Nine Charter School Applicants Discuss Ideas

The authors of nine Charter school proposals presented their ideas to the Board of Education this week.

Public comment on the proposals is welcome at a hearing November 21. District staff and the District School Improvement and Accountability Council will also address the Board at that time. Following are summaries of the proposals made and some comments from the Charter school presenters:

• Denver Big Picture High School #1 and #2
This proposal suggests two small, non-traditional high schools. One would possibly be located at the headquarters of the Urban League of Metropolitan Denver – in northeast Denver – in 2003. The other would likely open in the Northwest in 2004. The first 9-12 high school would have a projected enrollment of 60 students, grades 9-10 (year 1) growing to an institution of 120 students (grades 9-12) in the fourth year of operation.

“We are replicating a proven design…duplicated in Providence, Rhode Island,” said Jeff Park, Denver Big Picture High Schools. “The school would target at-risk students.” Each student would receive personalized attention developing a learning plan to meet career goals and district standards, according to Park.

Students must set learning goals and demonstrate proficiency in five separate areas each quarter: Communications, Quantitative Analysis, Empirical Reasoning, Social Perspectives and Personal Qualities.

• Harriet Tubman Charter School
The Harriet Tubman Charter School applicants propose to serve 525 at–risk students in grades K- 8 in 2003-2004, growing to a total of 825 students K-12 in 2007-2008. The school would use the Core Knowledge Sequence or selected parts of the Sequence in combination with various other programs or “conservatories”. The school proposes small classes and an Early Childhood Childcare Extended Center (ECC) with before- and after-school services available on request. A location has not been established. (A representative for this proposal was not available for the Board meeting.)

• Cole and Clayton Neighborhood Learning Centers
The Cole and Clayton Neighborhood Learning Centers propose to establish a Charter school based on the “school-within-a-school” model for a five-year period. The Charter school seeks to serve 250 at-risk students in five, unnamed partner schools. The Cole and Clayton Neighborhood Learning Centers would open in the fall of 2003 with 50 students in grades 5-8.

“The Cole and Clayton Neighborhood Learning Centers embrace a neighborhood perspective in education. It is an academic vehicle that connects parents and community members to student achievement,” organizer Beverly Lumumba told the board. “Academically, writing will be the emphasis.” The Learning Centers propose a “methodology informed by cultural techniques, strategies, and perspectives,” she said.

• Northeast Academy
The Northeast Academy applicants propose a Core Knowledge Charter school to serve 150 K-5 students in 2003-2004. The applicants intend to create a high achieving school that offers a “researched-based, challenging and content-rich curriculum,” according to the proposal.

“We want to give our community a choice,” said Keith Taylor. “We want them to attend a school that is academically rigorous and has a sense of community. We think that’s better accomplished in a small school.”

The proposal touts small class sizes, a character education program and school uniforms. Northeast Academy applicants propose to locate the school in the Montbello/Green Valley area anticipating at-risk students and English language learners. Parent Involvement will be strongly encouraged. Northeast Academy plans to retain SchoolStart to provide coaching and support.

• Compass Academy
Compass Academy, a Colorado non-profit corporation, is proposing a grades 6-12 year-round Charter school starting with 100 students and growing to 300 students over three years. Class size would range from 15-25 students with a focus on individualized instruction. The middle school program would group students according to subject knowledge and ability rather than grade level or age. The location for Compass is not set.

“We promote very heavily in math and language arts,” said Jerry Dare, Compass Academy. “Our high school standards to graduate are more rigorous than most public schools.”

The mission of the Compass Academy is to provide an academic program which consists of high, rigorous standards for pupil performance, with a special emphasis placed on expanded opportunities for students previously identified as low-achieving.

• Walsingham Academy
The Walsingham Academy would serve 45 emotionally disabled students in grades one through three in its first year, 2003-2004. The goal of Walsingham is to prepare emotionally disabled children with learning strategies that will permit them to succeed in “regular” classrooms beginning in seventh grade. No location is proposed.

The Charter school features small classrooms, a volunteer researcher in every classroom, accommodations for treatment and therapy, an individualized educational program for every student, and extensive staff training in Sensory Integration Dysfunction and Brain Instruction.

“What is going to be different is how children are addressed, how the day is structured, and the community support we are working to have,” said Nancy Contizano, mother of an emotionally challenged child.

Walsingham Academy Board Member Jerry Frank said that for an emotionally disturbed child this would be the least restrictive alternative. “This is their best chance,” said Frank.

• Summit Academy
Summit Academy plans to provide an education by “combining the beneficial rigors of a classical education with the latest technology and the best teaching and learning practices worldwide.” Central to the program is the Paragon humanities curriculum, which is based on the history of ideas in world culture. The Summit Academy Charter School application proposes to establish an initial K-5 school with a projected enrollment of 450 students in the first year. Mosaica Education, which already partners with existing DATA Charter school would manage Summit Academy.

“The mission of this school is to become an effective community resource that develops life long learners prepared to contribute purposefully to the community,” said Clementine Pigford, Summit Academy.

Some of the highlights of Summit Academy’s educational model include a longer school day and school year, integrated technology, on-going professional development, and full-day Kindergarten. Summit Academy hopes to serve the Northeast Denver population.

• Life Skills Center of Denver
The vision of the Life Skills Center of Denver is to educate and ultimately award DPS diplomas to current high school dropouts and/or other at-risk young adults who have not found success in a traditional educational setting. The year-round Charter school would serve grades 9-12. The location of the school is yet to be determined.

“We want to help you serve those kids that have decided to leave,” said Pierre Jimenez, Life Skills Center of Denver.

Part of the mission of the Life skills Center of Denver will be to provide its students with an individualized, self-paced, computer-based, and tuition-free educational experience, complemented by a life skills and vocational training component.

Mixed Reviews On CDM Effectiveness

There were just seven speakers but a range of opinions emerged this week on the effectiveness of the Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) concept.

“CDM’s have never been accountable for improving student achievement,” said one speaker.

“We hope the board and the CDM Commission recommend that CDM’s remain part of the process,” countered another. “We feel that CDM’s would lose their energy without decision-making authority.”

The Board of Education co-hosted a portion of the monthly public hearing with the CDM Commission, the group charged with recommending possible changes to how site-based management is organized within Denver Public Schools. (A description of the CDM Commission’s work can be found on the district’s web site.)

“Two questions,” said Cheltenham Elementary School CDM member Bill Johnston. “One, is there a viable, accountable role for CDM’s in improving student achievement and, two, can CDM’s be effectively reconstituted to carry out that role?”

Based on analysis of a survey given to CDM members last year, Johnston concluded that “there are some indications that CDM’s have not lived up to the intent or expectation of their promoters.”

But George Washington High School CDM member Jamie Kaplan lauded the concept as a “valuable forum” that allows parents and schools to “work together” to improve achievement. “We want the Board to know that the George Washington CDM does function efficiently,” said Kaplan, offering point by point answers to commission questions and defending the current CDM organization with every response.

Southmoor Elementary School parent and CDM member Cindy Silverman agreed. “CDM is a wonderful opportunity… to collaborate together,” she said. “The Southmoor CDM is quite successful and we urge you to keep the agreement in place.”

Northeast Denver parent Bridget Larkin said she had been “frustrated” by the response of principals and some CDM teams. “CDM meetings I attended were always dictated by the principal’s agenda,” she said. In other areas of the city, she said, similar teams appeared to be “extremely effective.” Larkin encouraged the Board to retain the CDM idea. “I have hope it’s going to get better,” she said.

College View Elementary School parent Dan Ridgeway said he would also support “the status quo” because the CDM there is a “functioning, vital part of the school.”

Ridgeway posed one question: “At a time when you are pleading for parent involvement, why would you consider shutting off an avenue that is one of the best ways to get more parent involvement?”

And Moore School parent David Gaass said his team “completely supports the process the way it is….We have had nothing but a positive experience from it – it has created a community for our school.”

Northwest Denver community member Joanne Roll, however, charged “The CDM is not democratic (and) it is not accountable to the school community.”

Board Notes...

In other action this week, the Board of Education:

Confirmed two principal appointments – Darryl Keeton at Contemporary Learning Academy; Donald Manzanares at Bruce Randolph Middle School.
Agreed to consider a proposal that would eliminate a retiree life insurance benefit for all new employees hired on or after July 1, 2003. The proposal also calls for a study of alternatives to the current retiree life insurance program and for those ideas to be presented no later than February 1, 2003.
Accepted a staff recommendation to approve the plan to add a Montessori program to Lincoln Elementary School. The plan would cost $87,000 over the three-year phase-in of the new program.
Agreed to consider a $700,000 grant application to the state Department of Education’s Colorado Initiative for Online Learning. The application is a joint effort with Colorado Springs District 6, Greeley Schools (Weld County), Aurora Public Schools, and Jefferson County Schools.

Denver Public School
Board of Education

Elaine Gantz Berman, President
Lucia Guzman, Vice President
Sue Edwards, Secretary
Kevin Patterson, Treasurer
Michelle Moss, Board Member
James Mejia, Board Member at Large
Les Woodward, Board Member at Large

BoardNews is published after each Board Meeting. For a free subscription contact the DPS Public Information Office 900 Grant St., Room 402, Denver, CO 80203

Phone: 720-423-3414 • TTY/TTD: 720-423-3741 • Fax: 720-423-3413