Cheers and hugs greeted Denver school board’s unanimous approval tonight 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 the school a waiver from the union contract.
“I love surfing, and one thing you learn is to look out and anticipate the next big wave,” said teacher Greg Ahrnsbrak. “This is a big wave. It’s big enough for all of us to get on and ride.”
On Tuesday, Bruce Randolph’s teachers voted 67 percent in favor of the proposal.
The next step is getting the OK from the teachers’ union, which will likely vote on the proposal Jan. 8,CQ said Denver Classroom Teachers Association President Kim Ursetta.
“Our board is really trying to think about the future and how this could affect our students,” said union President Kim Ursetta.
“We want to talk about how we can create more innovative schools in a thoughtful manner.”
Tuesday’s school board vote came after nearly two hours of commentary, mostly from people urging the board’s approval.
The vote was unanimous, except board member Jeannie Kaplan placed an asterisk on her vote, saying she wanted to develop a process in case other schools came forward.
The proposal has generated attention over the past weeks — being discussed on editorial pages and sparking proposed legislation to create a statewide autonomous plan for schools.
There have been supportive e-mails and flowers, a tour of the school by Mayor John Hickenlooper and allegations of disinformation surrounding the proposal.
Some on the board wondered what would happen if all the district’s 151 schools requested similar proposals, opting out of the board policies.
“Maybe we need a paradigm shift on this board,” said board Vice President Michelle Moss.CQ “If it is our policies that are holding children back, we need to reevaluate.”
Bruce Randolphhad been rated one of the worst in the statebut has steadily improved under Principal Kristin Waters.
Theschool’s autonomy proposal, that was approved by 67 percent of teachers on Tuesday, would allow teachers more money for teaching taking on more classes. It would relieve the school from adhering to the district’s calendar or set hours.
It also would allow the school to hire before the district’s mandatedtimeline and not accept the district’s direct placement of teachers.
“We’re not asking for additional money, but creative use,” Waters said.
Parents, teachers and the principal of Slavens School spoke to the board before the vote, saying the Bruce Randolph proposal identified a problem in the district — that unsatisfactory teachers are shuttled throughout the district and policies keep them employed.
“Teacher hiring policies are huritng all schools,” said parent Andrea Gordon.CQ “This policy is broken. To stop (at Bruce Randolph) would be like putting a Band-Aid on a broken leg. The broken leg needs to be fixed.”
Superintendent Michael Bennet thanked the school’s staff and leaders for the proposal.
“You have issued an important invitation to think differently about the choices we make and how we organize ourselves,” he said. “You have given us an example. … I have not felt more optimistic about Denver as I do tonight.”
Jeremy P. Meyer: 303-954-1367 or jpmeyer@denverpost.com
