Vulnerable populations
Advocates for students with disabilities say sending kids home early is a common practice, but often happens informally with no documentation.
The program could help the families of up to 350,000 children pay for groceries during the summer.
Leah Williamson, a school social worker, said her students don’t “come from white picket fences, unicorns, and glitter, and do not want to be treated as [if] they do.”
“It’s a huge, complex system, and it’d be naive to think one piece of legislation is going to fix everything,” one state official said.
A single facility school serves all of Colorado’s Western Slope, while rural schools struggle to hire skilled staff. Some children have to cross mountain ranges to get an education.
What happens when public schools can’t or won’t meet kids’ needs — and the wait for a specialized school is weeks or months?
The additional support could help the beleaguered facility school system grow by 40% statewide.
The district says resources to help those students — from free transportation to rental assistance — are nearly maxed out.
Un número creciente de distritos escolares de Colorado ofrecerá almuerzo gratis a todos los estudiantes el próximo año, incluidos los de Denver, Douglas County, y Greeley-Evans.
States like Colorado where kindergarten is voluntary account for a larger share of children missing from the data, a new analysis finds.
“These are children’s lives that are at stake here,” said state Sen. Rachel Zenzinger.
Colorado’s mandatory reporting rules, which apply to employees in about 40 professions, are often vague and contribute to a disproportionate number of reports targeting families of color.
Una querella federal dice que la ley de opción de escuelas (school choice) de Colorado da demasiada oportunidad para rechazar a estudiantes discapacitados.
A complaint filed with the federal Office for Civil Rights says Colorado’s school choice law gives school very broad leeway to turn away students with disabilities.
A Colorado school discipline reform bill limits handcuffing, requires parents be told when students are restrained, and makes more data publicly available.
A Colorado bill seeks to improve school discipline practices and promote a better learning environment. Opponents say it will drown them in paperwork.
The goal is more supportive schools. Advocates are starting with more data collection, better policies for school resource officers, and a near-ban on handcuffing students.
HopSkipDrive specializes in rides for children and contracts with school districts. Disability advocates want state safety rules for school transportation to apply.
A Colorado bill would give charter schools more opportunity to teach students with disabilities. But are charters ready for the responsibility?