denver public schools
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DPS Superintendent Alex Marrero misses cut for Miami-Dade job
Denver Public Schools (DPS) Superintendent Alex Marrero did not make the short list of candidates vying for the top job with the Miami-Dade County Public School District. The Miami-Dade school board narrowed the field from 21 applicants to six semifinalists. The list includes two Miami-Dade administrators and four other education leaders from Florida, Texas and…
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Civil rights law firm sues DPS over race-based redistricting
A civil rights law firm based out of Virginia has filed a lawsuit against Denver Public Schools, alleging Colorado’s largest school district redrew its five district seats with an “illegal racial intent” that violates the Fifteenth Amendment. Filed in U.S. District Court by the Public Interest Legal Foundation, the lawsuit seeks declaratory and injunctive relief…
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Denver Public Schools superintendent confirms interest in Miami-Dade job
After repeatedly denying rumors he was pursuing jobs in other districts, Denver Public Schools (DPS) Superintendent Alex Marrero confirmed that he has been “recruited” in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools search. In a June 9 email to the Board of Education obtained by The Denver Gazette, Marrero said he was “recruited regarding the Superintendent vacancy…
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Denver students face ‘bell-to-bell’ ban on cellphones
Starting next school year, Denver students will not be able to use their cellphones during school hours. The Denver Public Schools (DPS) Board of Education unanimously passed a “bell-to-bell” ban Monday after a third reading. “Policies like this succeed not because of enforcement alone, but because people trust the adults implementing them,” Director DJ Torres…
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Denver teacher fired after ‘same-gender’ kissing skits in French class
An administrative law judge has recommended the dismissal of a teacher at Northeast Early College — a high school in the Denver Public Schools district — after finding classroom activities and personal disclosures to students amounted to “incompetence and neglect of duty,” setting up a final vote by the school board. After meeting in executive…
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Denver promised every school funding from $1B bond — but campuses later closed received far less | Analysis
Denver voters overwhelmingly approved the largest bond measure in Denver Public Schools history on the promise that every school — including charter campuses — would receive something. And they did. But the nearly $1 billion bond was not distributed evenly. Schools that remained open were allocated about 57% more bond funding on average than campuses…
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Marrero argues DPS board’s outside counsel policy undercuts superintendent’s role
Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero argued during a discussion of the request-for-proposal process that the board’s policy allowing independent counsel conflicts with district policy designating him as its sole employee. The new policy was in response to Marrero’s early contract extension in May, which was filtered through the district’s general counsel, Aaron Thompson. Thompson…
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DPS braces for budget uncertainty as state funding questions loom
The uncertainty over what state legislators will do when they begin hashing out the state budget later this month has Denver Public Schools (DPS) officials worried. DPS Chief Financial Officer Chuck Carpenter warned the board of education Thursday that if the state doesn’t come through on its promises or if funding is cut, it will…
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Denver schools’ legal chief appears unsure about ICE warrants as board weighs new immigration policy
Denver’s school board is considering a major policy amendment that would consider all district properties “safe zones” by requiring a judicial warrant for federal immigration agents to interact with students. If passed by the board, Denver Public Schools General Counsel Aaron Thompson’s office would be tasked with verifying whether a warrant is valid under the…
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Parent group accuses DPS of racketeering in challenge to school financing structure
The parent advocacy group that previously accused Denver Public Schools of financial misconduct in court documents has escalated its claims, alleging the district engaged in racketeering through its bond and lease-financing structures. Mamás de DPS filed a complaint in Denver District Court on Tuesday, accusing district officials of violating the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act.…