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Parents Push Back: Colorado’s Gender Policies Trigger Rights Showdown
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State, Approved, Colorado Politics

Parents Push Back: Colorado’s Gender Policies Trigger Rights Showdown

By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics Amid the staccato of legislation that Democrats at the Colorado Capitol adopted to expand what sponsors described as transgender "rights," a growing number of parents are pushing back, arguing that the state government has overreached, impeding their ability to raise their children the way they see fit. In the last few years, parents — and their allies in the Colorado General Assembly — have become more vocal in their opposition to proposals championed by progressive groups. "I think everyone is concerned," said Colleen Enos, director of government relations for Christian Home Educators of Colorado. "It doesn't matter if you're a Democrat, Republican or independent, everyone is concerned about what's happening and how the state is trying to...
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Commerce City Educator Surrenders After Abuse Allegation From Former Student
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Local, Approved, DENVER7

Commerce City Educator Surrenders After Abuse Allegation From Former Student

By: Stephanie Butzer | Denver7 COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — A former Commerce City teacher has been charged with sexual assault on a child after a victim came forward and said he was assaulted by her when he was in sixth grade. Michelle McMillan, 44, turned herself into the Adams County Detention Facility on Sunday on a charge of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust, according to the Commerce City Police Department. The victim in this case disclosed to a parent in December that McMillian had sexually assaulted him when he was a sixth-grader at Landmark Academy. McMillan worked at the school as a teacher at the time, police said. This kicked off a lengthy investigation, which ended with an arrest warrant for McMillan. Landmark Academy is located along the 10...
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A crisis of cradle and classroom: How Colorado’s baby bust is closing schools
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

A crisis of cradle and classroom: How Colorado’s baby bust is closing schools

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado’s classrooms are getting quieter – not because kids are learning, but because there are fewer of them. Across the state, dropping birth rates and shrinking enrollment are forcing schools to close, merge – or sit half-empty. And the trend isn’t slowing down. In May, the Common Sense Institute released a report warning that Colorado’s birth rate has been declining since 2005 and has fallen faster than the national average since 2011. The report projects the state will lose more than 15,000 children under age 18 by 2030 – roughly the equivalent of the entire Thompson R2-J school district. Denver Public Schools is already deep into closures. According to CSI’s analysis, DPS has approved the closure of seven schools and partial restructur...
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First in the state: District 49 bans boys from girls’ sports, sues state over anti-discrimination laws
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Approved, completecolorado.com, Local

First in the state: District 49 bans boys from girls’ sports, sues state over anti-discrimination laws

By Sherrie Peif | Complete Colorado COLORADO SPRINGS — Colorado’s 18th largest school district, located about 15 miles northeast of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, appears to be the first to unilaterally develop transgender athlete regulations in adherence to recent presidential executive orders. Saying that “there are inherent differences between boys and girls, meaning biological males and biological females” the Falcon 49 school board last week enacted a new policy specifying in part that “classification of sports team participation by biological sex is therefore necessary to preserve and promote equal opportunity for District 49’s female athletes.” The policy, titled Preserving Fairness and Safety in Sports, goes on to state:  “Allowing boys to compete in girls’ ...
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Backlash ignored: Senate approves HB25-1312 without parental rights protections
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Approved, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Backlash ignored: Senate approves HB25-1312 without parental rights protections

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Proponents hail the bill as a civil rights milestone for transgender youth. But Republicans say it strips parental rights, embeds compelled speech into law and threatens custody in future court cases. After weeks of public backlash, failed compromise efforts, and a marathon Senate floor debate, Colorado lawmakers gave final approval Tuesday to HB25-1312 – a bill that critics say severs parents from decisions about their children’s identities in school. The bill passed its final Senate vote on Tuesday with no additional debate or amendments. The House voted to concur with all Senate amendments and repassed the bill without further changes, sending it to Governor Jared Polis. The final version no longer includes the family court and out-of-s...
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Ganahl: From Superior Elementary to sex camps — Colorado parental rights under attack
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Ganahl: From Superior Elementary to sex camps — Colorado parental rights under attack

By Heidi Ganahl | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice In 2018, as a mom of four with three of my children in first and third grade at Superior Elementary, I was shocked to learn that our young students were being exposed to confusing gender identity discussions without parental knowledge.  This was done through a program called Queer Endeavor at CU Boulder, which trained thousands of teachers in the metro area to integrate “queering the curriculum” around “problematic parents.” As a statewide elected University of Colorado Regent at the time, I felt a responsibility to speak out, warning that this was the start of a dangerous trend.  I was called a fearmonger and mocked.  But today, that warning has become a chilling reality. Colorado schools and universiti...
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CHSAA pressed by over 68 school leaders to follow federal guidance on girls’ sports
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Approved, completecolorado.com, National, State

CHSAA pressed by over 68 school leaders to follow federal guidance on girls’ sports

By Sherrie Peif | Complete Colorado DENVER — A letter signed by some 60 school district administrators and school board members from across the state is calling on the Colorado High School Activities Association to come into compliance with a recent Trump administration order around biological boys competing in girls’ sports. “The Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) must immediately adopt rules and practices to ensure that boys are not permitted to compete as girls in girls’ sports,” the letter reads in part. “This action is not only a matter of safety and fairness for our female athletes, but also aligns with recent federal directives that reinforce the protection of women’s sports under Title IX.” Names on the letter include board members who  have prev...
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Hunter: Faith-driven schools are proving that clarity and character create safe campuses
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Hunter: Faith-driven schools are proving that clarity and character create safe campuses

By Pastor Drake Hunter | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice In the face of rising cultural concerns over student safety and institutional trust, a quiet but significant shift in Colorado’s educational landscape is rooted in moral conviction, sustained by ethical character, and bearing fruit in meaningful outcomes. While negative headlines often dominate the news cycle, a growing number of schools—especially those built on faith-based foundations—are showing that principled leadership still works. These institutions aren’t just reacting to problems; they’re proactively building systems and cultures where students can thrive. This proactive approach should reassure us that safety and success are not just aspirations, but achievable outcomes. And it all begins with what they believe. T...
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