News Release
January 31, 2006
Denver Plan Committee Submits Proposed Changes To Superintendent Michael Bennet, Chief Academic Officer Jaime Aquino
The Denver Plan Committee - 40 school principals, teachers, central administrators and other staff members - who have been evaluating a draft of The Denver Plan on a regular basis since mid-November - submitted recommended changes to Superintendent Michael Bennet and Chief Academic Officer Jaime Aquino during a meeting late Monday (Jan. 30).
The Denver Plan is an 82-page document that spells out reforms for Denver Public Schools. It was first presented Nov. 17, 2005, and has been studied by the Denver Plan Committee in twice-weekly, two-hour meetings.
Superintendent Bennet told the committee yesterday that a new "second draft" of the plan will be presented to the Denver Board of Education at its study session Thursday, Feb. 2. The new draft, he said, would be based on Denver Plan Committee feedback and on comments gathered during the many community forums that have been held this month around the city.
The Denver Plan is organized around three main goals:
- Our children will learn from a highly-skilled faculty in every school that is empowered by robust professional development and real-time assessment data.
- Highly trained principals and assistant principals will serve as instructional leaders of the faculty in DPS schools.
- Collaboration among the Denver community and all DPS stakeholders will support our children in a safe, orderly and enriching environment in every school and classroom.
A summary of the Denver Plan Committee's suggestions is 15 pages long and addresses each of the goals, components and objectives of the plan itself. Among the many comments:
- The district shouldn't retreat from the rigorous goal of preparing all students to succeed in college, but should add other post-secondary opportunities and allow students to choose from a variety of paths.
- Double blocks will work only if what is done is different. Ensure sufficient time for systematic instruction and skills development and conducting continuous assessments to make sure that instruction is designed to meet students' needs.
- Extended day and summer school offerings need to balance academic programs with enrichment activities.
- Class size is a key factor in student success and therefore district class size staffing policies and formulas should be closely examined - both for classroom teachers and support staff.
- Focus on strengthening the district's delivery of core content subject areas of math, literacy, science, and social studies, but ensure the district provides rich and varied learning environments for all students. It is a worthy goal for schools to enhance core content offerings by providing meaningful and intentional opportunities in the visual arts, vocal music, physical education, world language, and technology, to name a few.
- Providing "choice" options within the district is a difficult issue. Demographics play a role when a student body needs double blocks of literacy and math to compete, therefore, there might not be the same opportunities for all students to take advantage of a rich "wrap around" curriculum. Resources need to be part of this conversation.
- Ensure that the professional development is high quality and that the teachers actually are learning and using it in the classroom (there must be follow-up).
- Does the closed campus lunch need to be a district wide policy? Give schools some flexibility to design appropriate policy to meet specific needs. Consider community and business impacts and look to them for support.
The entire Denver Plan Committee report will be posted on the Denver Plan website at thedenverplan.dpsk12.org.
For more information, contact the DPS Communications Office at 720-423-3414.