Concerns with how Denver rates its schools emerged as one of the hottest topics during last year’s search for a superintendent. Now that a new leader is in place, the state’s largest district is reimagining its controversial color-coded school rating system.
A task force of 30 parents, teachers, principals, and community members (see the roster below) will spend the next eight months coming up with recommendations for how to determine a “quality” school. The ratings are important: Denver Public Schools uses them to flag schools that are struggling and need more oversight, while many parents use them to figure out where to send their children in a district that encourages school choice.