Blog posts are the opinions of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of A+ Colorado.
Photo via Pexels by Peter Huidekoper, Jr. Peter Huidekoper Jr. has been writing an education newsletter, Another View, for over 20 years. Peter has authored a number of opinion pieces in newspapers and magazines. He is the Coordinator for the Colorado Education Policy Cohort. For 18 years he taught and coached in middle and high…
School buses in a parking lot. / Image via Kelly Lacey on Pexels Rural Invisibility: Ignoring the Educational Needs of Nine Million American Students By Dr. Kristina A. Hesbol There are more students attending American rural schools than all the students in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and the next 85 largest school districts combined…
Virtual school, image via Pexels. Credit: August de Richelieu Going into September, most schools have opened throughout the land: some in-person, some partially in-person, and some fully online. I have been trying to track what I am hearing and seeing through conversations with folks on the ground — and with lots of reading. Kids (and…
Is the Denver Public Schools board no longer focused on ending inequality? Van Schoales – President of A+ Colorado. This piece was originally published in the Denver Post on August 18th. The Denver School Board’s recent letter to families asking them to prioritize the school district’s interests above the interests of their children is a remarkable…
Would I send my kid to school this fall? Van Schoales – President of A+ Colorado. This piece was originally published in the 74 on August 4th. I get asked daily what I would do if I had a child entering school this fall. While every family situation is so different, I can share my…
Letter to Colleagues – The Courage to Address Systemic Inequity Mike Miles, A+ Colorado Board Member, June 15 2020 Even before COVID-19 we knew that our public education system was inequitable. On the whole, poor and minority students did not receive the same opportunities or access to high quality programs and schools as their wealthier…
Could American high school learning improve with COVID planning? Most of the planning for opening schools this fall around the world is being driven by how best to reduce the risk of transmitting COVID. Can you reduce class sizes? Rethink meeting in large groups? Break up schedules to meet less often or more often for…
This post originally appeared in The 74 on 5/17/2020. Colorado school district boards are about to make the most difficult financial decisions of their lives. Never have school boards or district financial leaders been asked to make such deep cuts in their budgets. School district budget decisions in the next month will have a profound impact on…
Legislative Council Staff and the Office of Planning and Budgeting delivered updated economic and revenue forecasts. With an expected 25% reduction in overall revenue, in addition to other factors, a $3.3 billion shortfall in the state budget is expected heading into next year. Additionally, based on projected declines in local shares and mill levy overrides,…
Educators, like many health and other essential workers are stepping up in remarkable ways to serve students and families. Jimmy Fallon said and sang it well on last night’s Tonight Show, Many Colorado educators spend far more time than they did a few months ago connecting with students remotely, on their porches or through phone…