DPS was recently granted $4 million from the Gates Foundation!  This was one of the largest shares out of $25 million to schools in seven cities.  These funds are awarded to schools who are “dedicated to bold collaboration between public charter and traditional schools”.

One of the main projects Denver’s money will be used for is a system that enables successful teachers and principals, in both charter and traditional schools, to help with teachers and principals sharing their methods.

This is the second Gates Foundation grant awarded to DPS, the first in 2009 for $10 million to implement a teacher mentorship program.  All the districts awarded the money from the foundation have signed a District-Charter Collaboration Compacts, meaning that the districts and their charter schools have agreed to collaborate with each others information, practices and methods that seem to produce student success.

DPS keeps receiving these Gates grants because “Denver is doing a lot of things right” said foundation spokeswoman Debbie Veney Robinson. “We as a foundation are less concerned with the governing structure of a particular school, the real issue is: Are you replicating the best practices? There is a lot of that kind of fundamental work that is happening in Denver” Veney Robinson concluded.

This is a great honor! Way to go DPS!!!!

The other cities awarded Gates grants are Boston; Hartford, Conn.; New Orleans; New York; Philadelphia; and Spring Branch, Texas.

Cheers~

Ray Williams