These posts are the opinions of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of A+ Colorado.
Twenty years ago this week, I was in my high school biology class and over the intercom we were told to stay inside the school and not leave the premises. Our teacher finally relented and let us watch the unfolding horror on CNN through our class TV. Down the street at our neighboring high school…
A version of this post originally appeared on the blog The Open System. As some readers know, I regularly publish podcasts on my website The Open System. The podcast and website explores themes of family engagement, feedback loops between systems and communities and ways to make our education system work for the communities they serve. This…
October came in with a rush of winter weather and seasonal colors. With the early onset of winter weather, I always worry that the colors will disappear before I’ve had a chance to really enjoy the leaves. Like the fall leaves disappearing before we’ve had a chance to enjoy them, I also worry that here…
test When Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon and marched towards Rome, a (likely) apocryphal story had him saying: Alea iacta est. The die is cast. The phrase has marked for centuries momentous turnings of fate and deep uncertainty about what would come next. In Denver this past week, Superintendent Tom Boasberg announced he was rolling the…
DPS is promising more community engagement than ever before. Yet, by spinning this many plates at the same time, they create potential for overloading their ability to process the information and underwhelming community members with their inability to act on feedback or commitments. Last week, over 100 education advocates attended our launch event for our…
Anxiety combined with rising expectations is revolutionary rocket fuel. Amidst their wandering, can different generations of educational leaders come together for what we all know is possible? Or will they fail each other and future generations? I was recently speaking with a group of national education experts who were asking my opinion about current issues…
Last month, the Denver Public School Board engaged in a conversation with the district leadership about the current state of yellow schools. It was a welcome and long overdue conversation. In the DPS system red and orange schools are bound to draw the eye of both families, community leaders and DPS leadership. These are our…
This post originally appeared on the blog The Open System. I’m really excited about our March podcast. This month we get to talk to someone who I really love working with in the open system space – Reilly Pharo Carter. Reilly is the Executive Director of Climb Higher Colorado, an organization formed for the purpose…
By Keara Duggan, Partner at Education Elements, and Dr. Landon Mascareñaz, Senior Partner for Advocacy and Alliances at A+ Colorado This blog originally appeared on January 24, 2018 on Education Elements Personalization is everywhere you turn today – from your online shopping recommendations to your daily coffee order. Some districts have realized the power of personalization and…
This article is the first part of a multi-part series on potentially transformative school improvement initiatives, leading up to A+ Colorado’s Turnaround Convening on May 4, 2018. Save the date and stay tuned for more information. Purpose A+ Colorado is deeply committed to understanding and sharing research and best practice that has the potential…