(Special toDWN)

By Roger K. Clendening
The key to closing the Black/white achievement gap
among Denver Public Schools students is more effec-
tive teaching, DPSsuperintendent TomBoasberg said
this weekin his State of the Schools address.
"We are not meeting the civil-rights challenge of our
generationandthat is togiveeveryoneof our students,
regardless of race, ethnicity or family background and
income, a strong and equal chance to graduate from
high school prepared for college," Boasberg told a
crowdof about 75at NorthHighSchool Tuesdaynight
during the first of several scheduled meetings to also
share with public education customers the draft of the
2009 Denver Plan.
We still have a 35 point achievement gap, between
Asian/CaucasianstudentsandBlack/Hispanicstudents,
Boasbergacknowledged. Eightypercent of DPSstu-
dents are students of color and were not meeting their
needs, noted Boasberg.
Thats profoundlyunacceptable, he asserted.
Creating conditions to ensure the effectiveness of our
teachers andour principals is the key, Boasbergsays.
Yet the draft 2009 Denver Plan, crafted through
many, many discussions with teachers, principals,
students, and community, civic and business leaders,
accordingtoBoasberg, doesnot specificallyarticulatea
clear cut planandstrategytoactuallyclosetheachieve-
ment gap save an Appendix reference under Student
Growth Goals:
The performance gap between Asian/Caucasian students and
African-American and Hispanic students scoring Proficient &
above on CSAP will decrease by 3.5% annually, closing the
achievement gap. (emphasis added)
Inresponse toa question, Boasbergsaidthe planlays out goals
of closingthegapby50%infiveyears, andentirelywithin10years.
Yet he acknowledges a dilemma, notinghe andDPSofficials are
facedwiththeplannedincreaseineducational standardsandhigher
expectationsfor student achievement, alongwithanticipatedbudget
cuts of $10-million this year and $20-millionnext year.
Moreover, Boasberg will have new bosses on the school board
withanelectioninNovember slatedtofill four seats onthe seven-
member board.
Becausetheelectionof newschool boardmembersmaymaintain
the status quo or influence change and an improvement in educa-
tional outcomes for Blackstudents,
DWNsought responses to the following two questions fromall
fiveof thecandidatesseekingelectiontotheDistrict 4school board
seat vacatedbecause of termlimits.
The questions, submitted via email, are:
1. What is best in the draft 2009 Denver Plan for closing the
achievement gapbetweenBlackandwhitestudentsinDenver Pub-
lic Schools, and
2. What doyouwant changed, eliminatedor addedtothe planto
address the gap?
The candidates responses, edited for clarity and brevity, follow
in the order theywere received:
[CandidateAndrea Mosbys response is on page 3]
DENVER WEEKLY NEWS
DENVER WEEKLY NEWS
Volume 38 Number 32 October 1 - October 7, 2009
Boasberg: EffectiveTeaching is the Keyto Closing Black/WhiteAchievement Gap
AltonClark:
It is not amatter of what is onpaper, but
theimplementationof theplanitself. DPS
officials have suggested four points they
claim will assist in closing the achieve-
ment gapfor all studentsbut without spec-
ifying cultural differences that do exist.
Theyincludecreatingconditionstoensure
the effectiveness of teachers and principals; ensuring all students
haveaccesstorigorous, standards-basedcurriculaandassessments;
providing coordinated and comprehensive systems of support for
the whole child; and using data and best practice information to
evaluate andcontinuously improve instructional programs.
Yes, theplansaysalearninggapexists. However, (thereis) noth-
ing that evensuggests howtoapproachits closure.
The current president of the school board, Teresa Pena, was
quotedintheDenver Post of September 29, 2009assaying, if you
get three new board members who don't understand the context,
you risk throwing out the (reform) plan, and the superintendent,
andyouget this pendulumgoingandthe onlyones whosuffer are
the teachers andthe children.
Ms. Penas statement suggests we continue with the status quo,
infused with people who will not make appropriate changes. Yet
that iswhythepositionsaretermlimited, toinfusenewpeoplewith
newideas.
Change is inevitable. We do not need people who will maintain
thestatusquo. Obviouslythat hasnot workedandour studentscon-
tinue to suffer.
Continued on page 3
Nate Easley:
Whats best is the direction of the plan
and that this is a draft. The commitment
to close the achievement gaps between
minority and Anglo students goals is
commendable, but can only succeed
through community involvement and
support. Thedistrict must workwiththe
entirecommunity; students, parents (and
grandparents), teachers and administrators, local businesses and
concernedcitizens, todevelopinnovativestrategies tosuccessfully
meet the needs of all our students.
Movingforward, the communityneeds tosee more specifics on
how implementing the Denver Plan translates into quality neigh-
borhood schools, an important factor in closing the achievement
gap. Familiesmust haveaccesstoinnovativeandstimulatinglearn
Continuedon page 3
Jacqui Shumway:
As a teacher, if I were grading the
(draft 2009) Denver Plan, I wouldgive
it an incomplete. No serious mention
is given to how we are going to im-
prove the achievement gap. No seri-
ous mention is made of art, music or
physical activity, andnoplanwill work
to help any child, so long as we allow
97%of $7300 per student tobe siphonedoff by charter schools.
Onlylocal publicschoolscanprovideeducationinall theARTS
&Sciencesthat contributetotheimprovement of thecountry. With
the coming budget cuts, we need to focus the limited dollars on
makingALLschoolsbetter. Thisexperiment incharter schoolshas
shownsomelimitedresultsinthelast four years, andthoseschools
shouldbe maintainedwhile improving neighborhood schools.
Continued onpage 3
Vernon Jones, Jr.:
"The plan begins with a core value that
states, All studentscanachieveandgrad-
uate... For me, this is the most essential
component to closing the achievement
gap. All of our schools must be learning
communities where every principal and
everyteacher believes that everystudent
can learn and achieve. I have seen great
teachers do great things with students who others may have writ-
tenoff whenthat teacher heldtothebelief that all studentscanlearn
andsucceed. Wehavetohaveteachers andprincipals whobelieve
inour childrenbut wealsohavetobelieveit asacommunity. It has
tobeour attitudethat wecanandwewill closetheachievement gap
because we believe that all students canlearnand achieve.
I believe that every school must be a great choice for students
Continuedon page 3
Closing the Gap Black students are slowly closing the achievement
gap with white students based on scores on the National Assessment
of Education Progress report released in July 2009.