Monday Churn: The places they’ll go

What’s churning:

Commencement ceremonies for Denver’s comprehensive high schools kick off tonight with George Washington High School graduates taking the stage at DU’s Ritchie Center at 7 p.m. North High School follows tomorrow at 7 p.m. at the Magness Arena and South High School’s ceremony is Wednesday at the Ritchie Center. The list goes on from there.

Graduations are in full swing across the state. Ceremonies for Jefferson County’s larger high schools begin Saturday, with Golden High School seniors set to walk at 9 a.m. at the School of Mines.

Denver Scholarship Foundation officials are scheduled to announce a record number of graduates have been awarded scholarships today during a 10:45 a.m. reception at Bruce Randolph 6-12 School. Randolph’s Class of 2012 includes 35 scholarship winners, such as valedictorian Noemy Rodriguez, who will be attending the University of Northern Colorado to study math and secondary education.

Other scholarship winners include Karim Sanchez, who will attend Regis University to study physical therapy, and Antonio Castaneda, who plans to attend the University of Colorado Denver to study pharmacy.

All Bruce Randolph seniors have been accepted to college and awarded a total of $500,000 in scholarships, not including the scholarship foundation awards, according to a DPS press release.

U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colorado, is planning to unveil legislation at 12:45 p.m. today at Louisville Middle SChool that will end what his staff is calling the “pizza is a vegetable” loophole.

Polis will be joined by Ann Cooper, food service director for the Boulder Valley School District, as he seeks to reverse “Congress’ absurd recent decision to define pizza as a vegetable in federally-subsidized public schools meals,” according to a press release.

What’s on tap:

TODAY

Denver Public Schools board members have a work session at 12:30 p.m. at district offices, 900 Grant St. The timing of the four-hour session is earlier than usual because of graduation ceremonies in the evening. The agenda includes responses to budget questions from a May 7 meeting, discussion on decisions around the non-renewal of teachers and discussion about the renewal of innovation status for Manual High School and Montclair School of Academics and Enrichment.

TUESDAY

Aurora school board members meet at 6 p.m. in the Professional Learning and Conference Center, 15771 E. 1st Ave., Aurora. Agenda.

The Douglas County School District board meets at 5 p.m. in the administration building’s third floor boardroom, 620 Wilcox St., in Castle Rock. Board members have scheduled a two-hour closed session and will reconvene in public at 7 p.m. Agenda.

THURSDAY

Gov. John Hickenlooper’s Education Leadership Council meets 1- 4 p.m. in the new Metro State Student Success Building, 890 Auraria Parkway. Among other agenda items, the panel will start discussing its 2013 legislative agenda.

The Aurora Public Schools District Accountability Advisory Committee holds a public hearing on the 2012-13 budget at 6:30 p.m. in the Professional Learning and Conference Center, 15771 E. 1st Ave., Aurora. Visit the district’s budget reduction website.

The Denver Public Schools board holds a meeting at 2 p.m. and a public comment session at 3:30 p.m. at the district offices, 900 Grant St. Times are earlier because of graduation ceremonies that evening. The agenda includes votes on Manual and Montclair innovation renewals plus votes on several charter school contracts.

Good reads from elsewhere:

Farming out foreign language: Three foreign-language teachers in the Eagle School District are being replaced by an online program, the Vail Daily reports.

The EdNews’ Churn is a daily roundup of briefs, notes and meetings in the world of Colorado education. To submit an item for consideration in this listing, please email us at EdNews@EdNewsColorado.org.