Brad Laurvick, School Board District 5 Director

2 weeks ago

Public service as an elected official comes with many challenges. The decisions, tensions, and opinions are part of what all of us had to recognize and accept when we chose to run for office.
What are not a part of this commitment to serve, and are in no way acceptable, are threats of violence, harm, and bigotry.
Our colleague, Director Tay Anderson, has been a regular recipient of vile and unconscionable communications that threaten his safety and wellbeing. He has faced racist comments, judgements, and slurs. This is not acceptable.
Nor would it be acceptable for us as his colleagues to ignore his experience, or allow our support to be anything less than public. Such emails and comments are wrong, and in many cases illegal.
Director Anderson has always encouraged conversation, even when people disagree with him. He does not shy away from discussions that are difficult. He has offered venues and opportunities to be in real conversations that can actually generate ideas and change in the world. To try and tear him down, instead of working to build a better world, is as repugnant as the emails he has received. We are committed to working with Director Anderson to educate a generation of students who know better, who act better, and who can create a better world.

In Support,
Directors Olson, Bacon, Cobián, Baldermann, Laurvick, and O'Brien

Denver School Board President, Dr. Carrie A. Olson
Denver School Board Vice President - Jennifer Bacon
Board Secretary Denver for Angela Cobián
Scott Baldermann, Denver Public Schools Board of Education - District 1
Brad Laurvick, School Board District 5 Director
Barbara O'Brien for Denver's Kids

with Denver School Board Director - Tay Anderson ...

Brad Laurvick, School Board District 5 Director

3 weeks ago

The Denver Public School Board is a seven person governing body. When we act, it is by a majority of these seven. When we make a decision that is celebrated, the appreciation should be shared. When we make a decision that is questioned, the criticism should be shared as well. We do not always agree on every issue, but work together to serve the community.
In recent days, Director Angela Cobian has been singled out for a vote taken by the Denver City Council. Not only was this vote not made by the School Board, but any criticism of DPS’s role, or lack thereof, in the conversation should be directed at the board as a whole.
To single out Director Cobian is inappropriate and carries troubling implications that are not about the work of the Board, but instead are about politics and power.
Director Cobian, while duly elected as our treasurer, does not carry sole responsibility for representing the interests of the board, unless asked to represent the board. We as a full school board did not ask her to attend the city council meeting on our behalf, nor was the DURA board present at the meeting.
Additionally, the matter before council was not a question of schools. It was about approving a city contract. Any questions the Council may have had were easily answerable without a Board presence, as we have been very vocal and public about our financial needs- yes, DPS would be able to use any funds returned to our budget. We have marched, talked with state and local officials, and carried petitions for years. Anyone, including City Council, following the news knows that DPS is facing historic shortfalls. We care about every penny.
Any criticism and conversation is welcome to be brought to the full board. We will always engage the concerns of our community, it is why we ran to serve the community. But in this moment, the public persecution of a single board member is unwarranted and unfair.
We are honored to serve alongside Director Cobian. Her heart for service, her commitment to always digging deeper into the root causes of issues, and her insights into education are a gift to our board.

Dr Carrie Olson, Board President, District 3
Jennifer Bacon, Board Vice President, District 4
Tay Anderson, Board Secretary, At-Large
Scott Balderman, District 1
Rev Bradley Laurvick, District 5
Barbara O’Brien, At-Large

Denver School Board President, Dr. Carrie A. Olson
Denver School Board Vice President - Jennifer Bacon
Denver School Board Director - Tay Anderson
Scott Baldermann, Denver Public Schools Board of Education - District 1
Barbara O'Brien for Denver's Kids
Angela Cobián ...

Brad Laurvick, School Board District 5 Director

3 weeks ago

DPS is signing on with the Southern Poverty Law Center in a lawsuit against Betsy DeVos and the Department of Education to protect CARES funding, meant for students in need, from being siphoned off to private schools.

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SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 1
IN THE CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER,
STATE OF COLORADO
RESOLUTION NO. 4077

WHEREAS, COVID-19 is a public health emergency and DPS had to respond urgently to the crisis and take drastic measures to protect the health and safety of our students and staff; and
WHEREAS, in response to COVID-19, DPS had to transition to remote delivery of instruction, implement new health and safety guidelines, and meet the novel and challenging needs of their students arising from the pandemic, including supports for our vulnerable populations beyond the provision of core educational services. These efforts include, but are not limited to, serving meals to qualifying students and families; providing special education and related services to students with disabilities remotely; enabling English learners and migrant students to access remote learning by providing accessible technology, online instruction and translations; and offering computing devices and connectivity to low income students at no cost; and
WHEREAS, compounding the challenges in serving students during the pandemic is the fact the the DPS budget will be decreased by an estimated $63 million, as public education largely depends on state funding and Colorado’s budgets was hit hard by dramatic reductions in revenues from state sales and income taxes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic;
WHEREAS, the CARES Act was enacted on March 27, 2020 which included an allocation of $30.75 billion for elementary and secondary schools and higher education in order to assist schools in responding to the COVID-19 emergency; and
WHEREAS, recognizing that private schools sometimes serve economically disadvantaged students, Congress instructed school districts to use a small percentage of CARES Act funds for the benefit of those students. The CARES Act explicitly directs public school districts to calculate the amount to set aside for private school students “in the same manner” as Title I funds are calculated for the benefit of disadvantaged private school students under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (“ESEA”); and
WHEREAS, on July 1, 2020, the U.S. Dept. of Education published an interim final rule entitled Providing Equitable Services to Students and Teachers in Non-public Schools, 85 Fed. Reg. 39,479 (July 1, 2020) (the Equitable Services Rule or Rule). Because the Rule was published as an interim final rule, it is effective upon publication; and
WHEREAS, contrary to the statute and in attempted window-dressing for the unlawful siphoning of public funds for the benefit of affluent private school students, the Rule contains a so-called “choice” that, in reality, is no choice at all.

Under the Rule, DPS has two “options:”
“Option 1:” DPS may follow the interpretation contained in the Department’s April 30, 2020 Guidance Document by apportioning funds for the benefit of private-school students based on the total number of students attending private schools, rather than the number of low-income students attending private schools. This option dramatically reduces the funding available to students at Title I and non-Title I public schools, including low income students and other students who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
“Option 2:” Alternatively, if DPS wants to maintain the full amount of funding provided by Congress—by allocating funding for the benefit of private-school students based on the number of students in poverty—DPS must adhere to two severe limitations on the use of the CARES Act funding that were never intended nor authorized by Congress. First, DPS may not spend CARES Act funds on any non-Title I schools. By way of background, the current threshold proportion of low-income students required for designation as a Title I school is 40 percent. See 20 U.S.C. § 6314(a)(1)(A). Many public schools serve significant populations of low-income students, but are not designated as Title I schools. All of those schools are excluded from receiving CARES Act funds under this option. This restriction is plainly irreconcilable with the broad flexibility that Congress has afforded LEAs to use CARES Act funds in any school within their districts, and it has no basis in statute, policy, or reason. Second, DPS may not spend any CARES Act funds such that the federal funds would “supplant,” as opposed to “supplement,” traditional state and local funding sources for the program or service. This restriction forbids DPS from using CARES Act funds to pay for any preexisting expenditures in school budgets—an irrational result, considering that one of the CARES Act’s key purposes is to make up for steep budget shortfalls due to COVID-19; and
WHEREAS, given the severe limitations in the Rule, it is untenable for DPS to implement the second option above; therefore, pursuant to the Rule, DPS would have to apportion funds for the benefit of private-school students based on the total number of students attending private schools, rather than the number of low-income students attending private schools; and

WHEREAS, the application of this Rule will result in the loss of approximately $1.5 million to DPS students, families and employees; and
WHEREAS, the Department’s interpretation will deprive low-income students, English learners, students with disabilities and other needs identified by districts, their teachers, and DPS of the critical resources to meet students’ educational and social emotional needs during and after pandemic-related school closures;
WHEREAS, the filing of a Complaint against Betsy Devos in her official capacity as the United States Secretary of Education and the U.S. Dept. of Education is necessary in order to prevent the implementation of the Rule and in order to prevent irreparable harm.

NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that:

The DPS Board of Education votes to join a lawsuit brought by the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Education Law Center of New Jersey and Munger, Tolles & Olsen LLP on behalf of public school children and their parents and public school districts against Betsy Devos in her official capacity as the United States Secretary of Education, and the U. S. Dept. of Education, challenging the U.S. Dept. of Education Interim Final Rule, 8ff5 Fed. Reg. 39,479 (July 1, 2020).

Approved by the DPS Board of Education, July 21, 2020

Denver School Board President, Dr. Carrie A. Olson
Denver School Board Vice President - Jennifer Bacon
Angela Cobián
Denver School Board Director - Tay Anderson
Scott Baldermann, Denver Public Schools Board of Education - District 1
Barbara O'Brien for Denver's Kids ...