Excellence in Education for All Students

As Denver Public Schools, we have a moral and ethical responsibility to ensure that every child in our community has access to the highest quality education. It is not enough to provide a one-size-fits-all approach to learning; we must strive for excellence and equity for all our students, regardless of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that our educational system has failed to meet the unique needs of Black, Latinx, AAPI, LGBTQIA+, and Indigenous students. This is a disservice to these children and a fundamental breach of our obligation to provide equal opportunities for all.

To better serve these diverse subgroups, we must first examine the specific challenges they face in our educational system. For instance, Black and Latinx students often experience disparities in access to resources, high-quality teachers, and rigorous coursework. Additionally, LGBTQIA+ and Indigenous students frequently face discrimination, marginalization, and invisibility within our schools.

As Denver Public Schools, we must acknowledge our past failures and commit to systemic change. This means implementing policies, practices, and curricula that genuinely reflect and support the diverse backgrounds of our students. We can do better by:

1. Ensuring equitable access to resources and opportunities, such as advanced courses and extracurricular activities, for all students.
2. Recruiting, training, and retaining a diverse and culturally competent staff that understands and respects the unique needs and experiences of all our students.
3. Developing inclusive curricula that honor the histories, cultures, and contributions of diverse communities and that promote critical thinking and empathy, this would be building off of the work we unanimously passed in 2021 under the Know Justice, Know Peace Resolution, which I was the sponsor of.
4. Fostering a safe, inclusive, and welcoming school environment that promotes respect, understanding, and appreciation of diversity, this would be building off of our LGBTQIA + inclusion resolution of 2o20, which I was the sponsor of.
5. Providing targeted support and interventions to address the specific needs of each student subgroup, including academic, social, and emotional support, this would be building off of the work we recently did to screen 21,000 kids for dyslexia and other reading difficulties, which I was the sponsor of.

To achieve this ambitious goal, we need the support and collaboration of our entire community. Therefore, I call on my fellow school board members, educational advocacy organizations, and citizens to join me in this crucial effort. Together, we can build a more inclusive and equitable educational system that fosters the growth and success of every child in Denver.

We cannot afford to wait any longer. Our children’s futures are at stake, and every moment of inaction perpetuates a cycle of inequality and missed opportunities. So let us use our collective power to create meaningful change and ensure that every student, regardless of their background or identity, has access to the educational excellence they deserve.

In the spirit of unity and progress, I propose the following slogan to guide our efforts and inspire our community:

“Excellence for All!”

Let this be the rallying cry that drives us toward a future where all students in Denver Public Schools are given the tools, resources, and support they need to excel in their education and reach their fullest potential. Together, we can make this vision a reality and create an educational system that truly serves the needs of every child.

Auon’tai M. Anderson, Vice President of the Denver School Board