News Release
June 15, 2006
The Manual High School Advisory Committee has Identified a Contractor to Lead the Community Engagement and School Design Process
The Manual Advisory Committee directed the Denver Public Schools District (DPS) staff to negotiate the specific scope of work and budget for the renewal process with a team led by the Community College of Denver (CCD) and the American Institutes of Research (AIR).
"Our goal was to make this decision with the community, not for the community," stated Councilwoman Elbra Wedgeworth, a Manual Advisory co-chair.
"All proposals submitted were high quality, but the CCD/AIR partnership rose to the top. Their partnership brings both a local commitment to community and a national expertise in school design and best practice. The strength of their partnership will bring many valuable resources to Manual High School and its community," continued Wedgeworth.
The RFQ is designed to select a contractor to manage and lead an authentic community engagement process that will shape the future of Manual by providing a vision for Manual, a school design, and an academic program for the new school.
"After working through a thoughtful process that included many meetings, interviews, and community feedback, we are confident that our directive to DPS reflects real commitment to renewal at Manual" stated Pastor Vernon Jones, Jr., Advisory Committee member and Senior Pastor at the Kinship Church in Denver. "As a committee, we believe that CCD & AIR will lay out a community engagement process that is both inclusive and committed to results -- not just rhetoric."
The Manual Advisory Committee has been working since April to review the Denver Plan, assist with the design of the RFQ, solicit proposals from across the country, provide information about Manual and its community, and interview interested contractors. Last Saturday, a second community meeting was held at Manual. Community members had an opportunity to hear about the submitted proposals, interact with interested contractors, and provide feedback to the Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee met for a second round of interviews this week to consider community feedback and further clarify outstanding questions.
On February 16, 2006, the DPS Board voted to temporarily close Manual High School for a year because of low academic performance, low enrollment, and high attrition rates. Manual will reopen in the fall of 2007 with a 9th grade class, and will add one grade level each of the next three years.
The Superintendent and School Board are committed to creating a 'premier' Manual High School that reflects the needs and priorities of the northeast Denver community and enhances the broader educational landscape of DPS. The week of June 19th, the CCD/AIR team will be resubmitting a final proposal and budget to the Committee for review. The Advisory Committee is expected to make a formal recommendation to the Superintendent and the Board the week of June 26th.
Manual Advisory Committee members include:
- Co-Chair, Theresa Pena, President of the Denver Board of Education;
- Co-Chair, Councilwoman Elbra Wedgeworth, former Council President (2003-2005) and District 8 Council member since 1999 and 1974 graduate of Manual High School;
- Cynthia Gallegos, Executive Director, Focus Points Family Resource Center in the Five Points neighborhood;
- Paul Garcia, community resident and activist who works at the Cross Community Coalition/Family Resource Center;
- Pastor Vernon Jones, Jr., Senior Pastor/Teacher of the Kinship Church in Denver.
For more information, contact Kim Knous Dolan at 720-273-8993.
» Read the fact sheet on the Community College of Denver [pdf]
» Read the fact sheet on the American Institutes of Research [pdf]