Colorado Charter Schools Well Positioned for Public Funds

ACTION ALERT: Support Using Race to the Top Funds for Education Reform in Colorado!

On July 24th, President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan held a press conference to announce the release of the Administration's draft priorities and guidelines for the Race to the Top Grant competition.

Supporting public charter schools is a core component of Race to the Top, especially as an effective way to help turnaround our lowest performing public schools. Because Colorado has such a strong charter school law - it is in a good position to earn some of these important dollars! In fact, according to Governor Ritter's website:

Colorado is now involved in a public process that will result in a proposal to qualify for the Race to the Top funds, potentially $300-$500 million. This is an investment that could potentially transform our education system. The proposal will be submitted December 1, 2009.

Please contact President Obama, Vice President Biden, Secretary of Education Duncan and Governor Ritter and let them know the Colorado charter school community strongly supports the U.S. Department of Education's efforts to use Race to the Top funds to change restrictive state policies limiting effective teachers, high quality charter school growth, and broad based education reforms!

Click the link below to make your voice heard:
http://tinyurl.com/lg3jkk

The Department of Education NEEDS to hear from the charter school community in support of their strong positions on education reform. Please make your voice heard by clicking the link below.

http://tinyurl.com/lg3jkk

If you have any questions regarding this issue, or any public policy issue facing charter schools, please contact Sean Bradley, Director of Governmental Affairs at the Colorado League of Charter Schools at 303-989-5356 or sbradley@coloradoleague.org.

AHS rushes to be ready
Charter school finishing final touches for pupils
by Chuck Slothower
Herald Staff Writer Article Last Updated; Sunday, August 16, 2009


With only eight days until students arrive, Animas High School is taking shape in a last-minute scramble.

Workers and volunteers are painting, wiring and sanding to prepare for students' arrival. Durango's new charter school opens Aug. 24 to about 90 ninth-graders.

Organizers hope to obtain a temporary certificate of occupancy for the building at 3206 Main Ave. by Aug. 24.

"We're moving at a breakneck pace," said Nancy Heleno, chairwoman of the AHS board.

Construction may not be finished by Aug. 24, but the school's first week will be held at Edgemont Ranch regardless, Heleno said.

"We're going to do our best to finish up as soon as we can," she said.

The hurried race to school's first day illustrates the sometimes hectic nature of founding a charter school. Animas High is Durango's first charter school since Excel Charter School dissolved its charter and board of directors in 2006.

Animas High's space, a two-story storefront in a strip mall on north Main Avenue, required an extensive remodel costing an estimated $175,000. Nearly all the materials and labor were donated, so the school's out-of-pocket costs were minimal. Businesses have donated everything from windows to electricians' time.

One volunteer, Bruce Allsopp, spent Thursday painting a hallway. Allsopp said he plans for his 11-year-old daughter to attend AHS when she's old enough.

Animas High has promised volunteer laborers who put in 100 hours to give their children priority when it switches to a lottery for admissions.

School organizers anticipate demand eventually will exceed space, which would necessitate a lottery.

Animas High is opening with only ninth grade in 2009-10. But school officials plan to add a grade each year until the school becomes a four-year, 400-student high school.

During a tour of the building Thursday, Heleno and Head of School Michael Ackerman showed what will be the Digital Media Lab. The lab will be equipped with 25 high-powered desktop computers.

"We will actually have more technological capability than just about every company in the county," Heleno said.

Among students' first tasks will be a community service project with Durango Fire & Rescue Authority. Students will paint fire hydrants and do other work, and in exchange, firefighters will teach a hydraulics lesson.

With grant money in hand, per-pupil operating revenue coming from the Colorado Department of Education and a core group of passionate supporters, the school appears to be on solid ground for 2009-10. Parents looking for an alternative to Durango High School have pushed the school toward a successful opening.

"What I hear the most is the parents and students are looking for an environment where they're not going to be anonymous," Ackerman said.

Animas High is modeled after High Tech High, a San Diego charter school. The model emphasizes technology, project-based learning and individual attention.

Durango's two previous charter schools, Community of Learners and Excel, closed because of inadequate financing and low enrollment. Both schools were authorized by Durango School District 9-R.

Animas' board went another route, obtaining the school's charter through the Colorado Charter School Institute, a state agency. Without 9-R's backing, Animas High's success is up to the institute and the school's board members, staff, parents and students.

"I don't think any of us see it as a comparison," Heleno said, referring to previous charter schools. "I think that this curriculum and this model are so distinct that it makes sense to be our own entity.

"And we view the CSI as our safety net. They're in the business of chartering and supporting charter schools."

chuck@durangoherald.com

SAVE THE DATE

It Takes a Village to Raise a Child...It Takes a Community to Educate one!

A HUGE THANK YOU to all the wonderful businesses and professionals in our community who have donated their time and resources in helping AHS remodel our new home at 3206 North Main Ave.

Student Welcome Packet

Student Packets were mailed out this week. Below are copies of those materials.

A Special Goodbye....

Normally I keep the AHS blog entries focused on our upcoming events, news articles or reflections on best practices in education. But today, I'd like to take a moment to publically appreciate and say goodbye to a very special individual.
When I came to Durango to interview for Animas High’s Head of School position, my initial point of contact was Bev DeGraw. Before meeting Bev in person, I was already fascinated by this man who I had come to know through telephone conversations and emails. When we finally sat down at the Doubletree for breakfast on a bitterly cold morning in December 2008, Bev did not disappoint! He regaled me with stories about his time in the navy, his experiences in education and his love of the Colorado mountains. It was almost as if we both needed to be reminded this was a job interview and not a casual brunch. But that was Bev. He had the ability to disarm, comfort and engage everyone he met. He was a terrific listener. He had a sharp wit. He quickly became a fabulous mentor, fantastic cheerleader and valued confident. He’s also one of the main voices that advocated for the board to hire me and one of the main reasons I was drawn to work for Animas.
I move to Durango full time and devoted every second to Animas High. As the days grew shorter, the snow banks grew higher and winter firmed its icy grip over our little mountain town, Bev fell ill. I remember missing his presence at meetings, his reassuring voice in times of stress and his “don’t panic, it’ll be okay” approach to all the twists and turns encountered in a start up venture like Animas High. As the season wore on, Bev’s condition persisted and I watched a proud, independent man begrudgingly grow to accept the help of friends and colleagues trying to assist him through his daily routines. I spent a weekend with Nancy, Peter and Pearce as we moved Nance into Bev’s house so she could be at hand to help him around the clock. It was good to spend time at the house and I was relieved to at least help him out in some way.
As spring approached, Bev’s condition worsened and he had to return to the hospital. I remember trying to gather up the nerve to visit him at Mercy. For some strange reason I was at a loss for words? (Not what most people have come to expect from me) I remember leaving the hospital, getting in my car and starting to cry. In the midst of all the craziness that comes along with opening up a new school, I realized that I had forgotten to take the time to process the gravity of the situation. It became increasingly clear to me that Bev was most likely not going to get better and it was a tough pill to swallow. As I sat in the car feeling sad and upset I realized what an impact this man had made on me. In only a short six months I had developed such a strong respect and admiration for Bev that the thought of losing him was unnerving.
Bev stayed sick. Sam moved away and spring slowly turned to summer. Then, last Sunday, I got the call that Bev had passed away. As I reflect on how Bev would have wanted to be remembered, it seems pretty clear to me. Bev DeGraw was an inspirational leader, a veteran educator and fiercely independent personality. He was committed to a lifestyle where he challenged himself to grow mentally and physically each day and his track record of giving to others remains a huge source of inspiration. Bev, I’m going to miss you and your quick wit, patient tone and calm demeanor. Together, we are accomplishing great things but you made this journey extra special. You are loved and you will be missed and we will continue to celebrate your life in all the good work we aspire to do. Namaste.

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Durango resident Beverly C. deGraw died after an eight-month battle with pulmonary fibrosis of unspecific origin at Mercy Regional Medical Center on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009. He was 66. Mr. deGraw was born to Carl and Myrtle deGraw in Washington, D. C., on March 4, 1943. He served as an active duty officer in naval security surveillance from 1967 to 1969 in Pensacola, Fla., and Dahlgren, Va. Mr. deGraw earned his bachelor's degree in industrial-arts education in 1967 from State University College in Oswego, N.Y.; his master's degree, also from State University College in Oswego, in 1971; and his doctorate from Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Ind., in 1990. He taught seventh- and eighth-grade industrial arts for 15 years at Thomas Harrison Junior High School in Harrisonburg, Va. From 1990 to 1995, he held professorships at Murray State University in Murray, Ky., and Morehead State University in Morehead, Ky. In 1991, he married Therese Jane "Janie" Albreight in West Terre Haute. From 1996 to 1999, Mr. deGraw was the director of curriculum and technology for the Ignacio School District while also serving as an adjunct professor at Adams State College in Alamosa. In the fall of 1999, Mr. deGraw went to work for the Bayfield School District as the curriculum, staff development, and special projects director. In 2007, as the district continued to grow, he became solely the special projects director. Among Mr. deGraw's responsibilities were directing the district's accountability and accreditation processes, writing and administering all federal and state grants and programs and serving as the district's director of vocational education, the coordinator of the Colorado Student Assessment Program, and the administrator of the district's E-Rate process. "Bev was highly regarded and trusted to recommend what was in the best interests of quality education and meeting the specific needs of students," wrote Don Magill, the former superintendent of the Bayfield School District. "Not only was he highly intelligent, but he thoroughly researched his well-thought-out recommendations. He was gifted with a dry wit and the visionary ability to 'see the future.'" Mr. deGraw received research awards, served on several editorial committees and published articles in educational journals. He helped address the vocational needs of students by serving on school committees in the Bayfield, Durango, and Ignacio school districts, as well as assisting the San Juan Board of Cooperative Educational Services with its industrial and vocational programs. Mr. deGraw was on the board of the new Animas High School in Durango. He belonged to Toastmasters in Durango and was on the board of United Way of Southwest Colorado. Mr. deGraw was preceded in death by his wife, Janie deGraw, in 2001. He is survived by his 14-year-old son, Sam deGraw, of Durango; brother, William deGraw of Omaha, Neb.; stepdaughter, Christina Brough, of Brownsburg, Ind.; and several nieces and nephews. Cremation will occur. A memorial service will take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009, at Christ the King Lutheran Church, 495 Florida Road. A reception will be held after the service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Jane deGraw Memorial Fund, Christian School at the First United Methodist Church, 2917 Aspen Drive, Durango, CO 81301; Animas High School, P.O. Box 4414, Durango, CO 81302; or the Columbine Christian School, 1775 Florida Road, Durango, CO 81301. Reprinted from the August 11, 2009 Durango Herald obituary submitted by the deGraw family

Head of School Update 8-5-09