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Homeschooling surges 51% in Colorado as parents reject failing schools
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denvergazette.com, Approved, State

Homeschooling surges 51% in Colorado as parents reject failing schools

Nicole C. Brambila | The Denver Gazette Homeschooling is on the rise in Colorado, with enrollment growing 51% over the past decade — far outpacing traditional public schools. While homeschooling once primarily appealed to families looking for curriculum aligned with their religious beliefs, today's parents are more likely to cite concerns about school safety, bullying and drugs. Take Cassandra Alvarado, who is home schooling twins. “I grew up and was bullied a lot,” Alvarado said. “For us, this was a big reason.” That — and she wanted her children’s first language to be Spanish, not English. READ THE FULL STORY AT THE DENVER GAZETTE
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Douglas County Residents Voice Concerns as John Adams Academy Moves In
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Local, Approved, CBS News

Douglas County Residents Voice Concerns as John Adams Academy Moves In

By Olivia Young | CBS News A fast-growing Colorado community will soon be home to two new schools that are set to open in the next two years. A tuition-free public K-12 charter school, John Adams Academy, has been approved to open in 2026 on 25 acres of land in Douglas County donated by Sterling Ranch LLC. The school will be located in Sterling Ranch, south of Waterton Road and adjacent to Ascent Village. John Adams Academy was approved by the Colorado Charter School Institute last month after being released to the state authorizer by the Douglas County School District. Some community members say that process didn't allow them to fully voice concerns over where their tax dollars were going. A DCSD public elementary school funded by a bond passed last year is set to open in Ster...
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Enos: One Big Beautiful Bill? Encouraging news for homeschool freedom—and reason to stay engaged
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Christian Home Educators of Colorado, Approved, Commentary, National

Enos: One Big Beautiful Bill? Encouraging news for homeschool freedom—and reason to stay engaged

By Colleen Enos | Commentary, Christian Home Educators of Colorado By now, everyone has heard about the passage of HR1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, by our Federal Congress. President Trump signed the bill into law on the 4th of July, before the fireworks began exploding in Washington, D.C., to celebrate America’s 249th birthday. The Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA) was included in the legislation. Passing the bill was a monumental event, with the Trump Administration touting it as its signature achievement. It is important to note that the Education Scholarship donations provided for in the bill are made by individuals and are, therefore, private monies. They are not tax dollars. Delmarva claims that “this structure is intended to address c...
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Gilmartin: Attacks on John Adams Academy show what happens when excellence disrupts control
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Colorado Politics, Approved, Commentary, Local

Gilmartin: Attacks on John Adams Academy show what happens when excellence disrupts control

By Kim Gilmartin | Commentary, Colorado Politics In response to a recent CoPo column about John Adams Academy Douglas County (JAADC), columnist Paula Noonan’s opinion piece is heavy on rhetoric and light on facts. As a co-founder of JAADC, I am compelled to correct the misinformation and misleading claims for the sake of the public, not the punditry. First, one of the core accusations, that JAADC’s curriculum is outdated, narrowly ideological and dismissive of modern disciplines like science and technology, could not be further from the truth. JAADC’s curriculum includes a full complement of science and math courses grounded in logic, inquiry and observation, which are foundational elements of the scientific method. Classical schools nationwide are not only producing though...
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Schaffer’s ‘unsafe school choice’ policy gets new life under Trump
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Approved, Education Week, National

Schaffer’s ‘unsafe school choice’ policy gets new life under Trump

By Evie Blad | Education Week When the Trump administration urged states to use a little-known provision in federal education law to boost school choice, the congressman who helped author the language 24 years ago had an immediate reaction. “It’s about time,” said former Congressman Bob Schaffer. In a May 7 letter, Acting Assistant Education Secretary Hayley B. Sanon urged states to ease their criteria for labeling schools as “persistently dangerous"—a designation that legally comes with an obligation to offer families an option to transfer to another public school. “The number of persistently dangerous schools reported nationwide appears low particularly given the number of violent offenses in schools reported” in federal data, she wrote. It’s a message that Schaffer, ...
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Ganahl: Smears and fearmongering—The fight for John Adams Academy and school choice in Douglas County
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Approved, Commentary, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Ganahl: Smears and fearmongering—The fight for John Adams Academy and school choice in Douglas County

By Heidi Ganahl | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice In Douglas County, Colorado, a battle over education choice is brewing as efforts to open a new classical charter school, the John Adams Academy, face fierce opposition. Spearheading the initiative is Ellie Reynolds, a Sterling Ranch resident and mom, and Kim Gilmartin, a seasoned advocate for school choice, who has helped launch multiple classical charter schools across the state.   However, the journey to establish this school in Sterling Ranch, a rapidly growing community with no existing school, has been met with aggressive and, at times, deeply personal hostility. The John Adams Academy, modeled after three successful classical charter schools in California, aims to provide an American classical leadership education...
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“Education desert” bill would let charters open without school board approval in underperforming areas
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Approved, State, The Colorado Sun, Top Stories

“Education desert” bill would let charters open without school board approval in underperforming areas

By Erica Breunlin | The Colorado Sun New charter schools authorized by the Colorado Charter School Institute would be allowed to open in communities with low-performing schools — possibly without approval from local school boards — under legislation that Colorado Senate President James Coleman is considering introducing at the Capitol this year. Coleman, a Denver Democrat, is also exploring the prospect of giving Colorado school districts “the option to solicit proposals from their communities for new quality schools,” including traditional public schools, charter schools, magnet schools, innovation schools or “other innovative education models.” The key factor in opening new schools in areas with struggling schools, Coleman said, would be “demonstrated community demand from acros...
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GOP lawmakers introduce bill to expand school choice
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Approved, National, The Daily Signal

GOP lawmakers introduce bill to expand school choice

By Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell  | Daily Signal Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Tim Scott of South Carolina are celebrating School Choice Week by introducing a bill to empower businesses and individuals to fund education choice for students. Introduced Wednesday, the Educational Choice for Children Act provides a charitable donation incentive for individuals and businesses to fund scholarships for students to cover expenses related to K-12 public and private education. School Choice Week began Monday. “Parents want to see their child succeed. Giving them the ability to make decisions over their child’s education puts that child’s needs first,” Cassidy said in a statement first provided to The Daily Signal. “More freedom empowers parents and ...
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Douglas County School District narrowly approves charter school release amid heated debate
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

Douglas County School District narrowly approves charter school release amid heated debate

By Rocky Mountain Voice Staff | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice In a pivotal 4-3 vote on Tuesday night, the Douglas County School District board approved the release of the John Adams Academy charter school to apply for authorization through the Colorado Charter School Institute (CSI). This decision, made possible by conservative members of the board, marks a significant milestone for school choice advocates in Douglas County and underscores the importance of empowering parents with diverse educational options. The debate surrounding this decision was passionate and highlighted a fundamental divide: should charter schools be confined to district oversight, or should they have the flexibility to pursue authorization through alternative pathways like CSI? For supporters of school choi...
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Support Amendment 80: Constitutional right to school choice
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Approved, Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice, State

Support Amendment 80: Constitutional right to school choice

By Editorial Board | Editorial, Rocky Mountain Voice Ballot language: Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado Constitution establishing the right to school choice for children in kindergarten through 12th grade, and, in connection therewith, declaring that school choice includes neighborhood, charter, and private schools; home schooling; open enrollment options; and future innovations in education? How it reached the ballot: Citizen signature petition, designated agents Michael Fields and Suzanne Taheri. Background: This measure would enshrine school choice as a "right" in the Colorado Constitution. The measure would add the following language to Section 18: "The people of the state of Colorado hereby find and declare that all children have the right to equal opportunity to ac...
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