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

Poverty Matters (As Do Good Schools)

I’m not sure what is more maddening, a teacher union leader saying that we need to address poverty before we focus on schools or an education reform advocate claiming that we can close the achievement gap with the right school reform efforts. Both are too simplistic. Research says: Family and Schools Have Largest Impact on…

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The Mis/Non-measure of Schools, Time to Re-think the SPF?

A quality school is the most important factor–after family–in determining a person’s economic and social development. The research perspective is clear: schools can have a huge impact on not only academics but also on a person’s character and social skills. We see this in the impact that schools like KIPP have had at successfully getting…

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An American Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday. What’s not to love about a full day of cooking, eating and conversation with family, friends and neighbors? Thanksgiving means many things to many different people, nor is it devoid of historical context, but for me it’s about community, fellowship and reflection with family, neighbors and friends. We…

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Colorado’s PARCC Hangover: One Step Forward or Many Back?

A few weeks ago, education headlines all over Colorado read “PARCC Results In.” Summarized, the articles asserted that Colorado elementary schools had shown slight improvement from 2015 to 2016, but the results were vague to say the least. And it’s true, while the Colorado State Board of Education released the second year of PARCC state…

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What Will Tom Do (WWTD)?

Tom Boasberg, the superintendent of Denver Public Schools, is about to return to his position after a six-month sabbatical with his family in South America. After seven years as superintendent, he has been one of the longest serving superintendents of an urban school district with an elected school board in our country’s recent memory. During…

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An Effective Mill Levy = Need + Plan + Evaluation + Feedback Loop

Denver has recently begun discussions regarding a new mill levy proposal that would provide an additional $50 million to the city’s schools. As in most debates, there is ample evidence on both sides of the issue of school funding: there is evidence that the money could make a big difference, and also a great deal…

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Measuring Educational Equity: Mission Accomplished or Merely Begun?

Post originally appeared in the Thomas B. Fordham Flypaper blog, republished here with slight modifications. Education Cities and Great Schools recently released a useful new educational data tool called the Education Equality Index (EEI), which allows users to compare cities and states across the nation that are “closing the achievement gap.” The tool compiles school-level…

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Not Knocking It Out of the PARCC

It’s been about nine months since kids started taking PARCC tests and one month since the state released some of the data on schools, and yet many families still do not have results for their kids. The data we do have is not disaggregated by student groups (a key tool for monitoring that all students…

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College Opportunity and the American Way

In May, my oldest daughter will graduate from college debt free. Our last payment will will be in two weeks when I will be lifting a glass in celebration. She will have the gift of a BA from a good college, unburdened by loan payments so that she might pursue the career of her choice.…

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A Socratic Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving couldn’t come at a better time this year. With conflict and violence on the rise around the globe, it provides a rare time to bring family, neighbors and friends together to cook, talk and hang out. And there are no gifts! It’s my favorite holiday. We will gather part of our tribe in Los…

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