Take this school survey
Forest City put together this survey to help plan our school situation with the Denver Public Schools.
Go take it!
Personally, we moved here so that our kids could walk to the public school, with the same neighborhood kids. So that they could go to a good high school. But if our 3 year old is #20 on the waitlist for ECE, what will happen when he gets to kindergarten? Will there be 30 kids in his classroom?
I think the days of one public school where all the neighborhood kids go, a one-size-fits-all approach, and public high school -- easy classes, football games, prom -- are gone. With all the charter school options -- Chinese, Spanish, adventure, science, the arts -- public school as we know it is done. Charter schools and private schools look pretty appealing when my kid might start kindergarten in a trailer with an oversized class. And we pay a lot of tax dollars to live in Stapleton, so I better be able to take those tax dollars to my school of choice!
I'm having to rethink all my preconceived notions about school. How about you?
Posts
took the survey! everyone needs to. my only comment was, "build, build, build... now now now!" thanks for putting the link on your blog!
From what I understand, a lot of the "best" schools in DPS have large class sizes because everyone wants to choice in to those schools. I think if class size is your priority, private schools may be the best option.
What shocks me is that DPS only guarantees half-day kindergarten. In NY, full-day kindergarten was required when I was five. The concept of a half day at that age is really odd to me.
I agree with scoop. I want DPS to build more schools NOW! Surely there must be stimulus money available for projects like this.
I would also be curious about how the stimulus money will be spent - I heard that DPS is to receive $53 million in stimulus funds. (I have not been able to verify that fact) I realize they have over a 1 billion dollar budget, so it might seem like a drop in the bucket, but where is that going to make the most impact??
Also, if they are promoting Charter school options as the 'ideal' (which the survey seems to imply), then why aren't they converting more existing schools to Charters or changing their policies to allow them to be more autonomous. It seems as if their own (DPS) policies are what is stifling schools at times - I know there is more to it, politics, unions, etc., but I'd like to assume that DPS would love to see all their schools succeed & if they farm everything out, aren't they just admitting they are inept at solving the current education situation they oversee???