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Sabrina Stevens Shupe: DPS and SB 130: "Innovating" Around the Law?
Denver Public Schools recently voted 4-3 to approve innovation status for three new schools in Far Northeast Denver. In doing so, they almost certainly broke the law.
For those who don't know, SB 08-130 (The Innovation Schools Act) grants schools and districts that receive innovation status the privilege of waiving certain requirements, like their local collective bargaining contract and some district mandates. The stated aim is to give schools the flexibility to be creative in figuring out ways to solve achievement problems (a noble idea), but it also gives schools a way to eliminate certain rights and protections for teachers (a potentially problematic idea). In order to mitigate against some of those concerns, the law requires school leaders to prove they have the consent of majority of their staff and school community before pursuing the status. So what's the problem here?
Well, the schools in question don't quite yet exist, in that they don't currently have staff members or school accountability committees -- two groups
For those who don't know, SB 08-130 (The Innovation Schools Act) grants schools and districts that receive innovation status the privilege of waiving certain requirements, like their local collective bargaining contract and some district mandates. The stated aim is to give schools the flexibility to be creative in figuring out ways to solve achievement problems (a noble idea), but it also gives schools a way to eliminate certain rights and protections for teachers (a potentially problematic idea). In order to mitigate against some of those concerns, the law requires school leaders to prove they have the consent of majority of their staff and school community before pursuing the status. So what's the problem here?
Well, the schools in question don't quite yet exist, in that they don't currently have staff members or school accountability committees -- two groups