Smiley Middle School, which is in the process of being phased out.

The vote caps off a siting process that has sparked anxiety in both the neighborhood that currently serves McAuliffe and the one surrounding Smiley.

Only board member Jeannie Kaplan voted against the move, slated to happen in 2014-2015, saying she was concerned the district lacked a broader plan for quality middle schools in the area.

“I would like to know what other middle school options are happening here,” she said.

Other board members hailed the move as a way to bring two neighborhoods together for the good of the whole.

Landri Taylor, who formerly handled community affairs for the developer of Stapleton, said the process of integrating Greater Park Hill and Stapleton began more than a decade ago and is integral to the concept of the urban neighborhood.

He said he sees Stapleton continuing to integrate with surrounding areas, including Commerce City and Montbello.

“I see great things happening from this,” Taylor said.

People speak up on both sides

Students and parents spoke mostly in favor of the move during a very crowded public comment period.

McAuliffe student McKenna Daly said the move would be good for her school.

“I’ve heard Smiley is a larger school with many lockers,” Daly said. “That would be  helpful to students and faculty. With a larger school to accommodate current students, there will be plenty of space to add more students. I think more kids should have an opportunity for the IB program, which I have really enjoyed.”

Former Smiley student and Park Hill resident Joe Lenhart said Smiley is a good location for McAuliffe due to its sports fields and space.

“I want to see my friends from Park Hill interact with kids from Stapleton.”

Stapleton parent Greg Kobak, though, said the district was not upholding promises made to Stapleton that the community would have its own schools within walking distance. He said he was fine with moving McAuliffe into a bigger building, but he said he opposed talk of creating a bigger shared boundary — serving up to five middle schools — that would include Stapleton and parts of Greater Park Hill.

He said by increasing the boundary, the district is decreasing the likelihood that Stapleton students will be able to attend school near their homes due to the degree of competition between parents to get their kids in the top schools through the district’s choice process.

He also said he and people who agree with him have been vilified as being racist or not supporting diversity.

Stapleton mom Leanne Hurley said she, too, has been pegged as an elitist or racist at community meetings that she described as being “hostile.” In truth, Hurley said she moved to Stapleton for its schools and pays extra taxes to support a top-notch public education for her children.

“We accepted the higher tax rate in lieu of paying private school tuition,” Hurley said.

Hurley said what the district really wants is the fundraising might of the Stapleton neighborhood to prop up other parts of Denver.

Miriam Goetzke, though, said the district has failed to adequately support Smiley and the Park Hill community in genera and has, instead, created pathways through choice for more privileged students to attend high-performing schools in Stapleton. She said it was time to give those opportunities to Park Hill students as well.

Some 81 percent of Smiley Middle School’s students qualify for free and reduced price lunch, an indicator of poverty, compared to 22 percent at McAuliffe, according to state figures.

“Regardless of who your parents are, or how much money they make, or where they live, this should not impede (students’) potential,” Goetzke said. “Quality education is not privilege-based.”

Bridging two neighborhoods

The demographics in the two school boundaries are very mixed. In Stapleton, 70 percent of the residents are white, 13 percent Latino and 10 percent black. Greater Park Hill is made up of very different populations. South Park Hill has similar racial demographics to Stapleton. But in northeast Park Hill, 14 percent are white, 51 percent black and 30 percent Latino, according to district figures.

McAuliffe Principal Dennis has said the demographics of his school may not change that much under a new shared boundary. He said half his students already come from Park Hill. About 40 percent of the school’s students are racially diverse.

Jonathan Postal, a Park Hill parent, said the move could provide a “figurative bridge for all of us.”

McAuliffe is wrapping up its first year of operation at Swigert International School in Stapleton but is already a sought-after option by families. Meanwhile, Smiley Middle School is being phased out due to poor performance and therefore will have even  more vacant seats in coming years. Smiley is also home to Venture Prep High School, a charter school. Venture Prep Middle School, also now in Smiley, is phasing out.

District officials have portrayed the move as a win for both communities.

For Park Hill, it means a desperately needed high quality middle school option in an area where schools have struggled academically and which has among the highest rates of families choosing schools outside their neighborhood boundary. For Stapleton, it means McAuliffe, a school in the process of becoming an International Baccalaureate program, will have the space it needs as it continues to grow and will be able to equitably serve all students in the northeast region.

The board will reconvene at 3 p.m. Monday to make a final decision on the non-renewals, which prompted an organized protest by the teachers union in the form of nearly 100 teachers and parents who signed up for 3 minute slots to complain about how the district determines who gets tenure – and who doesn’t.

Denver teachers whose contracts were not renewed and their supporters listen to emotional testimony at Thursday’s board meeting.

Probationary teachers who are being cut loose from the district next year – some put on a DPS “do not hire” list – and parents with kids in their classrooms made emotional pleas to the board asking them to reconsider the decisions.

Board member Andrea Merida questioned the process the district uses to make these life-changing decisions, and said there seemed to be a discrepancy in some cases between findings of the peer observer under Denver’s LEAP teacher evaluation system – and the principal.

“I am finding this an incredibly unjust situation,” Merida said. “How does a first-year principal get to determine the hirability for the rest of the district for the teacher?”

“Teachers, this needs to be a wake-up call to you. You can’t rest on your laurels anymore. If you’re not getting the support you need, run it up the flagpole…Our children need you to fight for your career.”

The board punted some key items so they’d have time to listen to teacher concerns and ask questions about the process.

Principals and instructional superintendents put time all year into making what Superintendent Tom Boasberg described as tough decisions.

“This is one of the hardest times of year,” Boasberg said. “We have an unbelievably dedicated and caring staff at Denver Public Schools.. In no way is anyone questioning the heart, the caring, the concern that our teachers have for our students.”

However, Boasberg encouraged the board to approve the decisions because he said schools would have to wait until fall to hire for those posts if the board didn’t act soon.

Teachers,parents make impassioned pleas

After every speaker, the full house in the boardroom erupted in cheers, and sometimes gave them standing ovations. When one roster of speakers cleared out, a new batch came in from the lobby of the administration building.

“Something is terribly wrong when a public school system discards excellent teachers,” said Teller Elementary parent Bess Scully, talking about two teachers whose contracts were not renewed.  “They have met or exceeded the criteria provided to them. They are motivated, smart, creative teachers. They are the kind of people we want to retain in this educational system.”

District staff noted that Senate Bill 10-191, the so-called teacher effectiveness law, shifts the determining factor in tenure decisions from longevity to teacher performance. The granting of non-probationary status, or tenure, should be “a significant milestone in a teacher’s professional career,” Chief Human Resources Officer Shayne Spalten said.

Beginning next school year, teachers will be granted non-probationary status — better known as tenure — based on three consecutive years of demonstrated effectiveness. Effectiveness is based upon a consistent record of strong student growth over multiple years; 
multiple years of strong instructional practices, including planning, classroom practice and utilization of student data; and significant contributions to school community and strong record of professionalism.

Beginning in 2014-15, teachers who receive ratings below effective for two consecutive years may lose non-probationary status.

District administrators said 270 teachers in their third year or beyond will receive non-probationary status at the end of this year.

The teachers who didn’t get tenure make up 4 percent of the total probationary teacher pool and 1.6 percent of the total teacher population, district staff said. Reasons for not granting tenure include elimination of a position, failure to meet expectations, performance concerns or professionalism issues.

Henry Roman, head of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA), shared data showing that non-probationary teachers in Denver have consistently higher LEAP observation scores than novice, or first year, teachers. Yet, Roman said, the district continues to replace experienced teachers on the brink of gaining tenure with first-year teachers.

He asked board members to examine the case of each teacher tagged with a “no hire” label.

“This applies to any job within DPS,” Roman said. “It’s not a policy practice like any other school district in Colorado. It means you  are not just honoring the principal’s decision that someone is not a good fit. It’s deciding whether these educators can ever work again in DPS. Before making these career ending decisions, make sure you have a clear understanding of the cause for each of the non-renewals.”

Dolores Carbajal-Sandoval, an ELA-S teacher at Schmittt Elementary, said she got canned for a lack of “professionalism.” She said her principal described her as a negative influence on staff. But Carbajal-Sandoval said the decision was really about a personality conflict.

“I even asked several times about my status, but I was told, ‘I do not have enough data,’” Carbajal-Sandoval said. “This was on a principal’s unsupportable perception of professionalism. I cannot believe one person with the support of two others … can take away all I’ve done.”

A few of Carbajal-Sandoval’s students, such as Marisol Dominguez Sotelo, spoke highly of their teacher.

“She is a very good teacher,” Dominguez Sotelo said. “Instead of focusing on firing teachers, they should be focusing on our safety. She is a great teacher. She listens to us and understand us.”

Sarah Young, parent of a fourth-grader at Teller, fought for Miss Johnson. She complained that parent feedback is not factored into these decisions.

“Who knows better whether my son was challenged, engaged or grew in this year?” Young said. “His confidence and academic skills grew.”

Sandra Camilo wept as she described her experiences in DPS.

“We should at least be given the opportunity to improve before we are banned for life,” she said, noting that she had nine students score “advanced” on the TCAP last year.  “I have personally decided not to teach anymore. But certainly teachers do not deserve to be treated this way.”

Pat Slaughter, DPS assistant superintendent for elementary education, said the main focus for principals is to “ensure we have effective teachers in every classroom.” She said the district provides lots of opportunities for professional development if they need more support. However, several of the teachers who testified said they were not given any notice of issues with their teaching; or, if they were, they did not get supports they asked for.

Merida asked for a specific breakdown of names of teachers who will not be renewed and whether they could be hired down the road.

Chief Human Resources Officer Spalten said 65 percent – or 140 – of those teachers whose contract were not  renewed are eligible to be rehired by the district. The remaining 80 are not eligible for rehire due to performance or professionalism concerns. Many from the latter category addressed the board beginning Thursday evening.

“The decision to non-renew a probationary teacher is based on a body of evidence, observation through LEAP from peer observers, student achievement data and interactions with college and members of their team,” Spalten said. “All decisions were reviewed and approved by the instructional superintendent.”

Boasberg said he personally reviewed all the personnel files in question and felt comfortable with the recommendations, even though they are difficult decisions. Seawell also said it seemed that LEAP was working better than the old system, which results in  most teachers being rated a generic “satisfactory.” And she encouraged those teachers who talked about their life’s passion to stick with it.

“No matter what happens, don’t leave the profession,” Seawell said. “Stay with it. This (LEAP) system is not perfect and teachers deserve perfect.”

Colorado Department of Education

The guidelines have a long implementation timeline, and the document is expected to be changed more than once over the next two years. That makes its impact on future students hard to predict.

The overall goal of the guidelines is to make high school diplomas represent what students actually know and can do – “competency” in education jargon. Most district graduation requirements now are based on completion of a certain number of classes over a certain number of years. (Education jargon for that is “seat time.”)

The document is “an intentional statement that we are moving from seat time … to proof of competency,” said Scott Stump, a community college system administrator who was a member of the 19-person committee that developed the guidelines for SBE.

The report from the Graduation Guidelines Council sets out another key goal: “A high school diploma should guarantee that students are: 1) prepared to enter credit-bearing courses in postsecondary education institutions; 2) prepared academically to enter military officer training; and 3) prepared to be productive entry-level employees in the
workforce.”

But the details of the document have drawn a lot of questions and some opposition from a variety of education interest groups. Even Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia, the Hickenlooper administration’s point man on education issues, told the board he was “neutral” on the guidelines.

Graduation guidelines are a complicated issue for a lot of reasons.

First, the state constitution’s local control provision gives school boards substantial autonomy in curriculum and instruction. So, neither the legislature nor the Department of Education can impose uniform graduation requirements for all students, as is the case in some other states. Rather, the guidelines would set a basic standards that districts would have to “meet or exceed” in setting their own graduation requirements.

Second, the guidelines would have a long rollout period, and the first group of students directly affected by new district requirements will those who graduate from high school in 2021.

Third, and perhaps most important, minimum scores and standards for several of the tests and other measurements suggested in the guidelines haven’t been set. So, students, parents and districts don’t yet know the full menu of choices that can be used to set district requirements. (See below for the full list of suggested measures and cut scores.)

The guidelines also would require districts to include successful student completion of individual career and academic plans (ICAPs) in their graduation requirements and to advise students and families about graduation requirements starting in the 6th grade.

Nearly a dozen witnesses testified during the board’s two-hour hearing on the guidelines.

Jane Urschel, deputy executive director of the Colorado Association of School Boards, was critical, saying, “The council’s proposal leaves little room for local discretion … the guidelines are more like rules.”

Because of that, she suggested to board go through the formal rule-making process, which has specific requirements for public comment. (The board didn’t take up that suggestion – it had a deadline to adopt the guidelines this month.)

Bret Miles, superintendent of the eastern plains district of Holyoke and also representing the Colorado Rural Schools Caucus, sounded a similar note. “We feel like this … oversteps the local boards of education.”

Randy DeHoff, a former SBE member who was representing the Colorado Cyberschool Association, seconded the concerns of the rural caucus.

On the other side, representatives of Stand for Children, the Colorado Children’s Campaign, Colorado Succeeds, A+ Denver and Democrats for Education Reform supported the guidelines. “They’re a huge step in the right direction,” said Van Schoales, speaking for A+ Denver and DFER.

Garcia, who spoke to the board earlier in the day before the hearing, said of the rules, “We’re not just quite there yet” adding it “would be best” if the board waiting to act until after his Department of Higher Education completes work on new admissions and remediation policies later this year.

Some board members were sympathetic to the critics. Deb Scheffel, a Republican who represents the 6th District, wondered, “Why wouldn’t the state board engage in rule making if it’s going to be this detailed?”

Chair Paul Lundeen, a Republican from the 5th District, suggested that the grid of tests and cut scores be relegated to an appendix of the guidelines.

But both voted for the guidelines in the end, partly because of the fact that the document will be tweaked in the future.

“This is the beginning of a process,” noted education Commissioner Robert Hammond.

“These guidelines are not static,” said Stump. “At each step of the process there are going to be new tools for measuring student performance.”

It’s a moving target – new science and social studies coming spring of 2014, PARCC tests spring of 2015 and updated higher ed “no remediation” standards fall of 2013.

Creation of the guidelines was required by a 2007. The guidelines council issued an initial report in 2008 but then was dormant until it was revived last year. The guidelines law was overshadowed by a far more comprehensive 2008 education reform law, the Colorado Achievement Plan for Kids. That set requirements for new state content standards, tests and alignment of K-12 outcome with college admissions standards.