources for each new standard; and implementing educator evaluation systems.

"We've really been moving forward on this work anyway, so it will accelerate the momentum," said Jill Hawley, the state Education Department's chief of staff and strategy. "We've had such a demand for our services around educator effectiveness. We expect we will be able to reach more districts."

Duncan, who called Colorado a leader in education, said it was the state's persistence with reform that impressed him.

"Colorado didn't stop their reforms," Duncan said. "They are pushing forward with or without our investment. That's exactly the attitude we want."

Half of the money will be distributed directly to interested school districts in the coming months. The rest will help beef up centralized state support, through at least four full-time staff members and additional regional employees who will help school districts train teacher and principal evaluators.

Last week, the federal Department of Education announced winners in the third round of funding for early-childhood education programs. Colorado — one of 37 states to apply for a portion of the $500 million available — had hoped to bring home nearly $60 million but finished 12th, three spots away from the money.

Yesenia Robles: 303-954-1372 or yrobles@denverpost.com

Annual PAC Survey!!! Thanks for your Participation

2011-12-22T09:01:00.000-08:00

Hurry and get your survey in.....we know it's one more thing to do at this busy time of year. But just take 5-10 minutes to complete the Annual Parent Survey. 30% of our families have completed the survey, and we're hoping for 100% participation. Happy holidays from PAC.

Click on:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/animashighschoolparentsurvey2012 to complete your survey today

Colorado Gov. Hickenlooper to appeal education-funding lawsuit

2011-12-22T08:39:00.000-08:00

Posted: 12/22/2011 01:00:00 AM MST
Updated: 12/22/2011 05:27:46 AM MST

By Karen Auge and Kurtis Lee
The Denver Post

Gov. John Hickenlooper said Wednesday that after a close review of a Denver district judge's decision in Lobato vs. Colorado, he will appeal the decision to the state's highest court.

"The judge's decision provided little practical guidance on how the state should fund a 'thorough and uniform' system of public education," Hickenlooper said in a statement. "Moreover, while the judge focused on the inadequacy of state funding, she did not reconcile this issue with other very relevant provisions of the Constitution, including the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, the Gallagher Amendment and Amendment 23."

Kathy Gebhardt, one of the lead attorneys who brought the suit, said she was disappointed but not surprised at the governor's decision.

"We believe we have proved there is a sense of urgency to fixing this problem, that kids have been attending substandard schools," Gebhardt said.

Prolonging the suit merely hurts kids now in Colorado schools, she said.

"Justice delayed is education denied," she said.

The State Board of Education, meanwhile, postponed until next week its own decision on whether to pursue an appeal.

After the board convened by phone in an hour-long executive session, chairman Bob Schaffer said the board would not make a decision until Tuesday. He did not offer any reason for the delay.

The governor and the State Board of Education are defendants in the case, so both can weigh in with direction, said Mike Saccone, spokesman for the attorney general's office.

Saccone said the legislature has appropriated up to $3.5 million to defend the state against the suit.

The suit was filed in 2005. It originated with a group of parents in the San Luis Valley but expanded to include districts from across the state.

The judge's ruling this month blasted the state's level of school funding as "unconscionable" and not meeting the Colorado Constitution's requirement of a "thorough and uniform" public education system.

The ruling handed the problem off to lawmakers to fix, and the judge said implementing her ruling would be delayed until the end of the 2012 legislative session.

In his statement Wednesday, Hickenlooper said he consulted with Attorney General John Suthers in reaching his decision.

"We look forward to a swift decision in this case so the people of Colorado and their elected representatives can participate in the school funding conversation," Hickenlooper said.

Karen Auge: 303-954-1733 or kauge@denverpost.com

Colorado lawmakers mull unexpected revenues, debate restoring cuts to education

2011-12-22T08:30:00.000-08:00

Posted: 12/20/2011 12:02:14 PM MST
Updated: 12/20/2011 01:27:21 PM MST
By John Ingold

The Denver Post

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper talks about his first 100 days as governor, Wednesday April, 19, 2011, at the state capital. RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post (THE DENVER POST | RJ SANGOSTI)

Colorado lawmakers this morning heard revised budget forecasts that Gov. John Hickenlooper thinks will allow $89 million to be restored to the state's beleaguered education funding.

But the head of the legislature's money-minding Joint Budget Committee stopped short of endorsing the plan to boost education dollars based on budget predictions.

"We're still in a very tentative situation economically," said Rep. Cheri Gerou, R-Evergreen. "We need to stay vigilant and careful with our budget."

Hickenlooper's budget-makers told legislators this morning they expect revenues for the current fiscal year to come in $231 million above expectations. That, plus an expected boost to next fiscal year's revenues, have the governor proposing the restoration to K-12 education funding, plus additions to the higher education budget and to a program that helps needy seniors pay their rent and heating bills.

"Everything syncs up with places we didn't want to cut," said Henry Sobanet, the executive director of the Office of State Planning and Budgeting.

The nonpartisan economists of the Colorado Legislative Council, who work for lawmakers, estimated this year's budget boost as only $148 million, though they are more optimistic than the governor's office about next fiscal year's revenues. But Natalie Mullis, the Legislative Council's chief economist, said the differences aren't significant.

She cautioned, though, that the extra money — which comes in a general fund budget of about $7 billion — doesn't mean Colorado is flush.

"It sounds like a lot of money," she said, "but it's really not because it doesn't include the cost of inflation and rising caseloads."

Still, reaction to the budget news today was, understandably, positive. One lawmaker joked that Sobanet was like "Santa's helper."

The Colorado Education Association called Hickenlooper's budget proposal, "a welcomed gift for Colorado kids this holiday season."

"Our students and schools so desperately needed a good-news day, and this is good news," Beverly Ingle, the CEA's president, said in a statement.

State Senate President Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont, used the news as occasion to campaign for the "Colorado Works" package of jobs bills Democrats plan to introduce next legislative session.

"It's encouraging to see Colorado's economy continue to improve, but we need to keep working to create jobs and strengthen the economy," Shaffer said in a statement.

Meanwhile, House Majority Leader Amy Stephens, R-Colorado Springs, criticized Hickenlooper for not instead using the extra money to restore a $100 million property-tax exemption for seniors.

"While I am disappointed that Gov. Hickenlooper continues to propose a property tax increase on Colorado's seniors most in need, Colorado's slow economic recovery gives us reason for optimism," Stephens said in a statement.

John Ingold: 303-954-1068 or jingold@denverpost.com.

2011-12-21T08:37:00.000-08:00

Colorado loses again in "Race to the Top" grant competition

Posted: 12/16/2011 08:18:57 AM MST
Updated: 12/16/2011 05:25:26 PM MST

By Yesenia Robles and Kevin Simpson
The Denver Post

Students work on number diagrams during the first day of school for DPS at Amos Steck Elementary on Thursday, August 18, 2011. (AAron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)

Colorado failed once again
to receive a grant in the latest "Race to the Top" competition, the U.S. Department of Education announced this morning.

In the previous two rounds, Colorado was a finalist, but did not receive any funds.

North Carolina, Massachusetts, Washington, Delaware, Ohio, Maryland, Minnesota, Rhode Island and California were chosen to receive anywhere from $45 million to 70 million for the competition's Early Learning Challenge.

Colorado was one of 37 states to apply for a portion of the $500 million available through the program, and asked for nearly $60 million.

Its raw score of 233.4 points out of a possible 300 (77.8 percent) ranked 12th, about 10 points out of the money and 36.2 points behind top-scoring North Carolina.

This round of funding focused on initiatives that address children's early education, including kindergarten readiness, and also developmental health.

"The state's Race to the Top application was developed through a collaborative process that brought together the state's smartest child advocates," said Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper in a prepared statement. "This extensive planning helped create a clear roadmap for pursuing the best educational outcomes for our state's kids. Colorado is a national leader when it comes to education reform and we remain committed to supporting our teachers and students in every way possible."

Federal officials praised the winners for innovative ways of combining elements like pre-reading skills with health screenings, exercise and nutrition, and noted how they took steps to engage parents to help their children succeed.

Reviewers of the applications gave extra weight to states that had already begun implementing their programs over those that simply described plans for the future.

In a nod to the states left out of the funding, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius said progress in early learning won't be limited to the nine winners.

"By pushing everyone to raise their game, we intend to foster innovation in early childhood programs around the country and certainly share the best practices of these nine states with others who are eager to learn," she said. "The only way America can out-compete the rest of the world is if we out-educate the rest of the world."

Colorado's application focused on supporting professional development and incentives for employees at early-learning centers and day-care facilities, and also in assisting those centers to start aligning use of assessments allowing families to provide input.

Application leaders had stressed that the work would go on regardless of the outcome of the award, but would be spurred to move faster with the federal money.

The application also boasted Colorado current work creating early-learning standards for children from birth to age 8.

Currently, early-learning standards apply only to children ages 3 to 5.

"Colorado has seen so much progress already in the quality of early learning programs that help ensure every child starts school ready to learn," said Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia. "We will continue to build on the solid foundation already set for creating a stronger workforce, providing families with the tools and resources they need and to building community capacity to serve young children and their families."

The union, Colorado Education Association, who did support this round's application, also released a statement on Friday, emphasizing that the support continues.

"Today's announcement on Colorado's most recent Race to the Top application is obviously disappointing," said Beverly Ingle, Colorado Education Association President. "As the professionals working every day to teach and support Colorado's public school students, we know how critical early literacy and childhood development are to success in school. We strongly supported the Race to the Top application and are proud of the effort Colorado has made."

In the second round of the competition, Colorado officials were critical of judges who gave Colorado a wide margin of differing reviews. Just a month ago, the department rejected a formal Denver Post request for the names of the reviewers.

Colorado is also still awaiting an announcement of awards for another portion of race to the top funds that was made available only for the finalists of the second round. Colorado would be eligible for $17.9 million of that award, focused on K-12 education.

Because the grants are smaller than in the first two rounds, the original Race to the Top applications from the second round had to be updated to limit the scope, but the main projects could not be new ideas.

Colorado chose to focus on two projects: implementation of new state standards and of educator- evaluation systems.

Yesenia Robles: 303-954-1372 or yrobles@denverpost.com

CSI Names New Executive Director

2011-12-20T09:08:00.000-08:00

Colorado Charter School Institute
1580 Logan St.
Denver, CO 80203

For more information, contact:
Mark Stevens
303-495-8699 (cell)

News Release

December 15, 2011

Executive Director Mark Hyatt Leaving CSI, Ethan Hemming Named Interim

CSI Board of Directors Chairman Wayne Eckerling announced today the departure of executive director Mark Hyatt, who has accepted a position as chief operating officer with the Character Education Partnership in Washington, D.C. The Character Education Partnership is a national, non-profit organization that provides schools the resources needed to integrate character education across their curriculum.

“In two years, Mark Hyatt has led the transformation of the Charter School Institute and set the stage for our future success,” said Eckerling. “He launched a strategic plan that will ensure the institute continues to enhance its reputation as a model authorizer and leader in school reform. We wish Mark all the best in his new endeavor, which allows him to work on an issue that has been a life-long passion.”

During his tenure, Eckerling noted, Hyatt:
Strengthened all facets of the Charter School Institute’s operations.
Nurtured more than 50 percent growth in student enrollment across all CSI schools. Enrollment now stands at 10,500 students in 22 schools.
Launched internal controls and new financial procedures to re-establish the organization’s fiscal health.
Reorganized staff and hired respected subject matter experts in such key positions as deputy executive director and chief financial officer.
Strengthened the institute’s authorizing functions including the application and renewal processes and the ongoing monitoring of student performance.
Improved relationships with all of the institute’s schools and also with the state organizations involved with K-12 education.

Eckerling also announced the appointment of Ethan Hemming as interim executive director. Since April, Hemming has served as deputy executive director at the institute. He joined CSI after 13 years with Denver Public Schools, including three years as deputy executive director of the Office of School Reform and Innovation, overseeing and supporting 28 charter schools and six innovation schools.

About the Charter School Institute

The Charter School Institute was created by the Colorado State Legislature in 2004 and serves as the state authorizer for 22 charter schools. Those schools enroll a combined 10,500 students. CSI is known as one of the premiere charter school authorizers in the state and seeks to meet the highest national standards for charter school authorization. More: http://www.csi.state.co.us/

Colorado charter school chief leaves for post in Washington, D.C.

2011-12-20T08:35:00.000-08:00

Posted: 12/15/2011 11:05:18 AM MST
Updated: 12/15/2011 11:06:37 AM MST

By The Denver Post

Mark Hyatt, executive director of the Colorado Charter School Institute for the last two years, will leave to become chief operating officer of the Character Education Partnership in Washington, D.C.

Hyatt oversaw a 50 percent increase in enrollment among the Charter School Institute's 22 schools, which now have 10,500 students.

"He launched a strategic plan that will ensure the institute continues to enhance its reputation as a model authorizer and leader in school reform," said CSI board chairman Wayne Eckerling in a statement.

Ethan Hemming, who has been deputy executive director since April, will become interim executive director. He previously worked for 13 years in the Denver Public Schools, with part of that time spent overseeing 28 charter and six innovation schools.

In his new role, Hyatt joins a national, non-profit that provides curriculum resources to promote character education.

ANIMAS HIGH RECIEVES JOHN IRWIN SCHOOLS OF EXCELLENCE AWARD

2011-12-13T06:20:00.000-08:00

Animas High School in Durango, CO. is pleased to announce the school’s selection as a 2011 John Irwin Schools of Excellence award winner. This prestigious award recognizes the highest-performing and most-improved public schools in the state as determined by CO. School Accountability Reports. The annual reports rate schools on academic performance and growth based on standardized test results. The Irwin School of Excellence award is granted to the top 8% of all elementary, middle and high schools in the state of Colorado.

Animas High School, a free public charter school of choice, is in year three of operation serving 181 students in grades 9 through 11. Animas will open enrollment for next year’s 9^th grade, the Class of 2016, on Monday, January 2, 2012. For more information about Animas High School, please visit the school’s website at www.animashighschool.com or call 970-AHS-AHS4 to set up a tour, learn about upcoming enrollment events or receive more information about Animas High.

"Once again our students have demonstrated that they are capable of amazing outcomes. Whether it’s through project based learning, community exhibitions or their performance on annual state assessments, our school continues to raise the bar related to student achievement, growth and success."

-Michael Ackerman, Head of School, Animas High School

"Congratulations on AHS earning the prestigious Irwin Award. You’ve set a new standard of excellence for your wonderful school!"

-Mark Hyatt, Executive Director, Colorado Charter School Institute

AHS Weekly Update-Week of December 12th, 2011

2011-12-13T06:18:00.000-08:00

POLs THIS WEEK

Winter Break

ANIMAS HIGH RECIEVES JOHN IRWIN SCHOOLS OF EXCELLENCE AWARD

Please take a moment to review the final updates of 2011:

POLs THIS WEEK

AHS Students will be participating in POLs (Presentations of Learning) this week on Wednesday and Thursday. Unique to AHS, POLs offer our students a chance to present their accomplishments and challenges to a panel of teachers, students, and community members. Students will offer evidence, share anecdotes and present their reflections on their work from semester one. Students are evaluated based upon our POL rubric, their Digital Portfolios, and their stand and deliver presentations speaking to their understandings and competence.

Students have been scheduled to participate in POLs either on Wednesday, Dec. 14^th or Thursday, Dec. 15^thhere at campus, and should deliver their presentations in formal, professional dress. Students must attend school the full day of their presentation. The day they are not presenting, they should not come to school. If a student does not pass their presentation, they must return Friday to redo it. Students who pass their POLs on either Wednesday or Thursday do not have to attend AHS on Friday. Students cannot be promoted to second semester without successfully completing a POL. Questions? Ask your student. If you/they are still unsure of things, please contact your student's advisor.

In addition, we are requiring students to give their POL to parents as homework the night before their actual presentation. This gives parents an opportunity to see their student’s POLs, and will help students be that much more prepared.

Winter Break

Animas High School will be closed for Winter Break beginning Friday, December 16^th at 3:30 PM. Campus will re-open on January 2^nd, 2012 at 7 AM. Have a safe and happy holiday vacation and we’ll see you in the new year!

ANIMAS HIGH RECIEVES JOHN IRWIN SCHOOLS OF EXCELLENCE AWARD

-Michael Ackerman, Head of School, Animas High School

"Congratulations on AHS earning the prestigious Irwin Award. You’ve set a new standard of excellence for your wonderful school!"

-Mark Hyatt, Executive Director, Colorado Charter School Institute

Animas High School Values:

Rigorous academics, where all students are prepared for college success
Culture of excellence, where students are held to high expectations
Strong faculty-student relationships, where students are well known
Engaging learning, where students see the relevance of their education

Profits and Questions at Online Charter Schools

2011-12-13T05:17:00.001-08:00

Profits and Questions at Online Charter Schools

Lance Murphey for The New York Times

Denita Alhammadi, center, works with her children, Romeo, left, and Yasmine, on their coursework for Tennessee Virtual Academy. More Photos »

By STEPHANIE SAUL

Published: December 12, 2011

REPRINTS

By almost every educational measure, the Agora Cyber Charter School is failing.

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Nearly 60 percent of its students are behind grade level in math. Nearly 50 percent trail in reading. A third do not graduate on time. And hundreds of children, from kindergartners to seniors, withdraw within months after they enroll.

By Wall Street standards, though, Agora is a remarkable success that has helped enrich K12 Inc., the publicly traded company that manages the school. And the entire enterprise is paid for by taxpayers.

Agora is one of the largest in a portfolio of similar public schools across the country run by K12. Eight other for-profit companies also run online public elementary and high schools, enrolling a large chunk of the more than 200,000 full-time cyberpupils in the United States.

The pupils work from their homes, in some cases hundreds of miles from their teachers. There is no cafeteria, no gym and no playground. Teachers communicate with students by phone or in simulated classrooms on the Web. But while the notion of an online school evokes cutting-edge methods, much of the work is completed the old-fashioned way, with a pencil and paper while seated at a desk.

Kids mean money. Agora is expecting income of $72 million this school year, accounting for more than 10 percent of the total anticipated revenues of K12, the biggest player in the online-school business. The second-largest, Connections Education, with revenues estimated at $190 million, was bought this year by the education and publishing giant Pearson for $400 million.

The business taps into a formidable coalition of private groups and officials promoting nontraditional forms of public education. The growth of for-profit online schools, one of the more overtly commercial segments of the school choice movement, is rooted in the theory that corporate efficiencies combined with the Internet can revolutionize public education, offering high quality at reduced cost.

The New York Times has spent several months examining this idea, focusing on K12 Inc. A look at the company’s operations, based on interviews and a review of school finances and performance records, raises serious questions about whether K12 schools — and full-time online schools in general — benefit children or taxpayers, particularly as state education budgets are being slashed.

Instead, a portrait emerges of a company that tries to squeeze profits from public school dollars by raising enrollment, increasing teacher workload and lowering standards.

Current and former staff members of K12 Inc. schools say problems begin with intense recruitment efforts that fail to filter out students who are not suited for the program, which requires strong parental commitment and self-motivated students. Online schools typically are characterized by high rates of withdrawal.

Teachers have had to take on more and more students, relaxing rigor and achievement along the way, according to interviews. While teachers do not have the burden of a full day of classes, they field questions from families, monitor students’ progress and review and grade schoolwork. Complaints about low pay and high class loads — with some high school teachers managing more than 250 students — have prompted a unionization battle at Agora, which has offices in Wayne, Pa.

A look at a forthcoming study by researchers at Western Michigan University and theNational Education Policy Center shows that only a third of K12’s schools achieved adequate yearly progress, the measurement mandated by federal No Child Left Behindlegislation.

Some teachers at K12 schools said they felt pressured to pass students who did little work. Teachers have also questioned why some students who did no class work were allowed to remain on school rosters, potentially allowing the company to continue receiving public money for them. State auditors found that the K12-run Colorado Virtual Academy counted about 120 students for state reimbursement whose enrollment could not be verified or who did not meet Colorado residency requirements. Some had never logged in.

“What we’re talking about here is the financialization of public education,” said Alex Molnar, a research professor at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education who is affiliated with the education policy center. “These folks are fundamentally trying to do to public education what the banks did with home mortgages.”

The online companies can tailor their programs by reducing curriculum and teachers. During a presentation at the Virginia legislature this year, a representative of Connections explained that its services were available at three price points per student:

Option A: $7,500, a student-teacher ratio of 35-40 to 1, and an average teacher salary of $45,000.

Option B: $6,500, a student-teacher ratio of 50 to 1, with less experienced teachers paid $40,000.

Option C: $4,800 and a student-teacher ratio of 60 to 1, as well as a narrower curriculum.

Despite lower operating costs, the online companies collect nearly as much taxpayer money in some states as brick-and-mortar charter schools. In Pennsylvania, about 30,000 students are enrolled in online schools at an average cost of about $10,000 per student. The state auditor general, Jack Wagner, said that is double or more what it costs the companies to educate those children online.

“It’s extremely unfair for the taxpayer to be paying for additional expenses, such as advertising,” Mr. Wagner said. Much of the public money also goes toward lobbying state officials, an activity that Ronald J. Packard, chief executive of K12, has called a “core competency” of the company.

In all, for-profit educational management companies run 79 online schools around the country, according to the study by researchers at Western Michigan University.

Many educators believe there is a place for full-time virtual learning for children whose pace is extremely accelerated or those with behavioral or other issues, like teenage mothers who need to stay home with their babies. But for most children, particularly in the elementary grades, the school experience should not be replaced with online learning, they say.

“The early development of children requires lots of interaction with other children for purposes of socialization, developing collaboration and teamwork, and self-definition,” said Irving Hamer Jr., deputy superintendent of Memphis city schools.

In an interview at K12’s headquarters in Herndon, Va., Mr. Packard said, “We’re here to help children, and that is our overriding purpose and we want to do it as well and efficiently as possible.”

He acknowledged what he called a “degradation” in K12’s test scores, but he argued that they are an inaccurate measure because many students are already behind when they arrive. “The type of child now coming to an online school, 75 percent of those kids coming in are behind more than one grade level,” Mr. Packard said.

He said K12 continues to invest in its curriculum and has developed interventions, like a remedial math program, to help struggling students.

“Kids have been shackled to their brick-and-mortar school down the block for too long,” Mr. Packard has said repeatedly, adding that for the first time, every child, regardless of where he or she lives, has a choice.

Some educators are questioning its value. “It’s choice,” said Thomas L. Seidenberger, superintendent of the East Penn School District in Pennsylvania, which is outperforming Agora and other online schools its students attend. “What about a bad choice?’”

The Cost

The original pitchman for K12 was William J. Bennett, the former education secretary who helped found the company in 2000. At the time, Mr. Bennett said he viewed online schools as a haven for shy children, those worried about being exposed to drugs and even those with “terrible acne.”

The company planned to sell an education package directly to parents who wanted to home-school their children. But within months, K12 had decided to tap into public education dollars.

As the company’s product has become more popular, the cost has soared.

Mr. Bennett, who left the company in 2005, originally said a home-schooling package would cost about $1,000 per student per year. Parents who wanted teacher support would pay more.

Today, K12 receives an average of $5,500 to $6,000 per student from state and local governments. The schools also receive money for federal programs.

Because online schools do not collect every type of financing that goes to traditional public schools, Mr. Packard contends that his company’s schools, on a national average, cost taxpayers 40 percent less per student.

But online schools have negligible building costs and cheaper labor costs, partly because they pay teachers low wages, records and interviews show. Parents, called “learning coaches,” do much of the teaching, prompting critics to argue that states are essentially subsidizing home schooling.

“Any high school student taking economics could immediately recognize the fundamental flaws in their pricing structure,” said John E. Freund III, a Pennsylvania lawyer who represents a number of districts who are losing students to the online schools and the public financing that goes with them.

Because many states prohibit for-profit public education, the management companies for virtual schools run schools under contract with public districts or nonprofit charter schools, which also receive public money. But companies like K12 are almost fully in charge — devising curriculum, hiring teachers and principals and evaluating student performance.

Another way K12 maximizes its income is to establish schools in poor districts, which receive larger subsidies in some states. The company administers one of K12’s newest schools from Union County, Tenn., a mountainous Appalachian enclave where nearly a quarter of the residents live in poverty.

The Tennessee Virtual Academy is technically part of the local school district, which receives more per pupil from the state than most other districts in Tennessee. But of the school’s 1,800 pupils, few are actually from Union County.

Out of the state money, the Union County schools will get an administrative fee of about $400,000. K12 stands to collect almost $10 million to staff and manage the school. Dozens of other Tennessee counties, however, lost state financing when some of their students elected to go to the virtual school.

The online schools have enabled entrepreneurs like Michael R. Milken, whose company Knowledge Universe started K12 a decade ago and who remains an investor, to use education as a source of government-financed business, much as military contractors have capitalized on Pentagon spending.

Mr. Packard reports to investors every year with higher enrollment numbers and sales. On Nov. 15, he announced that the company’s online schools had enrolled more than 94,000 students. “I think online schools are becoming more mainstream,” said Mr. Packard, who was paid $5 million this year.

A sizable portion of the public money collected by K12 is rolled back into generating more business, a common practice by for-profit companies that nevertheless raises questions when the money is intended to educate schoolchildren. K12 spent $26.5 million on advertising in 2010, according to an analysis prepared for The New York Times by Kantar Media.

“Some of the cyber charter schools have fairly aggressive recruitment campaigns,” said Jim Buckheit, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators. “They have vans, billboards, TV and radio ads. They set up recruitment meetings in area hotels and invite parents to come.”

K12 has run thousands of the sessions, where part of the pitch is supplying computers and subsidized Internet connections for qualifying families. Dr. Seidenberger said he was surprised to see ads for online schools in the outfield at Coca-Cola Park, the stadium of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs minor league baseball team.

The Churn

Parents who become interested in K12’s schools can follow up by calling 866 numbers, which connect them to a call center in Herndon.

School employees who have visited the center have described a high-pressured sales environment aimed at one thing: enrollment.

Some workers, called “enrollment pals,” are paid bonuses based on the number of students they sign up, according to former employees knowledgeable of the operations. Mr. Packard’s annual bonus is also partly tied to enrollment.

Because the online schools are public, students cannot legally be denied enrollment. But former K12 employees said the aggressive and impersonal enrollment process lures students who are not a good fit.

“When you have the television and the Xbox and no parental figure at home, sometimes it’s hard to do your schoolwork,” said one Agora teacher, who asked not to be identified because of concerns over job safety.

The constant cycle of enrollment and withdrawal, called the churn rate, appears to be a problem at many schools. Records Agora filed with Pennsylvania reveal that 2,688 students withdrew during the 2009-10 school year. At the same time, K12 continued to sign up new students. Enrollment at the end of the year — 4,890 — was 170 students more than at the beginning, obscuring the high number of withdrawals.

Gary Miron, a professor of education at Western Michigan University who researches for-profit school management companies, called the turnover troubling. “The kids enroll. You get the money, the kids disappear,” he said.

A review of K12 management contracts reveals that the company may still benefit from students who end up leaving. Under its contracts with some charter schools, K12 charges “upfront” fees for books and other supplies.

According to an Agora price list for the 2009-10 school year, K12’s upfront billings for elementary and middle school students were $60 a course for online services, $75 a course for materials and $75 per student for computers. With students frequently enrolled in six courses, the fees could surpass $800.

Under some of K12’s contracts, only a portion of the fees would be returned if students withdrew quickly. Mr. Packard has said the company does not make money if students leave because of the cost of the materials and shipping.

The state audit of the Colorado Virtual Academy, which found that the state paid for students who were not attending the school, ordered the reimbursement of more than $800,000.

With retention a problem, some teachers said they were under pressure to pass students with marginal performance and attendance.

Students need simply to log in to be marked present for the day, according to Agorateachers and administrators.

For most students, attendance is recommended but not mandatory at what are called synchronous sessions — when they can interact online with the teacher. A new grading policy states that students who do not turn in work will be given a “50” rather than a zero. Several teachers said assignments were frequently open for unlimited retakes.

Agora records from last year show that failing students were told they could make up their work. “All students with a course average of 40 to 59 percent were called and told all assignments past due could be made up without penalty,” according to minutes from a school board meeting. Similar calls were going out to students with averages of 0 to 39 percent.

Theresa Henderson, an Agora teacher until June 2010 and the mother of four of its students, said she was among faculty members who requested a stronger policy to dismiss students who were not doing their work.

Several current and former staff members said that a lax policy had allowed students to remain on the rolls even when they failed to log in for days. Officials of the Elizabeth Forward School District in western Pennsylvania complained that Agora had billed the district for students who were not attending.

One of them was a girl who had missed 55 days but was still on the school’s roster, according to Margaret Boucher, assistant business manager at Elizabeth Forward.

The school has cracked down on disengaged students, according to a statement by its director, Sharon Williams, who said a policy adopted last December mandates attendance at online classes for those students who do not log in, repeatedly fail to complete lessons or are failing three courses. She said the school follows state law by removing students who are absent for 10 consecutive days.

Poor attendance and disengaged students have been such a problem that Agora dismissed 600 students last year for nonattendance, 149 of them just before state tests were administered, according to school board minutes.

The Students and Parents

With K12 estimating the market for its schools as high as $15 billion, the company’s manifest destiny is to expand across the United States. Its newest conquest is Tennessee, where the company got legislative approval last May and began holding information sessions in July.

By fall, 1,800 students had enrolled in the Tennessee Virtual Academy.

About 75 of them came from the struggling Memphis city school system, including the children of Denita Alhammadi.

In a neighborhood teetering on the edge of middle class, Ms. Alhammadi has converted her living room into a classroom. Two desks are for her children, Romeo, 13, and Yasmine, 8. Another is for Ms. Alhammadi, a former Army supply officer who is also studying online, through Kaplan University.

Within weeks of attending a K12 information session, Ms. Alhammadi had become parent and teacher, wrapped into one. She spends as much as six hours a day as the official “learning coach” for her children.

Like many parents who move their children to online schools, she had worried about violence. But no single reason leads families to make the switch. The students are a broadly diverse group, ranging from entertainers and athletes in training to children with cancer, seizure disorders, peanut allergies or behavioral problems. Some have been expelled from regular schools. In many cases their parents are simply dissatisfied.

Kathryn Ubiarco, whose son and daughter are also enrolled in Tennessee, said that her daughter’s school in Memphis had not been teaching her to read. “There’s no way to come up with the B that she got in reading last year,” Ms. Ubiarco said. “The child can’t read.” She believes the virtual school curriculum is more rigorous.

A lesson from a middle school world history class focuses on the history of the calendar and the recording of time. Intended to take one hour, the lesson opens online with an illustrated introduction. A video explains how time zones vary around the globe. After reading from a textbook, students define terms in a written journal. Then, the parent helps chart a timeline of the student’s own life.

The student can click on other online resources — flashcards, three timelines, two games and links to more than 20 other Web sites.

Students say the games are fun. They may encounter problems, though, when navigating the links. Of more than 20 links in the history lesson, five were not working on a recent day. Several linked to commercial sites including the History Channel and Yahoo Kids.

Students must score an 80 on an online assessment to move to the next lesson.

Some teachers have complained that it can be difficult to determine whether students are actually doing the work, or getting help from their parents or others. “Virtual schools offer much greater opportunity for students to obtain credit for work they did not do themselves,” said a report in October from the National Education Policy Center, which receives financing from the National Education Association.

Ms. Alhammadi, who runs her tiny school like boot camp, has hidden Romeo’s computer login so she has control. Otherwise, he would skip the lessons and move straight to the online test — a habit cited by critics of K12’s curriculum.

As two frisky cats run back and forth, Romeo raises his hand — a formality required by his mother — and asks to leave the room. He returns with headphones and plugs them into his computer. As he lip syncs Rihanna’s hit “Umbrella” it becomes clear that Romeo is not listening to any lesson. “I concentrate better with my music,” he says.

On his computer screen, a series of multiple choice questions ask him to select the correct answer to algebraic equations using negative numbers. Romeo scores a 67 percent.

When Romeo moves to science, he misses a question on the definition of matter.

“Romeo, Romeo,” his mother says. “If you had been studying appropriately, you would have found out that there are lots of properties of matter. And you got to take all those elements to build matter. Because elements are gas, solids, liquid.”

Romeo is scheduled for a virtual session with his assigned teacher and class at 1 p.m. But when he signs into the class, no one else is there. “Wow, the room is completely empty,” he says. He types, “Anyone here?” There is no response.

The Teachers

The monthly meeting of the Agora Cyber Charter School board of trustees is live on Blackboard, the same platform students and teachers use for class. During the November meeting, an elementary teacher, Jessica Long, placed a checkmark by her name, indicating she wanted to speak. Then she challenged school figures showing its student-to-teacher ratio is 49 to 1.

“I know on the elementary level we have anywhere from 70 to 100,” Ms. Long said. “I don’t know anyone who has 50 students.”

Some teachers said they were initially attracted to K12 by the flexibility of working from home, in some cases allowing them to take care of their own children while teaching.

Gwen Schwartz, an Indiana University graduate who teaches for the Tennessee Virtual Academy, works from her home in a remote area of eastern Tennessee while her children are next door with their grandparents. In addition to saving on child care, Ms. Schwartz can save on commuting costs and clothing.

But many teachers said the job had become less desirable as the company increased enrollment, particularly because pay at many K12 schools starts in the low 30s — low even for online schools. Some class sizes have become unwieldy, they said, requiring 60-hour weeks and compromising instruction.

At Agora, enrollment has reached 8,836, up from 6,323 in May, according to figures released by the school. As of late November, the total number of staff members — 408 — was lower than last year. Some high school teachers said they were managing as many as 270 students, even though they had been told they would have 150. Agora officials said last week that they hired 25 teachers in the past couple of weeks.

Some Agora teachers have been asked to take on extra students at the rate of $1 per student, per day, according to a newsletter from the Pennsylvania State Education Association.

In interviews, former teachers at Ohio Virtual Academy and Colorado Virtual Academy also complained of bigger class loads, with elementary teachers who once handled 40 to 50 pupils now supervising 75. A teacher with an elementary class that size and a 40-hour workweek could devote little more than 30 minutes a week to each student.

Mary Ravanelli, a former teacher at Ohio Virtual Academy, said she oversaw more than 70 students at a time, answering calls from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., updating parents on students’ progress and attending various school outings. “We’d actually meet our students several times a year,” she said.

With teacher salaries and benefits the biggest cost to K12, increasing student-to-teacher ratios is an easy way for the company to increase profits. Ms. Henderson, the former Agora teacher and mother of four students, said the ultimate losers are the children.

“What has happened now in honors literature courses, the teachers are not able to keep up with 300 students, so they’ll just cut curriculum. The kids are losing out,” she said. “This past week my son was exempted from ‘The Great Gatsby’ because of the workload of the teacher.”

Politics

“Choice” is a mantra of the charter school movement, which promotes competition as a way of compelling traditional public schools to improve. The for-profit companies that operate some charter and online schools take the idea a step further by arguing that private business models are more efficient than public school systems.

Together, the groups have formed a lobbying juggernaut in state capitals.

In Pennsylvania, where K12 Inc. collects about 10 percent of its revenues, the company has spent $681,000 on lobbying since 2007. The company also has friends in high places.Charles Zogby, the state’s budget secretary, had been senior vice president of education and policy for K12. In a statement, Mr. Zogby said he still owned a small number of K12 shares, but did not make decisions specifically affecting online schools.

An analysis by the National Institute on Money in State Politics concluded that K12 and its employees had also contributed nearly $500,000 to state political candidates across the country from 2004 to 2010.

One of the industry’s most persuasive promotional tools has been the young children who show up en masse at hearings to support online-school legislation. They are mobilized by groups tied to online schools. Records show that at least some receive industry funding.

When Karen Beyer, then a Pennsylvania state representative, sponsored a bill in 2007 to cut financing to online schools, about 700 people turned out for one hearing. Mr. Freund, the Pennsylvania education lawyer, said the room was “packed with kids.”

“They had on different colored T-shirts representing their cyber schools,” he added.

One of the organizers of such turnouts has been the Pennsylvania Families for Public Cyber Schools. Records show that the group, which gets money both from K12 and Connections Education, has spent about $250,000 on lobbying in the past five years.

Similar family organizations have cropped up across the country.

Former State Representative Stephen Dyer became suspicious when members of the benignly named organization My School, My Choice paraded through his northeastern Ohio district carrying signs attacking him: “Why Won’t Rep. Stephen Dyer let parents choose the best education for their kids?”

The protest was prompted by questions Mr. Dyer had raised over the state’s financing formula for charter and online schools. The group describes itself as a coalition of parents, teachers and employees of the schools. But Mr. Dyer said that his wife questioned the people carrying the signs and found out they were paid temp agency workers.

A telephone call to a toll-free number on the Web site for My School, My Choice was returned by Mark Weaver, a Columbus lawyer and political consultant with Republican ties dating back to the Reagan administration.

Mr. Weaver said the group’s crowning achievement was a 2009 rally against legislation in Ohio that would limit school choice. “We put 4,500 people on the statehouse lawn,” he said. But he declined to answer questions about the group’s leadership and financing.

Documents incorporating the organization provide clues. The forms name one of the group’s founders as Tim Dirrim, a Huntington National Bank employee who serves as board president of the Ohio Virtual Academy, which is managed by K-12 and receives more than $60 million a year from the state. Mr. Dirrim said he knew little about My School, My Choice and was not aware of the campaign against Mr. Dyer.

Much of the Ohio Virtual Academy’s money goes through an account at Huntington National, according to the Ohio auditor’s office. Mr. Dirrim said the banking arrangement was made before he joined the board and that he did not make decisions relating to the bank’s account with the school.

The Results

Mr. Packard has repeatedly delivered upbeat assessments to Wall Street about the progress of K12 Inc. students, even as many schools were performing poorly on state tests.

In a conference in March sponsored by the investment firm Morgan Stanley, Mr. Packard said that “our kids are doing as well or better than the average child in a brick-and-mortar school.”

During an investment analysts call in October, Mr. Packard boasted about results at Agora, calling them “significantly higher than a typical school on state administered tests for growth.” Weeks earlier, data had been released showing that 42 percent of Agora students tested on grade level or better in math, compared with 75 percent of students statewide. And 52 percent of Agora students had hit the mark in reading, compared with 72 percent statewide. The school was losing ground, not gaining it.

Mr. Packard said in a recent interview that he was not aware of the data at the time he made the comments. A spokesman said Mr. Packard was relying on older data.

A Stanford University group, the Center for Research on Education Outcomes, tracked students in eight virtual schools in Pennsylvania, including Agora, comparing them with similar students in regular schools. The study found that “in every subgroup, with significant effects, cyber charter performance is lower.”

Devora Davis, the center’s research manager, said the group’s analysis of Pennsylvania online schools showed that students were slipping. “If they were paired with a traditional public schools student, the public school student kept their place in line, and the cyberstudent moved back five spots,” she said.

An analysis by the Carroll County Public School District in Virginia shows that the 400 students in the virtual program there performed worse than the regular students in 19 of 26 categories on the state assessment test.

The Carroll County superintendent, James Greg Smith, said he was particularly concerned about scores in middle school math, history and social sciences. In seventh-grade math, for example, only 35 percent of the online students passed a state assessment; 68 percent of the traditional students did.

It will be a while before test results are available for students at the new virtual school in Tennessee. Back in Memphis, Ms. Alhammadi is worried that her daughter, Yasmine, is moving too quickly. A computerized analysis shows that, at the rate she is going, Yasmine will be finished with all but one of her classes by March.

Red flags go up if a student is “zapping through like a rocket, lesson by lesson,” according to Tom DiGiovanni, K12’s senior director of product planning. “The teachers are instructed to drop in (by phone) and do a little quiz to kind of test students” to make sure they understand the concepts.

Five miles from Ms. Alhammadi’s home, Ms. Ubiarco has also turned her living room into a classroom. Her daughter Sabrina, 10, is in the fifth grade and her son, K.C., 6, is in kindergarten at the Tennessee Virtual Academy.

Ms. Ubiarco is giving Sabrina a math lesson — about the distributive property — on a white board in the family’s living room.

While his mother focuses on his sister, K.C. is doing his own thing — lying on the carpet crashing cars into Spider-Man and Batman action figures.

For the most part, Mrs. Ubiarco said the switch to online had gone smoothly, although she was initially stumped when she first got the K12 curriculum.

“I called the teacher the other day to find out what a simple predicate is,” she said. “She said it’s the verb. I said why don’t they just say that?”

A version of this article appeared in print on December 13, 2011, on page A1 of the New York edition with the headline: Profits and Questions at Online Charter Schools.

Colo. loses in school funding suit

2011-12-10T07:45:00.001-08:00

Colo. loses in school funding suit

Billions of dollars on the line with judge’s decision against state

By Joe Hanel Herald Staff Writer

Article Last Updated: Friday, December 09, 2011 8:32pm

DENVER – A judge has declared Colorado’s school finance system unconstitutional, a decision that could put taxpayers and their state government on the hook for billions of dollars in educational costs.

The decision, if it stands up on appeal, will rank among the most important legal cases in Colorado history.

Denver District Judge Sheila Rappaport on Friday afternoon found for the plaintiffs in the Lobato case, which began as a lawsuit by San Luis Valley school districts about low funding from the state. Since then, other districts and people around the state joined the lawsuit, including Montezuma-Cortez schools.

Rappaport gave each side the chance to submit a proposed ruling, and she chose the plaintiffs’ 183-page submission.

“There is not one school district that is sufficiently funded. This is an obvious hallmark of an irrational system,” Rappaport’s ruling says.

The plaintiffs say Colorado schools need an extra $1 billion to $4 billion a year. The Legislature already spends nearly half its $7 billion general fund on schools, so it is not clear where the extra money would come from, except a tax increase.

Rappaport’s ruling does not specify how much money schools would need to make the system pass legal muster.

But she did say the current system does not fulfill the state constitution’s guarantee of a thorough and uniform education for all Colorado children.

Two Cortez teachers who testified for the plaintiffs were ecstatic.

“I’m excited for my students,” said Justine Bayles, a teacher at Cortez Middle School and a mother of four. “I’m excited for my children. I’m excited for the people I work with.”

She and Matt Keefauver, a teacher at Kemper Elementary School, provided the emotional highlight of the August trial, which was an otherwise dry five weeks of exploring school budgets and student performance.

Both teachers were moved to tears on the witness stand when they talked about kids in their classroom who fell behind and lacked the support at school to help them catch up or simply disappeared from school.

“This is amazing. This is so fantastic,” Keefauver said when he learned about the decision. “I felt confident that the judge would rule that way.”

Not everyone shared his confidence.

Lawyers for Attorney General John Suthers, who defended the state in the case, argued that the question of school budgets belonged in the Legislature, not the courts.

“It’s something we’ll continue to argue,” said Suthers spokesman Mike Saccone. “The attorney general is obviously disappointed in the ruling, however he’s not surprised. It clearly was tempting for the district judge to wade into this public policy debate, and that’s what she did.”

Gov. John Hickenlooper’s spokesman, Eric Brown, said the state almost certainly will appeal.

Opponents had argued the Lobato plaintiffs were trying to use the courts to get funding they could not win through the Legislature. Just last month, voters rejected a sales and income tax increase for schools.

The Legislature probably will not have to tackle the problem in its 2012 session, which begins Jan. 11, because Rappaport gave the state time to appeal before her ruling goes into effect.

Speaker of the House Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch, issued a brief statement.

“Paying for quality education for our children has always been a priority. The challenge in front of us now is providing a quality education in the face of ever-increasing entitlement spending,” McNulty said.

Senate President Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont, said the Legislature has done its best to fund schools for children.

“We need to come together to find a solution to thoroughly and fairly fund Colorado schools,” Shaffer said.

Alex Halpern, lead attorney for the plaintiffs, has been working on the case since 2005.

“There isn’t any way to say something that doesn’t sound stupid. I was very excited and very pleased,” Halpern said.

The Legislature has cut school budgets by nearly $1 billion since the recession hit in 2008, and Hickenlooper has called for another cut next year.

“Current economic conditions, however, are not the source of the school finance crisis,” according to Rappaport’s ruling. “They have made an unworkable situation unconscionable. But Colorado’s history of irrational and inadequate school funding goes back for over two decades.”

Specific to Montezuma-Cortez schools, Rappaport noted that only half of kindergartners have gone to preschool, the district lacks money for full-day kindergarten for all kids, teachers have had four years of salary freezes and furloughs, and teacher salaries are much lower than in New Mexico.

The district also is on a four-day week because of tight budgets, and many of its schools have leaking roofs and asbestos problems, according to the judge’s ruling.

Former Gov. Bill Owens, a Republican, appointed Rappaport to the bench in 2006.

jhanel@durangoherald.com

Denver judge rules low funding for Colorado schools is "unconscionable"

2011-12-10T07:42:00.000-08:00

Denver judge rules low funding for Colorado schools is "unconscionable"

POSTED: 12/10/2011 01:00:00 AM MST

By Tim Hoover and Lynn Bartels
The Denver Post

A student tries to work on a writing assignment as children finish up their last day of summer school at Rocky Mountain Elementary in 2009. (The Denver Post | Aaron Montoya)

In a ruling that could have profound consequences for Colorado's budget, a Denver judge Friday said the state's school-funding system is not "thorough and uniform" as mandated by the state constitution.

The state's school-funding system "is not rationally related to the mandate to establish and maintain a thorough and uniform system of free public schools," District Judge Sheila Rappaport said in a 183-page ruling in which she called the system "unconscionable."

"It is also apparent that increased funding will be required," Rappaport wrote.

The case, Lobato vs. State of Colorado, was filed in 2005. It originated with a group of parents in the San Luis Valley but expanded to include districts from across the state.

EXTRAS

Christian Gebhardt, 10, of Greeley, holds up a sign showing the amount per student in 2009. He and other students demonstrated the current levels of Colorado per-pupil school funding with a human graph on the Capitol steps.

Read: Ruling by District Judge Sheila Rappaport in Lobato vs. State of Colorado.

Lawyers for the state, represented by Attorney General John Suthers' office, argued that the question of how much should be spent on education should be left to the legislature and voters. They also said more money alone is not necessarily the solution to better schools.

But Rappaport clearly disagreed.

"There is not enough money in the system to permit school districts across the state to properly implement standards-based education and to meet the requirements of state law and regulation," she wrote in her ruling. "This is true for districts of every description. . . . There is not one school district that is sufficiently funded. This is an obvious hallmark of an irrational system."

Certain to be appealed

The judge said the problem has been compounded by continued budget cuts to education in recent years, adding, "Current economic conditions, however, are not the source of the school finance crisis. They have made an unworkable situation unconscionable."

Eric Brown, spokesman for Gov. John Hickenlooper, said the state will almost certainly appeal the decision to theColorado Supreme Court.

"The court clearly invited an appeal, and we believe an appeal is likely," Suthers spokesman Mike Saccone said. "It was clearly very tempting for the District Court judge to wade into what is a public policy debate."

"We won big time," said attorney Alexander Halpern, who, along with Kathleen Gebhardt, initiated the lawsuit in 2005.

The judge's ruling requires the state to come up with a funding system that pays for all that legislators have asked schools to do and prevents lawmakers from implementing "any and all laws that fail to establish and fund a thorough and uniform system," he said.

However, the judge, apparently recognizing that an overhaul of the system for funding public education could take time, has stayed the order for "a reasonable amount of time," so that lawmakers can work on a new system. Depending on how that system is structured, it could require approval by voters.

The judge also ruled that the current system erodes local control because the lack of sufficient state funding ties local school boards' hands, Halpern said.

The plaintiffs argued that no calculation had ever been made of what the true cost is of providing a "thorough and uniform" public education to all students.

The lawsuit doesn't seek money. However, one consultant hired by Halpern and Gebhardt estimated the state's current funding system falls short by as much as $4 billion a year.

The state now spends more than 40 percent, or $3.2 billion in the 2010-11 fiscal year that ended in June, of its almost $7 billion general fund on K-12 schools.

"Wow. Wow. Wow."

Coloradans in November, by a 2-to-1 margin, shot down a $3 billion tax-increase measure for schools.

Meanwhile, the current school-finance system would stay in place until the Colorado Supreme Court either makes a final ruling in the case or if defendants or plaintiffs ask Rappaport to revisit the ruling. Rappaport indicated she wanted lawmakers to address the issue, saying the injunction against the state couldn't be revisited until the end of the 2012 legislative session.

Lawmakers responding to the ruling were scrambling to understand it.

Sen. Evie Hudak, D-Westminster, a former schoolteacher and State Board of Education member, hailed the decision. "It makes a statement about the necessity of adequate school funding."

Sen. Keith King, R-Colorado Springs, a witness in the case, also was shocked, but not so ecstatic.

"Wow," he said. "Wow. Wow. This ruling is extremely disappointing."

King said during his 12 years as a lawmaker, "we've done a thorough and comprehensive job of analyzing how to fund districts in the state of Colorado."

Schools are "not underfunded," he said. "With the pressure of Medicaid on the budget, we have to balance our resources with all the demands. Not one area should be absolute in its funding from the state of Colorado."

Staff writer Karen Auge contributed to this report. Tim Hoover: 303-954-1626 orthoover@denverpost.com

Read more:Denver judge rules low funding for Colorado schools is "unconscionable" - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/legislature/ci_19513992#ixzz1g9AwXu9M
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Charter schools in Colorado near head of the class in enrollment

2011-12-10T07:40:00.000-08:00

Charter schools in Colorado near head of the class in enrollment

POSTED: 12/08/2011 01:00:00 AM MST
UPDATED: 12/08/2011 02:13:10 AM MST

By Yesenia Robles
The Denver Post

Samantha Belmontes, 7, a student at Ricardo Flores Magon Academy in Denver, and classmates test their hand-eye coordination. Charters such as Magon Academy are public schools granted autonomy from some state rules. (Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post)

Nearly 20 years after the country's first public charter school opened, charter schools in Colorado are enrolling more students than ever.

This year, charter schools nationwide logged their largest enrollment increase, with a population of more than 2 million students — including about 82,206 in Colorado — according to data released Wednesday by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

"I think charters have become part of the mainstream of America's public education system," said Ursula Wright, the alliance's interim president and chief executive. "Though it's certainly a small percentage, at 5 percent of the total student population in 20 years, no one can continue to think of us as a marginalized phenomenon."

Charter schools are free, public schools operated by an independent board. They can be granted autonomy from various state laws, most commonly around hiring and firing practices.

Charters are also free to offer different curricula and services than traditional public schools.

Colorado's charter-school enrollment increased this year by 8,500 students, or 11.9 percent, ranking the state eighth in the country. The state also added 13 new charter schools.

California, the top state in the country for charter student growth, had an increase of about 47,000 students.

"I believe it's twofold," Wright said. "It's an increased public understanding of charters that has increased demand but also a stronger, more favorable environment that has been a benefit."

Among the 13 new Colorado charter schools, four are in Denver Public Schools, and two each in Douglas County and the Adams 12 school district.

Nationwide, more than 500 new charter schools opened, concentrated in a few states where recently enacted laws eased new charter-school creation.

In Colorado, the environment has been good and the demand high, said Jim Griffin, president of the Colorado League of Charter Schools.

"The demand has been there since the beginning," Griffin said. "What you continue to see is building and increasing political support for charters. We have all gotten collectively smarter about how to deal with barriers."

According to data from the Colorado Department of Education, the enrollment jump may be the second-largest for Colorado.

In 2009, charter-school enrollment increased by 8,713 pupils to 66,556, up from 57,843 in 2008.

The data archived online goes as far back as 1995, when Colorado had 22 charter schools and 4,107 students enrolled.

Overall student achievement at charter schools has been mixed, but recently, charter schools have been at the top of the best-performing public schools in the state.

Wright said autonomy helps charters succeed, but it's not the only factor for success.

"We don't have a target for charter schools that we're reaching for at all, because it's about reaching unprecedented levels of high academic achievement," Wright said. "Sometimes it will mean charter schools, or sometimes it will mean traditional schools adopting certain elements of autonomy or flexibility."

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools report noted that about 150 charter schools were closed this year nationwide.

Since 1997, 26 Colorado charters have closed.

"There's always going to be a mix. Some will do well; some won't. We absolutely know that," Griffin said. "When charters get the right combination of people, program and leadership, they can do really well. That's not something we can say for centrally managed school districts."

Yesenia Robles: 303-954-1372 oryrobles@denverpost.com

Read more:Charter schools in Colorado near head of the class in enrollment - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_19493642#ixzz1g9ANloqh
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Charter school enrollment surges in Colorado and nationwide

2011-12-10T07:39:00.000-08:00

Charter school enrollment surges in Colorado and nationwide

POSTED: 12/07/2011 06:27:13 AM MST
UPDATED: 12/07/2011 06:08:24 PM MST

By Yesenia Robles
The Denver Post

Students at Peak to Peak Charter School in Lafayette are seen studying for advanced placement classes in preparation for college in this file photo from April 2011. (Kathryn Scott Osler, The Denver Post)

This year, charter schools across the country logged the largest enrollment increase ever recorded.

Colorado, among the top states in the country for charter school enrollment increase, added 13 new charter schools and enrolled more than 8,500 additional students in the autonomous schools.

The data was released today by The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.

Nationwide, data shows the number of students attending public charter schools has surpassed 2 million, and more than 500 new public charter schools opened in the current school year.

In Colorado, the 8,500 new charter school students represent an 11.9 percent growth.

California leads the nation in total number of charter schools with 983 schools in operation.

The report also keeps tabs on how many charter schools close each year to "provide further evidence that the charter school intent works — schools that do not meet the needs of their students should close."

Nationwide about 150 charter schools were closed this school year.

Yesenia Robles: 303-954-1372 oryrobles@denverpost.com

Read more:Charter school enrollment surges in Colorado and nationwide - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_19487877#ixzz1g99vH36X
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Animas High School

YOUTH EXPO TONIGHT!

AHS Weekly Update- Week of March 5th, 2012

2012-2013 AHS Admissions Lottery

AHS Weekly Update- Week of February 27th, 2012

AHS Weekly Update- Week of February 20th, 2012

AHS Weekly Update- Week of February 13th, 2012

Breaking News- CO granted waiver from No Child Left Behind (NCLB)

AHS Weekly Update- Week of February 6th, 2012

Durangoans have decent credit; Animas High students survey 600 residents

Poll: Durangoans have decent credit

AHS Weekly Update- Week of January 30th, 2012

AHS Weekly Update- Week of January 23rd, 2012

AHS College Chronicle- An Upperclassmen Update for 2013

AHS Weekly Updatep Week of January 16th, 2012

Pot shops near schools in hot seat

Pot shops near schools in hot seat

California-style crackdowns come to Colorado dispensaries

AHS Weekly Update- Week of January 9th, 2012

Home Page » News » Local News » Do our schools make the grade? Do our schools make the grade?

Do our schools make the grade?

Group’s assessment gives 6 local schools a B; the rest get C or lower

Animas High School rates among state’s best schools

Animas High School rates among state’s best schools

A Letter to Mountain Middle School Families from AHS

AHS Weekly Update- Week of January 2nd, 2012

2012 Student Ambassador Program Announcement

Colorado receives $17.9 million Race to the Top education gran

Annual PAC Survey!!! Thanks for your Participation

Colorado Gov. Hickenlooper to appeal education-funding lawsuit

Colorado lawmakers mull unexpected revenues, debate restoring cuts to education

Colorado loses again in "Race to the Top" grant competition

CSI Names New Executive Director

Colorado charter school chief leaves for post in Washington, D.C.

ANIMAS HIGH RECIEVES JOHN IRWIN SCHOOLS OF EXCELLENCE AWARD

AHS Weekly Update-Week of December 12th, 2011

Profits and Questions at Online Charter Schools

Profits and Questions at Online Charter Schools

By STEPHANIE SAUL

Published: December 12, 2011

Multimedia

At School in Cyberspace

Lagging in Performance: Pennsylvania Online Schools

Related

Grading the Digital School: Online Learning, Personalized (December 5, 2011)

Readers’ Comments

A version of this article appeared in print on December 13, 2011, on page A1 of the New York edition with the headline: Profits and Questions at Online Charter Schools.

Colo. loses in school funding suit

Colo. loses in school funding suit

Billions of dollars on the line with judge’s decision against state

Denver judge rules low funding for Colorado schools is "unconscionable"

Denver judge rules low funding for Colorado schools is "unconscionable"

EXTRAS

Charter schools in Colorado near head of the class in enrollment

Charter schools in Colorado near head of the class in enrollment

Charter school enrollment surges in Colorado and nationwide

Charter school enrollment surges in Colorado and nationwide