Denver Public Schools has become a regular topic of conversation in our community. The reform efforts that are being discussed and implemented offer our community a remarkable opportunity to help DPS become a 21st century model for public education.
Leaders and citizens from across metro Denver have taken up the challenge to get personally involved in guiding this reform. These individuals understand that our future as a vibrant community rests on the success of these efforts. Businesses, especially, should understand that the stakes are high – these students are our future workforce, consumers and voters.
All businesses – small, large and mid-size – must come to the table to partner with DPS if we want our schools to be successful. Businesses can offer unique perspective, talents and resources to the district, its schools and its students.
There is an easy way for every business to get involved – the School Partners Program. This fall, the Denver Public Schools Foundation, with support from the Qwest Foundation, will enter the second year of this highly successful program.
The program is designed to create meaningful and long-lasting relationships between Denver schools and businesses. The program provides a convenient way for local businesses and community organizations to support DPS schools through tailored partnerships that match the needs of schools with the unique resources of each business partner.
In its pilot year, 20 schools and more than 30 businesses partnered together – in every grade, every area of the city, and in various industries, including banking, telecommunications, real estate, health care and law. This school year, 20 more schools will be added. All of them need partners.
Business participation in this program, on any level, can make a difference for many of our schools. Better yet, it shows our children that their community – from parents and teachers to businesses and organizations – is invested and dedicated in their academic and personal success. This is exactly what DPS needs in order for it to become the best big city school district in the nation.
It is time for all of us to join together to ensure that our future, and the future of every DPS student, is full of opportunities to succeed. We want to encourage every business to find a way to play a role in this important work. This is one challenge we must meet. Our future depends on it.
Chuck Ward is Qwest president for Colorado. Barbara Berv is president and CEO of the Denver Public Schools Foundation. You can reach her at 720-423-3535 or bberv@dpsfoundation.org.
