Melanie Asmar

Melanie Asmar covers Denver Public Schools. Asmar previously worked as a reporter for Westword newspaper in Denver and for a daily newspaper in her native New Hampshire. She joined Chalkbeat Colorado in 2015.

Handcuffs sit on a table at a hotel in Minot, N.D., on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015. Sex trafficking has become a big problem in North Dakota amid an oil boom that has brought in money and oil workers. The Minot police sting ended with the arrests of 13 men, who answered ads on an escort website posted by the undercover officers.

Denver school board bans use of handcuffs on elementary school students

June 14, 2019 at 1:12 p.m.

Campus safety officers employed by the Denver school district will no longer be allowed to use handcuffs on elementary school students, after the school board unanimously passed聽a resolution聽Thursday banning the...

In a recent report, a White House memo misspelled "attacker" or "attackers" as "attaker" or "attakers" 27 times, San Bernardino lost its second "r," and "Denmark" became "Denmakr."

Denver teacher “will not return” to district after reportedly making black student clean up feces

June 9, 2019 at 1:44 p.m.

A 6-year-old black boy was reportedly made to clean feces off the floor of a school bathroom after his kindergarten teacher believed a white student抖阴ap claim over his -- an...

Denver fifth grader handcuffed multiple times at school: “Whenever I shut my eyes, I saw the cuffs”

June 2, 2019 at 12:46 p.m.

The issue of handcuffing in Denver schools rose to prominence last month when a different family spoke out about it happening to their 7-year-old son. At the time, Denver Public...

Denver school board member Lisa Flores won’t run for re-election

May 23, 2019 at 9:24 a.m.

The only Denver school board member eligible to run for re-election this year said Wednesday she does not plan to seek a second term. Lisa Flores will serve out the...

Denver school board to consider limiting use of handcuffs on young students

May 17, 2019 at 1:08 p.m.

Following an incident in which a Denver family went public with the story of their 7-year-old son being handcuffed by a school security officer, the Denver school board is considering...

Anna DeWitt, bottom left, with some of her students at North High School.

Part of this Denver teacher鈥檚 platform for school board? A $5,000 raise for every teacher

April 24, 2019 at 6:20 p.m.

Anna DeWitt teaches French at North High School. She is running for the school board seat currently held by Happy Haynes, who is barred by term limits from running again.

A Denver Public Schools emblem and sign on the Evie Garrett Dennis Campus that houses five separate schools with 1,600 students in Pre-K through 12th grade in Northeast Denver, Colorado on March 16, 2016.

Denver Public Schools employee accused of mocking students鈥� names resigns

March 25, 2019 at 11:04 a.m.

The Denver school district employee who sent an email mocking students鈥� names has resigned, according to a spokesperson for Denver Public Schools.

Denver Public Schools employee accused of mocking students’ names in email

March 21, 2019 at 12:25 p.m.

The Denver school district is investigating an allegation that an employee who works in the enrollment office sent an email mocking students鈥� names.

Mary Getachew, 15, right, laughs with her mentor Sabrin Mohamed,18, left, as the two take part in YESS Institute class at Denver's North High School on Nov. 1, 2016.

Denver school board directs district to better serve black students

February 22, 2019 at 5:15 p.m.

Every Denver public school soon will be required to develop a plan to boost the success of black and African-American students by embracing their strengths rather than focusing on the...

Denver Classroom Teachers Association teachers and ...

Democrats for Education Reform was behind text campaign seeking to prevent teacher strike

February 4, 2019 at 2:14 p.m.

Democrats for Education Reform was behind a text message campaign urging Denver residents to聽write Gov. Jared Polis and Denver school board members in support of a key aspect of the...

All Stories