What’s churning:
First lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden, wife of vice president Joe Biden, will host a science contest for military families today at Fountain-Fort Carson High School, south of Colorado Springs.
The competition will pit military parents against high school students to highlight the need for advanced math and science classes at schools serving military children and to draw attention to the challenges faced by military children.
The event begins at 10:15 a.m. and is intended to bring awareness to the National Math and Science Initiative, launched in 2007 to reverse declines in U.S. math and science education, and its Initiative for Military Families, which aims to provide consistent high-level math and science to U.S. schools serving military bases. The Colorado Legacy Foundation is a partner of the NMSI.
Today’s activity is part of a two-day, five-city tour of military bases and communities by Obama and Biden that includes North Carolina, Ohio and Texas as part of the effort to support military families. Learn more in this Washington Post story and read this Denver Post story about their visit to Coors Field in Denver on Wednesday.
Also today, the Denver Classroom Teachers Association is scheduled to endorse mayoral candidate James Mejia, a former Denver Public Schools board member and founding head of the Denver Preschool Program. A press conference is set for 4 p.m. at Viking Park, across from North High School.
What’s on tap:
The State Board of Education convenes from 9 to 10:45 a.m. for a public session that includes recognition of 2011 Teacher of the Year Michelle Pearson, a legislative update, a report on high school graduation guidelines under the CAP4K program and the monthly report from Commissioner Robert Hammond. After adjournment, the board will go into executive session to interview commissioner candidates.
Denver Public Schools board members have a working lunch from noon to 1:30 p.m. at district headquarters, 900 Grant St., for a report on the Innovation School Act and the board’s recently approved policy related to it. Agenda
The University of Colorado Regents meet at 1 p.m. to take public comment and likely vote on President Bruce Benson’s proposal to discontinue the School of Journalism and Mass Communications. (See this page for links to Benson’s plan and related documents.) The public hearing is scheduled for 30 minutes. The meeting is on the Boulder East Campus at 4001 Discovery Drive, 1st floor conference room.
The Jefferson County school board will have a strategic planning and advisory council meeting in the boardroom of the education center, 1829 Denver West Drive No. 27 in Golden. Agenda
Good reads from elsewhere:
California theme: Los Angeles Unified school district releases its own value-added school ratings, with plans to release teacher ratings next month, and the city’s mayor focuses on education in his State of the City speech. Los Angeles Times.