By Rebecca Holmes, CEI President and CEO Carrying two feelings at once is the idea behind Brené Brown’s two-word check-in. As we get ready to return from summer vacation following education’s hardest year in recent history, my team and I see light on the horizon. I feel simultaneously emboldened and humbled …
Recovery Summer Coalition Funds 11 Programs for Colorado Children and Families
$350,000 in funding will support summer programs that focus on equity, engagement, and wellness following pandemic disruptions The Recovery Summer Coalition (the Coalition), facilitated by Early Milestones Colorado (Early Milestones) and Colorado Education Initiative (CEI), is pleased to announce 11 grants to fund regional equity-centered efforts that leverage the upcoming summer for supporting Colorado children and …
St Vrain Places Priority on Staff Social Emotional Wellness
By Susan Paulsen, CEI Strategic Communications Manager Efforts to meet student needs begin with meeting staff needs St. Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD) has many programs and resources in place to ensure teachers and staff are supported in their work. One important area of focus is advancing the social emotional …
Sensemaking Stimulus Funds with Colorado School Districts – What We’re Asking and What We’re Hearing
By Rebecca Holmes, CEI President and CEO Like many of you, my team and I at CEI are paying close attention to updates about state and federal relief dollars and what they are likely to mean for Colorado students and communities in the coming years. As excited as we are …
Women Leaders in Colorado Public Education
As CEI commemorates Women’s History Month in 2021, we recognize the increasing number of women serving in leadership roles in Colorado’s PK-12 education landscape. We checked in with several of our partner districts to learn how these women have navigated the havoc that COVID-19 presented, and what lies ahead. What …
Up-Close with Harrison School District Leaders
By Susan Paulsen, CEI Strategic Communications Manager Q & A with Superintendent Wendy Birhanzel and Assistant Superintendent and Chief Financial Officer Shelley Becker As CEI commemorates Women’s History Month in 2021, we recognize the increasing number of women serving in leadership roles in Colorado’s PK-12 education landscape. We checked in …
Students Lead the Way
By Rebecca Holmes, CEI President and CEO When was the last time you really “stood in the shoes” of a young person in your school or in your life? Listened deeply? Maybe even shadowed them for a day to see what their learning and life experiences actually felt like? I’ve been inspired …
What Might be Possible in 2021?
By Rebecca Holmes, CEI President and CEO The disruptions of 2020, long in some communities and shorter in others, pushed learning into students’ homes in ways we never could have predicted. The most responsive school systems in our state are starting to think quite differently about what 2020 has taught …
Q & A with Colorado Leader, Educator Dr. Cile Chavez
The newly-announced Dr. Cile Chavez Fellowship has been created to inspire diverse, under-represented education leaders to join the Rural Superintendent Academy and bring their unique perspectives to the helm of Colorado districts. In this Q & A, Dr. Chavez, a retired superintendent, education thought leader, and Boettcher Foundation trustee, shares …
RISE Grant Brings COVID Impact Recovery Ideas to Life in Clear Creek
By Susan Paulsen, CEI Strategic Communications Manager Clear Creek School District (CCSD) is a rural district serving just under 700 students, located 35 miles west of Denver. CCSD serves students in Clear Creek County, which was recently identified as #13 in the nation for where COVID will have the most …