Cheers and hugs greeted the Denver school board’s unanimous approval Thursday to free one school from district policies that teachers and staff say are impeding student performance.
Educators and administrators at Bruce Randolph School in northeast Denver want more control of the school’s budget, teacher time, incentives and hiring decisions.
They say cutting through red tape of district policies and union rules will allow them more time to teach and make it possible to hire and retain the best teachers.
Board members and district administrators applauded the proposal, calling it bold and radical and just what the school and the district needs.
“I’ve been in education 21 years, and this is the moment I’ve always been waiting for for a school’s staff and leadership to come together and demand excellence and flexibility,” said district chief academic officer Jaime Aquino. “If I die tomorrow, I can die peacefully knowing that I saw this happen.”
Board president Theresa Peña said she hopes to see 20 similar proposals for schools around the district.
Thursday’s approval was only a step in the process. The teachers union board will vote Jan. 8 on whether to allow a waiver from the union contract.
“Our board is really trying to think about the future and how this could affect our students,” said union president Kim Ursetta.
Tuesday’s school board vote came after nearly two hours of commentary, mostly from people urging approval.
