Author: O’Dell Isaac
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Colorado’s Board of Education reinstates LGBTQ references to social studies standards
In a 4-3 vote along party lines, the Colorado State Board of Education on Thursday elected to fully incorporate LGBTQ+ individuals at all grade levels of social studies instruction. Board members Lisa Escárcega, Rebecca McClellan, Karla Esser and Angelika Schroeder – all Democrats – voted in favor of reinstating references to LGBTQ issues in Colorado’s revised…
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Colorado Springs COVID-19 drive-through vaccination site to close
A Colorado Springs-based drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination site is closing its doors, according to a Monday news release from El Paso County Public Health. Located at the Citadel Mall, the vaccine site’s last day of operations will be Tuesday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., according to county health spokeswoman Michelle Beyrle. Flu, RSV and COVID-19…
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Elementary school bike-riding program gaining popularity in Colorado
A national initiative aimed toward encouraging physical activity and curbing childhood obesity is gaining popularity across the state. All Kids Bike, a program launched by the Strider Education Foundation in 2017, is on a mission to ensure every child in the U.S. is able to ride a bike by the time they finish kindergarten. The…
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Henry Allen Jr., former Colorado NAACP president and civil rights advocate, has died
Henry Allen Jr., a former president of the Colorado Springs chapter of the NAACP and civil rights advocate, died Thursday after a long illness. He was 67. A 24-year veteran of the U.S. Army, Allen dedicated the latter decades of his life to public service in the Pikes Peak region. After retiring from the armed…
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Colorado reading scores above national average; math decline similar to rest of U.S.
Colorado students have yet to fully rebound from the learning loss suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the state’s reading scores are higher than the national average, according to a national math and reading test for fourth and eighth graders. The National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the “nation’s report card,” is typically administered…
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Ballot measures would help rural districts pay teachers, improve facilities, officials say
Chris Smith, superintendent of Ellicott School District 22, sees growth on the horizon, and he’s hoping to get in front of it. “The urban sprawl is headed our way, and it’s going to be a lot quicker than we’re going to be ready for,” Smith said. “We’re going to grow, and we will need more…
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Protestors call for resignation of Academy District 20 board president ahead of meeting
Three dozen parents, students and community members staged a protest before Thursday night’s Academy School District 20 Board of Education, calling for the resignation of board President Tom LaValley because of a videotaped statement he made for a church event last month. In the video clip, a three-minute statement exclusively for Church of All Nations,…
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Michael Bennet, Colorado Springs veterans discuss ‘burn pit’ bill and how to improve health care
U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet visited Colorado Springs on Thursday, in part to tout the PACT Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law Wednesday, expanding health care benefits for veterans who developed illnesses from exposure to toxic substances from burn pits on military bases. Burn pits are used to dispose of waste collected on overseas…
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Colorado Springs school districts offer school child care for K-5 students
Several Colorado Springs-area school districts are making access to child care easier and more affordable for busy working parents. Lack of affordable child care has been a chronic issue for parents in the El Paso County area for years, district officials said. In recent years, a number of school districts conducted needs assessments, surveying parents…
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Colorado Springs educational nonprofit launches joint initiative to combat shortage of Black teachers
One of Colorado Springs’ oldest educational nonprofits is joining forces with a national teacher training organization to try to combat the shortage of Black teachers, according to a recent news release. The Sachs Foundation, which has helped send 3,000 Black Coloradans to college since its 1931 inception, and Teach For America Colorado, the state branch…