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| AUGUST 2017
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The events in Charlottesville left us both saddened and strengthened in our resolve to address equity as a priority in Colorado’s public schools. When I heard the news, I immediately thought of Elliott Asp’s speech at the CASE convention several weeks ago. He spoke eloquently about equitable outcomes, a core commitment of CEI’s. With that in mind, we are sharing Elliott’s speech in this newsletter. In our view, systems produce the results they are designed to produce, despite the efforts of heroic educators. The education system we have today was not designed with the realities of the 21st century in mind. And it wasn’t designed to drive the success of all students. The equitable outcomes we seek demand system redesign.
Rebecca Holmes, CEO
The Colorado Education Initiative
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“We’ve got this.”
Colorado Champion for Public Education Receives Recognition
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CEI Senior Partner Elliott Asp received the esteemed CASEY Award during the 48th Annual CASE (Colorado Association of School Executives) Convention, held in late July in Breckenridge. The annual CASEY Award honors a current non-educator who has made a significant contribution to education by furthering the mission and vision of CASE in a substantial and/or continuous manner.
Asp addressed the audience with a moving acceptance speech, sharing his thoughts on the promise and power of public education in Colorado. Here’s what Asp had to say.
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Smart Source Opening September 1
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Take the first step in transforming the health of your school community
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Plan now to participate in Smart Source, Colorado’s school health inventory, to assess the current state of your school health efforts. Smart Source has provided timely and relevant data to improve health efforts within over 500 school communities to date. The survey also provides valuable insight for regional and state wellness efforts – information that guides school and health partners as they allocate resources to schools and districts in need.
This year, participating schools will receive their school-specific report within one week of submission, and a comprehensive report with district, regional, and state comparisons in February 2018. Schools that participate in Smart Source are eligible to apply for the Healthy School Champions recognition program. To join the survey, simply send an email to smartsource@coloradoedinitiative.org.
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Participating schools receive $150!
Complete survey by October 31, 2017
for a chance
to win $2,000!
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SAVE THE DATE!
Graduating Students Postsecondary and Workforce Ready: Leveraging Graduation Guidelines for Deeper Learning and Strategic Action
Plan now to attend a free, interactive workshop on strategies for implementing graduation guidelines that lead to deeper learning and provide pathways to postsecondary and workforce success for each student.
| WHO: |
Teams of administrators and practitioners from schools and districts |
| WHEN: |
Monday, October 30, 2017
9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. |
| WHERE: |
Adams 12 Conference Center
1500 E. 128th Ave., Thornton, CO 80241 |
| CONTACT: |
Robin Russel
or Elliott Asp |
Watch your email for full details and RSVP information.
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Wellness Policy Webinars Now Available
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| CEI and the Colorado Department of Education’s Office of School Nutrition partnered with CASB to present two webinars to assist district and school staff with revisions to school local wellness policies (LWP), and putting those policies into action. Follow this link to view the webinars and associated presentations. |
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Stories from the Field
Personalized Learning Underway in Colorado Springs
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In partnership with CEI and Space Lab, Ann Yenne, a veteran teacher at Trailblazer Elementary School in Colorado Springs, began to reimagine the way she used space, time, and resources to more effectively serve her students, including those with disabilities. Yenne is bringing her vision to life as she works to engage everyone in the classroom to own their learning experiences in the school’s personalized learning environment.
A behind-the-scenes look at Yenne’s collaboration with CEI has been published as part of a series of reports from The National Center for Learning Disabilities. View the informative narrative about Trailblazer Elementary School.
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Opportunities and Resources
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Vote Today to Bring Personalized Learning to SXSW EDU
CEI has partnered with education leaders from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Texas to propose a panel presentation titled “Four State Approaches to Personalized Learning” for SXSW EDU 2018. You can help bring this session to life by casting your vote at the SXSW PanelPicker, an online voting platform that allows the public to browse session ideas, leave comments, and vote for what they want to see presented at SXSW. Cast your vote here
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Healthy School/Student Workshops Coming to SW Colorado
Action for Healthy Kids, LiveWell Colorado, Colorado PTA, and Wellness Training Specialists are hosting Creating Healthy Schools: What Parents Need to Know | How to Help Students Eat Better and Move More in three different locations in southwest Colorado in September. Interested parents and caregivers are invited to attend the workshop at no cost. A complimentary networking luncheon is included and Spanish interpretation will be available. Learn more
- September 19, 2017 – Ridgway
- September 20, 2017 – Durango
- September 21, 2017 – Cortez
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2017 Equity and Excellence Conference:
Expand your Equity Toolkit
The Exceptional Student Services and Federal Programs Units at the Colorado Department of Education will be hosting the third annual Equity & Excellence Conference on November 2-3 at the Inverness Hotel in Englewood, Colorado. The theme of this year’s conference is “Expand Your Equity Toolkit”. CDE's goal for this conference is for attendees from diverse professional backgrounds to collaborate and come away from the conference with tools and resources for putting equity into action in their schools. Learn more
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CDE Unveils Resource Website for Educators
The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) website has unveiled a new section designed to connect educators with services and resources from the CDE’s Education Talent Unit. The goal of the unit is to have the most effective leaders and educators in every school and classroom, and for all students to emerge from school prepared for college, career and life. Visit website
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Great Outdoors Colorado School Yard Initiative Application Window Open
Change your students’ school experience with a GOCO School Yard Initiative (SYI) grant. SYI grants help schools, which apply in partnership with their local governments, to construct outdoor spaces where kids enjoy unstructured play and outdoor learning. Visit GOCO.org/schools to watch the SYI webinar, read the how-to apply guide, and submit your application. The deadline is January 9, 2018.
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1660 Lincoln Street, Suite 2000 | Denver, CO 80264 | 303.736.6477
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