Blog posts are the opinions of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of A+ Colorado.

CDHE releases an inaugural equity report for attainment

ECC Action Plan focuses on 5 key themes // Screenshot from CDHE report On December 18, 2020, Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) and CDHE’s Equity Champions Coalition (ECC) released Colorado’s first equity report for higher education called “Report on Educational Equity: Creating a Colorado for All.”  In Colorado, white students have an attainment level…

Continue Reading …


‘I figured it out by being my authentic self.’ My journey growing up in NW Denver, working at DSST, and now joining A+ Colorado

Edward Quiñones and students // Provided by Edward Quiñones This is a first-person essay, written by A+ Colorado’s Communication and Development Associate, Edward Quiñones. This is part of our first-person blog series.  Want to contribute? Email Edward@APlusColorado.org. A great man once said, “The highest human act is to inspire.”  From the moment I walked through…

Continue Reading …


‘Why do they feel we are inferior?’ The unconscious biases placed on bilingual and multilingual students

A student learning // Stock photo via Pexels This article is part of A+’s new community-focused blog program, where we are inviting parents / families, teachers, organizations, and students to share their experiences of education in Colorado. This is a first-person narrative and all opinions are those of the guest author.  Cynthia Camble is a…

Continue Reading …


Gitanjali Rao, Colorado sophomore is TIME’s first Kid of the Year. The honor highlights the importance of student voice and youth leadership.

Last week’s announcement is the culmination of a lot of firsts for 15-year-old Gitanjali Rao: Being named as the first Kid of the Year by TIME Magazine, representing Colorado, and STEM School Highlands Ranch, a public charter school. The title as the first honoree comes on the heels of another world-wide historic moment featuring a…

Continue Reading …


DPS interim superintendent announced: Dwight Jones

Yesterday evening, it was announced that Dwight Jones will step in as DPS interim superintendent. The decision was announced after the DPS Board of Education work session and an executive session. Dwight is currently DPS’ Senior Deputy Superintendent for Equity, and previously was the Superintendent in Clark County (Las Vegas), the nation’s 5th largest school district.…

Continue Reading …


Stay Sharp Newsletter: 12.3.20

Good morning, Colorado! It’s the first week of December – back when the pandemic started, no one could have predicted we’d be still in lockdown mode 8 months later – but here we are. Colorado schools have largely pivoted their reopening plans for remote learning. At A+, we’d like to acknowledge the dedication of parents, students,…

Continue Reading …


Statement in thanks to Susana Cordova: A great loss for Denver

On Friday, Nov. 13, it was announced that Susana Cordova, Superintendent at Denver Public Schools, is resigning from her position after two years to work at the Dallas Independent School District as the Deputy Superintendent of Leading and Learning. A+ Colorado wants to publicly thank Susana for her service and leadership to Denver’s students over the last 31 years…

Continue Reading …


‘Todos necesitamos de todos’ (It takes a village): How student engagement with remote learning is a shared responsibility for working families

Valeria Contreras is the Advocacy Director at A+ Colorado. During the pandemic, she has been working from home and supporting her niece and nephew with online schooling. This is a first-person perspective.  I’m on the phone with my coworker Hayley, and my niece is upset, pleading to me to help her find her crayons so…

Continue Reading …


Do we know how many Colorado students aren’t engaged in learning as October Count starts?

Image via Pexels On Tuesday, Sept. 29, Gov. Jared Polis addressed citizens of Colorado with one message: Please enroll your child in school. “We know that the potential learning loss for our highest needs kids: English language learners, students with disabilities, low income students can have implications for years to come,” Polis said. “McKinsey &…

Continue Reading …


Learn about the Colorado RISE Education Fund: $32.7 million toward learning during COVID-19

Image via Christina Morillo, Pexels Update: On Jan. 25, Colorado awarded the second round of the RISE grands, including $27 million in education grants to 19 programs aimed at helping students in communities hit hard by the pandemic, Gov. Jared Polis and state officials announced. Read the list of these grantees in this article by…

Continue Reading …