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

The long and winding road to school finance reform in Colorado: five key lessons

Originally Posted by Democrats for Education Reform on June 27, 2013. Copyright © dfer.org. Written by Van Schoales. Read here. Colorado is on the brink of having one of the most carefully devised and unique school finance systems in the country. After a perilous journey, Senate Bill 213, CO’s recently passed school finance bill, was finally signed into…

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Voices: Is today’s high school diploma the equivalent of Weimar republic money?

Originally Posted by EdNews Colorado on June 19, 2013. Copyright © ednewscolorado.org. Written by Van Schoales. Read here. Just a few weeks ago, thousands of Colorado high school students donned black gowns, heard their names read, and proudly walked across a stage to take hold of their high school diploma. But what is the value of that diploma?…

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Voices: Good high schools – choice and opportunity

Originally Posted by EdNews Colorado on June 13, 2013. Copyright © ednewscolorado.org. Written by Van Schoales. Read here. Most parents want their kids to go to college. A poll released last week by Harvard, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and National Public Radio found that nine of 10 black families want to send their kids to college, and half…

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May Newsletter: Keeping you informed about A+ Denver

New Colorado Graduation Requirements A+ Denver has been a strong advocate for linking a high school diploma to some authentic measure of competency instead of seat time.  More than half of the 2013 graduating seniors in Denver will require remediation if they choose to go to college and about a third of them are academically underprepared…

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Shouldn’t a Diploma Mean Something?

Originally Posted by Denver Post on April 21, 2013. Copyright © Denverpost.com. Written by Vincent Carroll. Read here. What’s a high school diploma worth? By itself, almost nothing. Colleges have long known this. So has the military. That’s why both rely on independent tests. Possessing a diploma is no doubt better than the alternative, but mainly because if…

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Press Release: Denver Citizens Group Releases Sharp Critique of Denver and Aurora High Schools

For Immediate Release April 11, 2013 at 6:00AM MST Media Contact Van Schoales, CEO, A+ Denver (303) 725-1151 van@aplusdenver.org Denver Citizens Group Releases Sharp Critique of Denver and Aurora High Schools A+ Dever calls for radical redesign of urban high schools Despite reports that more Denver and Aurora students are college-bound, a brief issued today…

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Press Release: Landri Taylor named newest DPS Board Member, steps down from A+ Denver Board

For Immediate Release Monday, March 18, 2013 Media Contact Van Schoales, CEO, A+ Denver (303) 725-1151 van@aplusdenver.org Landri Taylor named newest DPS Board Member, steps down from A+ Denver Board Today, DPS School Board President Mary Seawell announced the appointment of Landri Taylor to fill the vacancy created by the departure of Nate Easley in…

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March Newsletter: Keeping you informed about A+ Denver

Mark your calendars! A+ will be issuing a report on the state of high schools in Denver and AuroraPublic Schools in early April. Following the release of the report we will be hosting an Urban High School Summit on April 24th with leaders from DPS and APS to talk about the findings from the report. We will be…

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Denver is a great city and needs a great school board

Originally Posted by Denver Post on February 17, 2013. Copyright © Denverpost.com. Written by Van Schoales and Terrance Carroll. Read here. The future of Denver as a thriving and appealing urban center depends not on high profile projects like the light rail expansion and Five Points renewal project, but on something much more mundane, something you’d probably never…

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February Newsletter: Keeping you informed about A+ Denver

Mark your calendars! …for February 20th, 5pm. Evan Stone, one of the co-founders for Educators 4 Excellence, will join us to talk about teachers making an impact on policy. E4E is a teacher led organization with chapters in New York, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles that works to ensure the voices of teachers are included in…

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