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Proposed DPS Policy Would Shield Undocumented Students From Certain Law Enforcement Actions
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CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Proposed DPS Policy Would Shield Undocumented Students From Certain Law Enforcement Actions

By Chierstin Roth | CBS Colorado Denver Public School Board President Xóchitl Gaytán has been working with immigration advocacy groups to create a set of policy changes that would add further protections for undocumented students. However, some community members believe the proposal goes too far. For Gaytán, protecting undocumented students is personal. "I am the only board member on the DPS board of education that has a lived experience as being someone who is undocumented for half of her life," said Gaytán. Therefore, for me, this issue is something that I have deep ties with." Which is why she's working with immigration groups to propose a new policy that would enhance protections such as establishing safe zones and would not allow any student to be questione...
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Democrat Gov Jared Polis Sees Opportunity in Federal School of Choice Funds
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The 74, Approved, State

Democrat Gov Jared Polis Sees Opportunity in Federal School of Choice Funds

By Kevin Mahnken | The 74 "In Colorado, we trust the parents," Governor Jared Polis. The school choice proponent — and possible 2028 contender — is one of just two Democratic governors opting into a new federal scholarship tax credit. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis may be the Democratic Party’s single most prominent supporter of school choice.  In his life before politics, he co-founded two charter schools in his home state. During his time serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, he authored bipartisan legislation to expand high-performing charters, citing hundreds of thousands of families on waitlists nationwide. And now, in his last year as Colorado’s chief executive, he has even signed on to participate in the Trump admin...
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Parents allege school mistreatment of autistic child as Cherry Creek faces federal civil rights investigation
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Local, Top Stories

Parents allege school mistreatment of autistic child as Cherry Creek faces federal civil rights investigation

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice In response to concerns raised by a family in Colorado about the treatment of their young son in kindergarten, the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education opened an investigation into whether the Cherry Creek School District was in compliance with federal civil rights and special education law, a problem that is not new to the district.  The concern was raised after months of unanswered questions, the parents said. Special Education Changes the Parents Say Were Never Explained Ana and Brandon Lantz’s son started kindergarten in 2023. As time went on in the school year, records indicate that their son received special instruction outside of the general classroom. At first, it was ...
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Colorado School Accused of Teaching Students to Track ICE Agents
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TownHall.com, Approved, Local

Colorado School Accused of Teaching Students to Track ICE Agents

By: Joseph Chalfant | Townhall A presentation was allegedly given at a Jefferson County, Colorado public school instructing students on how to document ICE agents conducting operations. The information included the often-used acronym “S.A.L.U.T.E.” to instruct their children on how to ensure full documentation of the activity of federal agents, essentially equipping them to work as “ICE watchers” like Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Children were told to gather information like number of officers, appearance, location, and the equipment of officers that students might observe. “Remember: document and record everything,” one slide of the presentation read. The presentation also “informed” students that “ICE leadership has given officers the go-ahead to violate the [...
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Parents Are Losing Authority and Washington Must Act
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Daily Citizen, Approved, Commentary, National

Parents Are Losing Authority and Washington Must Act

By Emily Washburn | Commentary, Daily Citizen Erin Friday champions parental rights at the highest levels of government. The attorney and mother spent last week on Capitol Hill, rallying to keep boys out of girls sports and urging members of congress to protect parents who do not affirm their children’s sexual identity confusion. Earlier this month, Friday met with the White House Domestic Policy Council to propose an executive order she’d written to prevent family courts and child placement organizations from discriminating against parents who affirm their children’s sex. Friday’s passionate defense of parents began in 2020, when her 13-year-old daughter declared herself “transgender.” “Her school secretly socially transitioned her wh...
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Merit Academy: Undeniable Change, A Model For Our Next Victory
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, State, Top Stories

Merit Academy: Undeniable Change, A Model For Our Next Victory

By Eric Gil | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice The success of Merit Academy in Woodland Park is no secret. When your school is ranked #5 of all K-12 Colorado Public Schools, it is hard to hide. This article is a look into the origin story of Merit Academy, led by Headmaster Gwynne Pekron. A reminder that we still hold the power to shape our children’s futures and that even when faced with centralized control, a path to real change exists. As a former charter school student and public school teacher, Merit’s story of ascension inspires me to look for ways to ensure our future.   Increased attention toward public education from concerned parents is one of the many lasting outcomes of the 2020 pandemic and the subsequent shifts in education. In Woodland Park, this ...
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Federal judge recommends dismissing school districts’ lawsuit over transgender sports rules
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Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Federal judge recommends dismissing school districts’ lawsuit over transgender sports rules

By Eric Young | Colorado Politics A judge has recommended dismissing a federal lawsuit filed by multiple school districts against the Colorado Attorney General’s and Civil Rights Offices over their policies dictating students’ participation in athletics and activities based on their biological sex rather than gender identity. Last spring, District 49, later joined by Colorado Springs D-11, Academy D-20, Education ReEnvisioned BOCES and El Paso County charter schools, filed the lawsuit against the two state bodies plus the Colorado High School Athletics Association (CHSAA) over what they allege to be discrimination against female student athletes by allowing transgender students to participate in activities that align with their gender identity. The small, rural school ...
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SCOTUS Asked to Decide If Schools Can Punish Teachers for Off Duty Speech
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Just The News, Approved, National

SCOTUS Asked to Decide If Schools Can Punish Teachers for Off Duty Speech

By Greg Piper | Just the News Appeals court said teacher who privately shared views about George Floyd riots on summer vacation caused "disruption" because of media attention. Jury rules against district that suspended student for memes about principal. Public employees may lose their First Amendment rights to express "controversial views while off the job" without suffering professional discipline without Supreme Court intervention, according to lawyers for a suburban Chicago teacher fired for Facebook posts about George Floyd's death in 2020. Judicial Watch petitioned the high court to review a 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that said the Board of Education of Township High School District No. 211's interest in "avoiding disruption" from Je...
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Beyond the baby bust: Parents quietly exit Colorado public schools
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, Red State, Top Stories

Beyond the baby bust: Parents quietly exit Colorado public schools

By Christian Horstmann | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Our public schools lost 10,000 students this year. Is there another reason beyond the baby bust and a population pinch? Colorado’s public schools just posted their steepest enrollment slide since the pandemic: down more than 10,000 students this year, affecting each of our top ten largest districts and many others statewide.1 Denver Public Schools alone lost about 1,200 students2 and the district is already projecting another 6,000 by 20293 – almost certain to trigger even more school closures on top of the ten that have already been shuttered over the last few years.  Interestingly, overcrowded classrooms were presented during recent school board campaigns as an issue to address, but the opposite sce...
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Colorado Rejects New CDC Vaccine Schedule, Maintains Existing Requirements for School and Daycare
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Washington Examiner, Approved, State

Colorado Rejects New CDC Vaccine Schedule, Maintains Existing Requirements for School and Daycare

By Claire Carter | The Washington Examiner Colorado became the latest state to criticize the newly released federal guidance for childhood vaccines on Tuesday. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment released a statement rejecting the CDC’s new vaccine schedule and said Colorado’s approach “remains grounded in long-standing science, expert consensus, and transparency.”  On Monday, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention implemented a major change in the childhood immunization schedule, reducing the number of vaccines children receive from 17 to 11. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
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