Advocacy

Supporting education reform

Get Smart Schools is dedicated to supporting education reform initiatives that advance student academic achievement through autonomy and strengthen the authority of a school leader. Our local and state level involvement touch on a diverse set of public issues and vary according to the present needs of the education community. Below are Get Smart’s current education initiatives.

Denver Public Schools Enrollment Project: SchoolChoice

Currently, there are over 60 different enrollment processes families must navigate to enroll in a Denver Public School. Get Smart Schools, in collaboration with other education non-profits, Denver Public Schools, and national experts have been working over the past two years to assess the current enrollment processes and develop a system that is more equitable for all students and easier for parents to navigate.

For the 2012-13 school year, Denver Public Schools has committed to moving to a single, unified enrollment system called SchoolChoice. Families will now be able to use one form, due on one date, to let the district know which school they would like their child to attend the following year.

Get Smart Schools is a proud advocate of this important work to help all families access great schools. In addition to leading the coalition of organizations that has been pushing for this change, we are overseeing a major outreach and communications project to make sure all families are aware of this new system. Please click here and here to read further background about this project.

View the Elementary Enrollment Guide here!  

View the Middle and High Schools Enrollment Guide here!

DPS District-Charter Compact

Get Smart Schools, in collaboration with Denver Public Schools and the Colorado League of Charter Schools, is engaged in facilitating the execution of the commitments made in the District-Charter Compact that was signed by all charter schools and the district in 2010. Click here to read the Compact in its entirety. 

The Compact is based on a shared belief that all students can achieve and deserve the highest quality public schools and that it is the collective responsibility of all schools – district, charter, performance, magnet or innovation – to ensure that every student has access to an excellent education that successfully prepares them for college and career. The Compact is an agreement, based on these beliefs, that outlines how the district and its charters will better work together to serve the needs of students.

For more information please contact advocacy@getsmartschools.org.