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Who We Are.
A+ Denver is a non-profit independent civic organization formed to help Denver transform its public school district into the best in the country and to make increased student achievement and public school reform a top priority in the Denver community. A+ Denver was founded in 2006 at the invitation of the Denver Public School District by former Denver Mayors Federico Peña and Wellington Webb, joined by Co-Chairs Richard Notebaert and Anne Bye Rowe. A+ Denver is comprised of approximately 100 citizens, including community and business leaders, parents and representatives from local foundations and universities.
Initially, the group has been organized into three sub-committees charged with specific tasks: - The Denver Plan/Student Achievement Sub-Committee - This committee is conducting a thorough review of the Denver Plan - the DPS strategy for reform - including its premises, its challenges as well as expected reform outcomes. This group will also provide suggestions for changes and improvements to the plan.
- The Finances and Facilities Sub-Committee - This committee has been charged with examining the capacity of Denver Public Schools to implement the Denver Plan. This includes an examination of the financial condition of the district, whether physical assets match community needs and demographic trends as well as identifying any internal obstacles to full implementation of the Denver Plan.
- The Outreach Sub-Committee - Formerly called the Marketing, Recruitment and Retention sub-committee, the name of this group has been changed to better reflect its central mission of helping enhance methods of communicating facts and news about what is happening in DPS - with its stakeholders. This includes information about A+ Denver, the Denver Plan, other DPS reform efforts and news on individual schools.
A+ Denver is not a policy making arm of the district. That responsibility lies solely with the Board of Education and school administration. | Why The Need for A+ Denver. | The health and economic success of our community, especially in a global economy, depends on the effectiveness of our public schools. The students they educate are the foundation of our future and they must be prepared to compete with their peers throughout the world. In addition, to win the best minds and talents in the global competition for human capital, a community must excel at public education and value it as highly as any other civic attribute. As a nation and as a community, we are falling behind in the education of our kids, putting at risk our world position as an intellectual leader, our future economic prosperity and the very stability and security of our society.
Too many children in Denver Public Schools aren't getting anything close to the education they need and deserve. There are enormous gaps in achievement and thousands of Denver school age children have left, and continue to leave, the District. This loss of students is creating a downward spiral in our public education system and our community as a whole. This situation is occurring in urban school districts across the country, and many such districts are struggling to escape this downward spiral, most without success. However, in Denver there are several unique factors that set us apart and position our district to lead the nation in effective school reform: - The recent passage of a sales tax increase to fund early childhood education in Denver;
- A reform-motivated School Board and Superintendent;
- The voter-approved Pro-Comp system, the most innovative merit-based teacher compensation system in the nation; and
- The Denver Scholarship Program - a privately funded effort offering scholarships to thousands of graduates from DPS high schools so that they can go on to college.
Moreover, Denver has always excelled at becoming the place its residents wish it to be. Through the imagination and labor of many generations, we have developed the best park and open space system in the country; a world class cultural community with a model funding mechanism in the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, the best set of major league sports venues in the country, the best airport in the country, if not the world; and today, we are building one of the best transit systems in the nation.
We have not just imagined a great city, we have done much to create one, but a city cannot truly succeed and be great unless it has a great public education system. Denver's vitality and economic success depend on improving our public schools. This can only be achieved through community-wide support and with a long-term view and commitment, outlasting any one school board or school administration. | | Our Commitment. | A+ Denver is intended to serve as an on-going independent citizens group to promote permanent, sustainable and constant improvement in Denver Public Schools.
The Denver Public School district has developed and begun implementing an ambitious reform effort - The Denver Plan - based on best practices and successes of school districts around the country in raising student achievement. A+ Denver will hold the district accountable in its reform efforts. The school district will regularly report back to A+ on its progress in implementing reform and improving student achievement.
A+ Denver is committed to be a vocal and engaged community advocate for changes critical to achieve excellence in the Denver public schools. A+ Denver will also work to ensure the issue of student achievement becomes and remains a top priority within the Denver community as a whole.
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A+ Denver is a project of the Colorado Nonprofit Development Center |
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