Ann Schimke

Ann Schimke covers healthy school topics and early childhood issues for Chalkbeat Colorado. She's written for The Washington Post as well as newspapers in Michigan, Virginia and Colorado. She holds a master鈥檚 degree in education policy from the University of Michigan. She joined Chalkbeat (then EdNews Colorado) in 2012.

Students at Fairmont ECE-8 have a choice of fruits and vegetables at the fruit and salad bar for their lunch. The Denver school has never used the beef filler called "pink slime" in its lunches.

When Denver stopped lunch-shaming, debt from unpaid meals skyrocketed

June 25, 2018 at 1:57 p.m.

Debt from unpaid school lunches soared in Denver last year, rising to $356,000 from $13,000 the year before.

CASTLE ROCK, CO - JUNE 29: The Colorado Supreme Court ruling the Douglas County School District's controversial school voucher program unconstitutional in a split ruling June 29, 2015 at The Supreme Court of the State of Colorado downtown Denver.

Douglas County district pays $1.3 million to settle landmark special education case

July 10, 2018 at 3:32 p.m.

The Douglas County School District has paid $1.32 million to settle a long-running special education case brought by a couple who sought reimbursement from the district for their son鈥檚 education...

Students' backpacks line the hall at a Denver Public Schools in 2012

Colorado鈥檚 preschool program fails to meet targets for serving English learners well, report finds

April 18, 2018 at 1:36 p.m.

Colorado鈥檚 public preschool program fails to meet most targets for effectively serving young English learners, according to a new state-by-state report released Wednesday.

7 things you need to know about how Colorado schools discipline their youngest students

April 4, 2018 at 8:47 a.m.

Despite nationwide debate about the impact of harsh discipline on young children and efforts to bring the numbers down, suspensions in the early grades are actually going up in Colorado.

How one Colorado county plans to double its child care spots in three years

February 12, 2018 at 8:47 a.m.

Mesa County plans to create thousands of new licensed child care slots and significantly improve the quality of child care programs over the next three years.

Most high schools in Colorado have gifted programs but disparities exist

February 2, 2018 at 9:13 a.m.

Colorado is one of only six states where at least 90 percent of high-poverty elementary and middle schools offer gifted and talented programs.

Will recess cuts boost learning? One struggling Colorado district wants to find out.

January 15, 2018 at 11:31 a.m.

The Adams 14 School District cuts recess time for elementary students in effort to devote more time to instruction.

To teach American music, Colorado teacher takes students back in time

January 4, 2018 at 11:42 a.m.

Dave Lunn, the band and orchestra director at Liberty Common High School in Fort Collins, says his favorite unit to teach is American roots Music.

Mariah Verdeal points out a formula on the board as she assists Prisylla Arteaga during an eighth grade algebra class at Vikan Middle School in Brighton, Colorado on Oct. 18, 2016.

Brighton district latest to set later start time for middle, high school students

December 20, 2017 at 10:17 a.m.

Brighton School District will be third in Colorado to start school later for middle, high school students.

Nine of Denver鈥檚 78 neighborhoods are considered child care deserts

December 14, 2017 at 5:40 p.m.

Nine of Denver鈥檚 78 neighborhoods are classified as child care deserts, areas where the number of small children far exceeds the number of licensed child care slots, and efforts are...

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