More From Our Schools kicked off on September 8 with terrific dialogue, thoughtful questions and some priority-setting for the next two forums. The conversation continues online, right here.
Be sure you’ve read the ground rules before participating.
A couple of important questions were raised at the forum. Please respond!
- There appears to be local (and national) agreement that it is a key goal to ensure kids achieve high academic standards. The tough part is, how do we do this?
- People in the room during this first forum were interested in bridging “the divide” between “reformers” or “non-reformers” – many hate these labels. Our moderator Rick Hess had some suggestions to resolve this: 1) talk to one another and create relationships because it’s easier to get along if you know your opponents as real people rather than just an opposing view; 2) empathize, identify common ground and understanding of viewpoints; 3) move away from “what is” and think about a whole new system of education. So, where are some places where Denver’s education community can find this common ground?
- One participant said that DPS has “a perception problem.” Polling numbers show voters are dissatisfied with the district, but school data shows DPS has been improving over time. What could Denver do to improve voters’ perception of its schools?