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Attention dedicated educators.

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As the school year kicks off, now is

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the perfect time to take control of your

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Alex provides educators with planning for their most

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important financial decisions. He has a deep understanding

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of the important strategies related to teachers and

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our retirement.

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The school pension system and retirement systems that

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are especially made for teachers.

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with Alex, you can lay a solid foundation

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a brighter future. Don't let the busyness of

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Visit Alex's website at www.torreyandalex.ceterainvestors.com/

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financial planning packages.

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Click the link in the description

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section of this podcast for more information about

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Alex and Cetera Investors. You can also find

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information about their great work for educators,

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at tudopeachers.com,

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as well as on our Patreon page.

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Remember,

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your financial success is just as important as

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your student success. So start putting together your

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financial

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plan today.

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Cetera Investors is the marketing name of Cetera

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Investment Services. Securities and insurance products are offered

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through Cetera Investment Services, LLC

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doing insurance business in California as CFGSTC

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LLC.

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slash SIPC.

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Advisory services are offered through Cetera Investment Advisors,

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LLC,

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Insurance License Number 0L05650.

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Alexander Sierra, CFP,

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is located at 155 North Lake Avenue, Suite

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430,

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Pasadena,

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California, 91101

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and can be reached at phone number 626-408-1333,

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extension

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306.

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Hey. What's going on, everybody? Welcome back to

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2 Dope Teachers and, Mike, the most dangerous

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podcast in the schoolhouse.

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My name is Eduardo Munoz.

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And I am Kevin Adams. We're coming at

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you on an emergency podcast,

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to talk about a pretty important issue that's

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happening in the city of Denver.

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But I guarantee you,

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podcast listeners from across the world, the the

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global 2DOPE nation,

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you probably,

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are experiencing something similar in your space.

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As usual, 2DOPE Teachers and Mic is brought

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to you in part by Cetera Investors.

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Hit up Tori and Alex.

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There's a link in the notes if you

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wanna plan for your financial future.

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I wonder if they have a school district's

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package where school districts can actually

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improve their ability to plan for their financial

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future.

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Hit us up, Tori and Alex, if you

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have any such packages.

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You can also if you are a new

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listener to the podcast, you can follow us

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on social media. Our handle is at 2DOPEteachers

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in most places.

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We are still

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in

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the dystopian lscape that is X,

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but we're still there.

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We will be in other places too, primarily

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on Instagram

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and on Facebook. Facebook, if your grandma wants

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to follow the podcast.

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So we're here

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with a really important issue. And, Kev,

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let's talk a little bit about some of

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the broader

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context,

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around

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a couple of things happening in Denver.

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We have what's being described

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by district leadership as a demographic decline,

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and we also have some issues that are

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that are leading to a conversation around school

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closures. What context can you add

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to this conversation for the listeners?

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You know,

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so

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we've heard this phrase declining enrollment.

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Right? And and, going back all the way

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to my time on the district bargaining team.

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And I wanted to say when we start

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this conversation before, I wanna say one thing.

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This all of my commentary is reflective

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of as a

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community member

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of the Denver Public Schools,

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it's reflective

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of being a parent

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of 2 students

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who have gone through the Denver Public School

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System,

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since kindergarten.

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Right?

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It is not as a DPS

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employee,

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so I wanna give context. But,

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this client I will I will also give

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the same context.

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I am,

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helping to amplify this story as an independent

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journalist,

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as well as a DPS

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alum.

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I've been a student, a teacher,

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a spouse, and a parent in the Denver

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Public Schools.

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Any of the opinions expressed here are my

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opinions alone. They do not reflect any opinions

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of my supervisors, the department I work in,

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or,

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certainly not,

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district leadership, and I am recording this outside

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of the workday.

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Here we go, Kev.

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Very, very well stated.

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But but like I was saying, this phrase

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declining enrollment, you know, I heard a lot

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about it during bargaining, and it's and it's

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an issue. And what people,

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what if for people who are outside of

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our our,

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city, our state, declining enrollment is a situation

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that probably you've seen in other school districts

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where the amount of students because in our

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in our state,

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schools are funded

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per pupil.

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And,

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as enrollment has dropped in our city for

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a variety of reasons,

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You know, our district has cited that,

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they have to really consider how they're using

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funds.

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And so,

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whether it goes to,

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giving teachers raises,

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whether it's now to,

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schools,

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and whether they stay open or not, but

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also the idea of,

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what sort of grade levels they will offer,

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what sort of programs

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they will offer. You know, this phrase declining

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enrollment comes up.

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And I think, you know,

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our district

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has said, you know, we we they they

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have these projections

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based on years to come. They say we're

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down,

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8,000, I don't know, 9000 kids. I don't

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know what the exact number. You guys probably

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have heard varieties of numbers. And then they're

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like, but we're up

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because we had,

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newcomers come,

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through the, recent,

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migration

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wave

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that came.

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But then they're saying you can't depend on

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that because that's not serious.

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But I say all that to just give

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context,

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to what's going on in my community,

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my school community,

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my children's school,

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the Denver Center For International Studies.

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Our,

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superintendent

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and,

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our school board, they operate with

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executive limitations. Right? This is a policy

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that has been created

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that that,

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the school board governs

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what the superintendent

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does and basically kind of gives, the superintendent

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orders.

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And the superintendent,

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it's up to him or whoever is the

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superintendent to kind of,

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you know,

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make that happen. Right? And so

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there was a

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executive limitation

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around school closures with declining

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our schools with declining enrollment.

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Right? And so

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let's see.

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I'm trying to remember the date. It's it's

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been it's been a a hectic 2 weeks.

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Oh, it's the day after the election. Am

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I right? Sure was. 2, 2 days after.

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2 days after. November

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7th. Mhmm. November 7th. Thursday, November 7th. A

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day that'll live in infamy.

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Wow.

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Wow.

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Wow. Okay.

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No. No. Yeah. I mean, it's It's real.

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It's real.

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So, everybody's waiting for this list,

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of

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the superintendent's recommendation package. Right?

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The recommendation

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package of what's what he would recommend,

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the district be do to deal with declining

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enrollment.

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And so

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on

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Thursday, November 7th, at about 5 o'clock,

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An announcement was released to the community. I

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had some heads up,

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a little bit of heads up because my,

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principal

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was called to a meeting downtown.

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And, you know,

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we we we we had some suspicions as

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to what it was about.

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You know? But I knew these announcements were

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coming.

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And our school, Denver Center For International Studies,

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was not, put on the list to be

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closed outright,

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but we were are being restructured or the

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proposal is that our school be restructured.

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And, for those who don't know, our school

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is a 6 through 12

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model. That's what it's always been,

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since it's moved,

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out of West High School,

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and it was formerly known as Center For

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International Studies into Baker

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Middle School building,

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to become what we all know and love

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as the Denver Center For International Studies.

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Yep. And,

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the district has proposed that,

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we no longer

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offer grades 9 through 12

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and that our students

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in grades 9 through 12 can go to,

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the other two high school options

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in the

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enrollment zone,

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in the west kind of Denver area Southwest

285
00:11:24,679 --> 00:11:25,659
Denver area.

286
00:11:28,120 --> 00:11:30,695
One is a high school that's very close

287
00:11:30,695 --> 00:11:31,355
to us.

288
00:11:31,975 --> 00:11:34,475
Our kids play sports at this high school.

289
00:11:34,774 --> 00:11:35,274
Right?

290
00:11:36,455 --> 00:11:38,134
But then the other part of this is

291
00:11:38,134 --> 00:11:41,254
the middle school at West High School, which

292
00:11:41,254 --> 00:11:43,014
is a school that's very close to us

293
00:11:43,014 --> 00:11:44,315
where our kids play sports.

294
00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:46,879
That middle school is being closed, and those

295
00:11:46,879 --> 00:11:48,100
students would be moved

296
00:11:48,879 --> 00:11:51,360
to our building, and we would be d

297
00:11:51,519 --> 00:11:53,460
Denver Center For International Studies,

298
00:11:55,279 --> 00:11:58,480
offerings yep. Middle school offering grades 6 through

299
00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:01,735
8. Yeah. So So it's a bunch of

300
00:12:01,735 --> 00:12:04,294
information there, and we'll unpack it for everyone.

301
00:12:05,095 --> 00:12:06,934
Some of the context I kinda wanna add

302
00:12:07,654 --> 00:12:10,294
and just thanks for that, for for zooming

303
00:12:10,294 --> 00:12:13,894
out and zooming in to how this trend

304
00:12:13,894 --> 00:12:15,834
has visited itself on

305
00:12:16,429 --> 00:12:18,350
DCIS. And I'll also name that,

306
00:12:19,149 --> 00:12:21,629
you know, on a personal level, as a

307
00:12:21,629 --> 00:12:23,710
teacher, I feel like I grew up at

308
00:12:24,830 --> 00:12:27,169
oh, give me a second to do this.

309
00:12:28,509 --> 00:12:30,129
Hold on. I've I need to pause.

310
00:12:31,315 --> 00:12:31,815
Cool.

311
00:12:34,754 --> 00:12:36,774
One of the things that has been,

312
00:12:37,714 --> 00:12:40,274
a conversation across the country, and I've had

313
00:12:40,274 --> 00:12:41,794
a chance to talk to a lot of

314
00:12:41,794 --> 00:12:43,254
folks in a lot of states

315
00:12:43,794 --> 00:12:44,294
about

316
00:12:44,809 --> 00:12:47,769
what this kind of declining enrollment thing looks

317
00:12:47,769 --> 00:12:49,629
like on the ground and for communities.

318
00:12:50,169 --> 00:12:52,190
Some of the things that are being discussed

319
00:12:52,250 --> 00:12:54,649
and shared are that folks are not having

320
00:12:54,649 --> 00:12:56,570
the same number of kids that they used

321
00:12:56,570 --> 00:12:59,384
to. Folks are not living in urban areas

322
00:12:59,845 --> 00:13:02,105
in the same numbers that they were before

323
00:13:02,725 --> 00:13:03,705
and oftentimes

324
00:13:05,924 --> 00:13:06,424
oftentimes

325
00:13:07,205 --> 00:13:10,024
get priced out of cities like Denver.

326
00:13:10,660 --> 00:13:12,040
Some of the things that we know,

327
00:13:12,660 --> 00:13:13,480
and I think,

328
00:13:15,220 --> 00:13:16,840
Denver PSL posted,

329
00:13:17,540 --> 00:13:18,040
material,

330
00:13:19,059 --> 00:13:21,460
yesterday or the day before where they talk

331
00:13:21,460 --> 00:13:23,000
about how critical it is

332
00:13:23,620 --> 00:13:24,120
to

333
00:13:24,875 --> 00:13:26,335
have working class folks

334
00:13:27,034 --> 00:13:27,534
who

335
00:13:27,995 --> 00:13:31,674
often work in downtown areas and work in

336
00:13:31,674 --> 00:13:32,975
these urban areas

337
00:13:33,434 --> 00:13:36,154
have easy access to schools for their kids.

338
00:13:36,154 --> 00:13:38,475
And, like, I know that my parents took

339
00:13:38,475 --> 00:13:40,169
me to school on their way to work,

340
00:13:40,250 --> 00:13:42,350
and that Yep. Yep. That's like so many

341
00:13:42,409 --> 00:13:44,250
other folks. So it's not as simple as

342
00:13:44,250 --> 00:13:46,490
just saying, well, we're gonna we're gonna take

343
00:13:46,490 --> 00:13:48,429
you out of a school that

344
00:13:49,370 --> 00:13:51,529
is here and give you an option to

345
00:13:51,529 --> 00:13:53,230
go to a school that's further away.

346
00:13:54,424 --> 00:13:56,605
These are things that don't

347
00:13:56,904 --> 00:13:57,404
serve

348
00:13:58,024 --> 00:14:00,524
that the working class need to have accessible

349
00:14:00,585 --> 00:14:01,404
public education.

350
00:14:02,825 --> 00:14:04,504
So that's one of the issues that's come

351
00:14:04,504 --> 00:14:06,419
up. There's also been a little bit of

352
00:14:06,740 --> 00:14:09,480
discord. And if anyone on this call knows

353
00:14:09,940 --> 00:14:12,500
what this kind of disagreement is, there's a

354
00:14:12,500 --> 00:14:14,759
little bit of disagreement on the interpretation

355
00:14:15,299 --> 00:14:16,440
of the demographic

356
00:14:16,899 --> 00:14:19,940
trends that we're seeing. Yep. Some of what

357
00:14:19,940 --> 00:14:22,039
I read is that

358
00:14:22,735 --> 00:14:24,415
well, I I heard there was some pushback

359
00:14:24,415 --> 00:14:26,514
from the state demographer themself,

360
00:14:27,134 --> 00:14:27,634
right,

361
00:14:28,575 --> 00:14:31,295
who actually said you're sort of looking at

362
00:14:31,774 --> 00:14:33,695
and they're not saying that it's false, but

363
00:14:33,695 --> 00:14:36,300
what they're saying is that this is one

364
00:14:36,300 --> 00:14:36,800
interpretation.

365
00:14:37,340 --> 00:14:38,559
There are other interpretations.

366
00:14:38,860 --> 00:14:40,080
And are you considering

367
00:14:40,860 --> 00:14:42,720
other interpretations of this data?

368
00:14:44,379 --> 00:14:46,860
So that's something I'm I'm wanting to, chase

369
00:14:46,860 --> 00:14:49,440
down. Listeners, if you have any

370
00:14:50,384 --> 00:14:53,024
any any sort of studies or any access

371
00:14:53,024 --> 00:14:54,945
to information that will clarify this, let us

372
00:14:54,945 --> 00:14:55,445
know.

373
00:14:56,465 --> 00:14:58,304
But, you know, and and I think some

374
00:14:58,304 --> 00:14:59,904
of it is just common sense. Like, you

375
00:14:59,904 --> 00:15:01,585
can project long term, but none of us

376
00:15:01,585 --> 00:15:03,940
knows the future. Right? Yeah. Yeah.

377
00:15:04,319 --> 00:15:06,000
And I think that's kind of a thing.

378
00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:07,839
And then, Kev, remember when we went to

379
00:15:07,839 --> 00:15:09,139
Chicago in 2019?

380
00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:12,079
Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Actually and you went

381
00:15:12,079 --> 00:15:14,480
to 2018. I think it was 2018. Shout

382
00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:15,299
out to Diet.

383
00:15:15,664 --> 00:15:18,384
Shout out to, to diet. So I Dirty

384
00:15:18,384 --> 00:15:18,964
for justice.

385
00:15:19,504 --> 00:15:22,464
Yep. And, G2 Brown and all those incredible

386
00:15:22,464 --> 00:15:22,964
folks.

387
00:15:23,424 --> 00:15:25,845
Yes. I've been rereading Ghost in the Schoolyard

388
00:15:25,904 --> 00:15:29,524
by Doctor. Eve Ewing Yes. In the context

389
00:15:29,584 --> 00:15:30,245
of this.

390
00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:34,200
And so many of the issues that come

391
00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:35,500
up with school closure,

392
00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:38,139
and consolidation,

393
00:15:38,919 --> 00:15:41,000
they have such a deep racial effect that

394
00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:43,639
nobody talks about. Yep. Right? Yep. That that

395
00:15:43,639 --> 00:15:45,019
it results in inequities.

396
00:15:46,355 --> 00:15:48,214
The the inequities become inequitable.

397
00:15:48,595 --> 00:15:51,014
Right? Yes. So Yes. It isn't that everybody's

398
00:15:51,074 --> 00:15:54,194
facing the consequences of declining enrollment and,

399
00:15:54,674 --> 00:15:56,294
reduced capacity of schools.

400
00:15:56,754 --> 00:15:57,894
It's that

401
00:15:58,610 --> 00:16:00,289
not is that some people won't be touched

402
00:16:00,289 --> 00:16:02,289
by this at all. I live across this

403
00:16:02,610 --> 00:16:04,529
I live across the street from a large

404
00:16:04,529 --> 00:16:07,570
comprehensive Denver high school, and it's like fast

405
00:16:07,570 --> 00:16:09,330
times at Ridgemont High, bro. I know that's

406
00:16:09,330 --> 00:16:12,504
an old person reference. It's like they got

407
00:16:12,565 --> 00:16:14,804
they got their pep rallies. Yep. They got

408
00:16:14,804 --> 00:16:17,365
their their powder puff football games. They got

409
00:16:17,365 --> 00:16:20,085
all the school spirit, and they their sports

410
00:16:20,085 --> 00:16:21,845
teams are doing great, and they have all

411
00:16:21,845 --> 00:16:23,144
these other kinds of things.

412
00:16:23,684 --> 00:16:25,865
They their their their student support

413
00:16:26,269 --> 00:16:28,206
has to, like, drive around on golf courts

414
00:16:28,542 --> 00:16:30,910
Yeah. Because of all the different buildings. Like

415
00:16:31,070 --> 00:16:33,470
Through the neighborhood also. And, all Yes. Yes.

416
00:16:33,470 --> 00:16:36,269
Yes. I've heard those stories. Yeah. So it's

417
00:16:36,269 --> 00:16:36,769
like

418
00:16:37,309 --> 00:16:38,290
so you have

419
00:16:39,149 --> 00:16:40,290
schools where

420
00:16:41,065 --> 00:16:43,865
closure and consolidation is not felt even a

421
00:16:43,865 --> 00:16:46,185
little bit. Yep. They knew they weren't they

422
00:16:46,185 --> 00:16:48,825
they those there are schools that knew they

423
00:16:48,825 --> 00:16:50,665
weren't gonna be on that list. Yeah. And

424
00:16:50,665 --> 00:16:53,065
they won't be receiving any kids either because

425
00:16:53,065 --> 00:16:54,585
so many of those schools I can think

426
00:16:54,585 --> 00:16:56,529
of 2 very large high schools right now

427
00:16:56,690 --> 00:16:57,669
Yep. That absolutely

428
00:16:58,209 --> 00:17:00,449
will not be receiving students because they're already

429
00:17:00,449 --> 00:17:02,289
packed to the gills. But busting at the

430
00:17:02,289 --> 00:17:05,169
seams. Because teachers and and so teachers can't

431
00:17:05,169 --> 00:17:06,929
even have their own classrooms. They have to,

432
00:17:06,929 --> 00:17:09,664
like, be mobile teachers, like, so so that

433
00:17:09,904 --> 00:17:11,444
Shout out to the CART teachers.

434
00:17:11,904 --> 00:17:13,744
Shout out to the CART teachers. Y'all the

435
00:17:13,744 --> 00:17:15,605
real ones, man. That's that's rough.

436
00:17:15,904 --> 00:17:18,384
So that's that's one piece, and I have

437
00:17:18,384 --> 00:17:20,005
a piece coming out of my substack,

438
00:17:20,944 --> 00:17:21,444
soon

439
00:17:21,744 --> 00:17:22,244
that

440
00:17:22,660 --> 00:17:25,079
examines the role of, school choice

441
00:17:25,619 --> 00:17:26,920
in the consolidation

442
00:17:27,460 --> 00:17:29,700
and closure of certain schools. Yep.

443
00:17:30,579 --> 00:17:32,339
You know, and one of the examples I'll

444
00:17:32,339 --> 00:17:34,099
draw is that there's a middle school 2

445
00:17:34,099 --> 00:17:36,105
miles away from me that,

446
00:17:36,585 --> 00:17:38,744
that recently closed. It was a 6 through

447
00:17:38,744 --> 00:17:41,404
8. Recently closed, and it served

448
00:17:41,945 --> 00:17:44,904
it was meant to serve students from Central

449
00:17:44,904 --> 00:17:45,964
Park and,

450
00:17:46,424 --> 00:17:49,244
North North Park Hill. Right? Yep. Yep.

451
00:17:50,339 --> 00:17:53,319
But I don't know anybody in my neighborhood

452
00:17:53,460 --> 00:17:56,099
where I live who actually sent their kids

453
00:17:56,099 --> 00:17:58,579
to that school. When it was open, they

454
00:17:58,579 --> 00:17:59,960
sent them all to the

455
00:18:00,339 --> 00:18:03,140
large middle school that's bigger than I think

456
00:18:03,140 --> 00:18:04,605
all but 1 or 2 high

457
00:18:05,085 --> 00:18:05,585
schools,

458
00:18:05,964 --> 00:18:07,825
which is about 5 miles away.

459
00:18:08,285 --> 00:18:10,204
So, you know, I think I think school

460
00:18:10,204 --> 00:18:11,884
choice has has a role in this, and

461
00:18:11,884 --> 00:18:13,505
we won't discuss that here.

462
00:18:13,964 --> 00:18:15,644
There's a lot of issues that need to

463
00:18:15,644 --> 00:18:17,244
be unpacked. And the fact of the matter

464
00:18:17,244 --> 00:18:17,744
is,

465
00:18:18,765 --> 00:18:20,224
that this district,

466
00:18:20,740 --> 00:18:22,359
like Jeffco last year,

467
00:18:23,380 --> 00:18:25,539
has not given the community a lot of

468
00:18:25,539 --> 00:18:28,099
time to to read and react to what's

469
00:18:28,099 --> 00:18:30,339
happening. And so we're gonna try to unpack

470
00:18:30,339 --> 00:18:31,000
some things.

471
00:18:31,859 --> 00:18:34,039
The other two things I wanna point out,

472
00:18:35,785 --> 00:18:37,644
and I don't think this has been propagated

473
00:18:37,785 --> 00:18:39,945
by district district leadership, but I just wanna

474
00:18:39,945 --> 00:18:41,805
make sure people understand really clearly.

475
00:18:42,265 --> 00:18:42,765
This

476
00:18:43,865 --> 00:18:47,225
this trend of of declining birth rates is

477
00:18:47,225 --> 00:18:49,289
not something we just found out about. Folks

478
00:18:49,289 --> 00:18:51,850
have been monitoring this for clear close to

479
00:18:51,850 --> 00:18:52,750
25 years.

480
00:18:53,690 --> 00:18:56,430
And so one can rightfully post questions

481
00:18:57,529 --> 00:18:58,590
as to whether

482
00:18:59,130 --> 00:19:02,410
whether we're actually doing long term planning around

483
00:19:02,410 --> 00:19:04,744
issues like this or if we're just having

484
00:19:04,744 --> 00:19:06,664
a reaction. The second thing I wanna point

485
00:19:06,664 --> 00:19:08,924
out, and this is on the record,

486
00:19:09,464 --> 00:19:10,924
from the school board meeting,

487
00:19:11,304 --> 00:19:12,044
last week,

488
00:19:13,384 --> 00:19:13,884
Xochigaitan

489
00:19:14,505 --> 00:19:17,005
whose, kids went to DCIS,

490
00:19:18,140 --> 00:19:20,720
and who's, the board member representing Southwest,

491
00:19:21,980 --> 00:19:25,359
confronted district leadership with the fact that 50%

492
00:19:25,419 --> 00:19:27,679
of the schools marked for closure or consolidation

493
00:19:28,299 --> 00:19:30,240
are in her district, which is overwhelmingly

494
00:19:31,019 --> 00:19:33,065
children of color, 1st generation,

495
00:19:34,244 --> 00:19:36,424
kids who will be 1st generation high school

496
00:19:36,565 --> 00:19:39,204
graduates and 1st generation college students, and that's

497
00:19:39,204 --> 00:19:39,784
a piece,

498
00:19:40,644 --> 00:19:41,865
that is impossible

499
00:19:42,244 --> 00:19:43,065
to hide from.

500
00:19:44,644 --> 00:19:47,224
So that's a little bit of context,

501
00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:50,559
but the you know, and and in my

502
00:19:50,559 --> 00:19:51,059
role,

503
00:19:51,599 --> 00:19:53,519
a lot of the work I'm doing in

504
00:19:53,519 --> 00:19:56,000
my job is to ensure that there are

505
00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:56,500
supports

506
00:19:57,039 --> 00:19:59,140
for teachers to be able to,

507
00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:02,319
gain new credentials and do that kind of

508
00:20:02,319 --> 00:20:02,819
thing.

509
00:20:03,134 --> 00:20:05,535
The superintendent mentioned that at the end, almost

510
00:20:05,535 --> 00:20:06,974
like he was trying to but it's okay.

511
00:20:06,974 --> 00:20:08,115
The teachers are fine,

512
00:20:08,654 --> 00:20:10,434
which is wild to me.

513
00:20:10,974 --> 00:20:11,714
I wanna

514
00:20:12,414 --> 00:20:14,414
pivot. Kevin, anything else you wanna add to

515
00:20:14,414 --> 00:20:16,269
to this kind of context and sort of

516
00:20:16,269 --> 00:20:18,990
what the landscape looks like for DCIS and

517
00:20:18,990 --> 00:20:20,049
DPS generally?

518
00:20:20,509 --> 00:20:22,289
I mean, I think I think it's,

519
00:20:23,309 --> 00:20:25,309
there's a lot of uncertainty. You know? And

520
00:20:25,309 --> 00:20:27,410
it and it feels very odd,

521
00:20:28,304 --> 00:20:29,904
because in a lot of ways, like in

522
00:20:29,904 --> 00:20:31,825
our city, like, in a lot of cities,

523
00:20:31,825 --> 00:20:34,544
I think there's this dichotomy that you point

524
00:20:34,544 --> 00:20:37,424
out where, like, in some ways, everything is

525
00:20:37,424 --> 00:20:38,404
booming. Right?

526
00:20:39,105 --> 00:20:40,625
And this is what people brought up. You

527
00:20:40,625 --> 00:20:41,924
know? Property taxes

528
00:20:42,384 --> 00:20:43,619
are through the roof

529
00:20:44,099 --> 00:20:46,900
in this city. It is wild Yep. How

530
00:20:46,900 --> 00:20:49,559
much, you know, property taxes are up.

531
00:20:50,099 --> 00:20:51,880
But at the same time stagnant.

532
00:20:52,339 --> 00:20:52,839
Yep.

533
00:20:53,140 --> 00:20:56,394
Yep. And and and at the say you

534
00:20:56,394 --> 00:20:58,154
know, you have a district saying, well, you

535
00:20:58,154 --> 00:20:59,055
know, we have

536
00:20:59,674 --> 00:21:01,835
declining enrollment. We don't have enough money. We

537
00:21:01,835 --> 00:21:03,375
have to put more in our reserves.

538
00:21:03,674 --> 00:21:05,194
You know? But and then you ask, well,

539
00:21:05,194 --> 00:21:06,974
what are we reserving for?

540
00:21:07,434 --> 00:21:08,795
What what what do you what do you

541
00:21:08,795 --> 00:21:10,690
know? What is what is it? We're saving

542
00:21:10,690 --> 00:21:12,869
for a rainy day. I think it's raining.

543
00:21:13,169 --> 00:21:13,909
It's raining.

544
00:21:14,289 --> 00:21:16,289
I think it might be raining. I'm feeling

545
00:21:16,289 --> 00:21:18,470
some drops. It makes me think of, like,

546
00:21:18,929 --> 00:21:20,130
Pac trying to make a dollar out of

547
00:21:20,130 --> 00:21:22,149
15¢, man. I would love to get back

548
00:21:22,184 --> 00:21:23,865
to the times when we had to try

549
00:21:23,865 --> 00:21:25,384
to make a dollar out of 15¢ because

550
00:21:25,384 --> 00:21:27,625
I feel like that 15¢ is not 15¢

551
00:21:27,625 --> 00:21:31,305
anymore. Yep. Nope. Nope. Yep. So we have

552
00:21:31,305 --> 00:21:32,205
this incredible,

553
00:21:33,545 --> 00:21:34,045
opportunity

554
00:21:34,549 --> 00:21:36,869
where we are actually able to bring some

555
00:21:36,869 --> 00:21:38,250
of the voices of students,

556
00:21:39,109 --> 00:21:41,429
because I think what happens, and I think

557
00:21:41,429 --> 00:21:43,669
they'll talk a little bit about this. I

558
00:21:43,669 --> 00:21:45,609
think what happens is very frequently

559
00:21:46,230 --> 00:21:49,029
the way that students experience the decisions that

560
00:21:49,029 --> 00:21:51,355
we make in our classrooms, in our schools,

561
00:21:51,355 --> 00:21:52,414
in in our districts,

562
00:21:53,194 --> 00:21:55,595
they're usually the last ones to be talked

563
00:21:55,595 --> 00:21:56,894
to about anything.

564
00:21:57,994 --> 00:21:58,894
And so,

565
00:21:59,275 --> 00:22:00,734
without any further ado,

566
00:22:01,275 --> 00:22:02,894
I'd like to go ahead and introduce

567
00:22:04,220 --> 00:22:05,920
our, our 2 student guests,

568
00:22:06,539 --> 00:22:09,099
Sofia and Camilo. Will each of you introduce

569
00:22:09,099 --> 00:22:10,240
yourselves real quickly?

570
00:22:11,660 --> 00:22:14,140
Should I state, like, my name, my Yeah.

571
00:22:14,220 --> 00:22:16,220
Grade, and my school? Yep. You can do

572
00:22:16,220 --> 00:22:19,015
that. Okay. My name is Camila Gunra. I

573
00:22:19,015 --> 00:22:21,434
am a senior at DCIS Baker.

574
00:22:23,174 --> 00:22:24,234
Hi. I'm Sofia

575
00:22:24,694 --> 00:22:25,194
Adams.

576
00:22:25,494 --> 00:22:27,355
I am also a senior

577
00:22:27,654 --> 00:22:28,315
at DCIS

578
00:22:28,694 --> 00:22:29,194
Baker.

579
00:22:29,894 --> 00:22:30,394
Yes.

580
00:22:31,255 --> 00:22:32,940
And, also, I'll name that,

581
00:22:33,500 --> 00:22:35,819
we have the next generation of the 2

582
00:22:35,819 --> 00:22:38,700
Dope Nation right here. That's really cool. Can

583
00:22:38,700 --> 00:22:40,559
you imagine if, like,

584
00:22:40,940 --> 00:22:43,519
if Sofia and Tatiana started a podcast?

585
00:22:43,980 --> 00:22:46,319
That would be crazy. It would actually be

586
00:22:46,379 --> 00:22:48,845
it would actually be amazing. It would blow

587
00:22:48,845 --> 00:22:50,605
it would blow ours out of the water.

588
00:22:50,605 --> 00:22:52,125
Yeah. No. We'd be out of a job.

589
00:22:52,125 --> 00:22:54,605
Yeah. There are people coming for us, in

590
00:22:54,605 --> 00:22:55,585
a loving way.

591
00:22:56,205 --> 00:22:58,365
Our our friend, Emil, who,

592
00:22:58,845 --> 00:23:00,384
who teaches in California,

593
00:23:01,404 --> 00:23:04,019
is like because I offered her the opportunity

594
00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:05,840
to guest host at some point. Yes. And

595
00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:07,299
she's like, yeah.

596
00:23:07,759 --> 00:23:09,599
But also that might stop me from starting

597
00:23:09,599 --> 00:23:11,619
my own podcast is gonna take you down.

598
00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:14,240
Oh oh, yes. Yes. I mean, we gotta

599
00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:16,978
have strategies to stay on top. Yeah. I

600
00:23:16,978 --> 00:23:17,585
mean, we

601
00:23:17,964 --> 00:23:20,285
listen. It's like even though the branches of

602
00:23:20,285 --> 00:23:21,904
the tree may grow,

603
00:23:22,365 --> 00:23:24,365
the tree is still the tree. That's right.

604
00:23:24,365 --> 00:23:26,525
Like, it's it's how it works. Alright. So

605
00:23:26,525 --> 00:23:27,505
enough of my nonsense.

606
00:23:28,684 --> 00:23:29,184
So

607
00:23:29,779 --> 00:23:31,619
first question I wanna ask both of you.

608
00:23:31,619 --> 00:23:33,960
And, Camila, thank you for correcting my pronunciation

609
00:23:34,019 --> 00:23:34,839
of your name.

610
00:23:36,099 --> 00:23:38,740
So first question I wanna ask each of

611
00:23:38,740 --> 00:23:39,240
you

612
00:23:39,859 --> 00:23:40,359
is

613
00:23:41,220 --> 00:23:42,200
when the news

614
00:23:43,139 --> 00:23:43,639
dropped,

615
00:23:44,595 --> 00:23:45,095
how

616
00:23:45,474 --> 00:23:47,954
much of an inkling did you have that

617
00:23:47,954 --> 00:23:50,054
this might happen and it might impact

618
00:23:50,595 --> 00:23:51,095
DCIS?

619
00:23:52,835 --> 00:23:55,875
Had you heard other conversations around school closure

620
00:23:55,875 --> 00:23:58,275
or consolidation or anything that that Kevin and

621
00:23:58,275 --> 00:24:00,220
I just talked about? And then the second

622
00:24:00,220 --> 00:24:01,119
question is,

623
00:24:01,579 --> 00:24:02,480
how did

624
00:24:02,940 --> 00:24:04,319
it affect you

625
00:24:04,619 --> 00:24:05,519
and your peers?

626
00:24:07,179 --> 00:24:09,019
I think at least for me, I had

627
00:24:09,019 --> 00:24:11,039
heard a little bit about it from Sophia

628
00:24:11,259 --> 00:24:12,559
who works with the district.

629
00:24:13,740 --> 00:24:14,059
So

630
00:24:14,634 --> 00:24:15,694
but I didn't really

631
00:24:16,474 --> 00:24:18,875
I convinced myself that DCIS wouldn't be on

632
00:24:18,875 --> 00:24:19,535
that list,

633
00:24:20,474 --> 00:24:22,894
just because for me, DCIS is so

634
00:24:23,434 --> 00:24:24,335
amazing and

635
00:24:24,634 --> 00:24:25,134
unique.

636
00:24:25,835 --> 00:24:26,974
So I I

637
00:24:27,619 --> 00:24:29,619
I was kind of in shock, but at

638
00:24:29,619 --> 00:24:31,160
the same time, I was like,

639
00:24:31,460 --> 00:24:33,559
okay, I guess I should have expected this.

640
00:24:34,180 --> 00:24:34,920
And then

641
00:24:35,380 --> 00:24:37,140
I was at school when I found out

642
00:24:37,140 --> 00:24:38,840
because drama club was

643
00:24:39,220 --> 00:24:39,720
rehearsing,

644
00:24:42,055 --> 00:24:43,734
and I was just thinking of what what

645
00:24:43,734 --> 00:24:46,615
I could do next. I was thinking about

646
00:24:46,615 --> 00:24:48,214
what the next steps were gonna be, how

647
00:24:48,214 --> 00:24:50,615
we were going to fight against it.

648
00:24:51,174 --> 00:24:53,974
Sophie and I were immediately texting, try to

649
00:24:53,974 --> 00:24:57,299
figure out plans, things we could do to,

650
00:24:58,559 --> 00:25:01,380
help our community uplift it, but also,

651
00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:04,400
remain informed and educate ourselves on it so

652
00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:05,380
that we could actually

653
00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:07,059
do something effective

654
00:25:07,839 --> 00:25:08,339
to

655
00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:09,700
kinda stop it.

656
00:25:12,295 --> 00:25:13,035
No doubt.

657
00:25:13,575 --> 00:25:14,075
Sofia?

658
00:25:16,455 --> 00:25:16,955
So

659
00:25:17,654 --> 00:25:19,815
I was at the DPS building when I

660
00:25:19,815 --> 00:25:22,634
found out. I joined the board meeting,

661
00:25:24,295 --> 00:25:25,434
at, like, 4:30

662
00:25:25,815 --> 00:25:26,715
when it started.

663
00:25:27,390 --> 00:25:28,910
I was waiting, and I was in the

664
00:25:28,910 --> 00:25:30,589
car, and you could not hear anything on

665
00:25:30,589 --> 00:25:32,349
the board meeting, mind I, mind you, unless

666
00:25:32,349 --> 00:25:34,289
you were looking at the closed caption version.

667
00:25:36,349 --> 00:25:38,029
But I was sitting in the car, and

668
00:25:38,029 --> 00:25:39,710
I was waiting, watching them, like, go through

669
00:25:39,710 --> 00:25:41,250
whatever topics they had.

670
00:25:41,704 --> 00:25:43,545
And then I pulled up to the DPS

671
00:25:43,545 --> 00:25:44,845
building, and I get inside.

672
00:25:45,384 --> 00:25:46,744
Of course, they have, like, the scanners and

673
00:25:46,744 --> 00:25:48,684
stuff up because they're having the board meeting.

674
00:25:49,625 --> 00:25:50,444
I get upstairs

675
00:25:50,904 --> 00:25:53,305
to this group I'm in called Young African

676
00:25:53,305 --> 00:25:54,765
American and Latinx Leaders,

677
00:25:56,345 --> 00:25:56,845
and

678
00:25:57,369 --> 00:25:59,049
I sit down with everyone there, and I'm

679
00:25:59,049 --> 00:26:00,990
like, oh, the board meeting's happening today.

680
00:26:02,569 --> 00:26:03,710
Jade, our,

681
00:26:05,049 --> 00:26:06,169
group our,

682
00:26:06,649 --> 00:26:07,789
5280 coach,

683
00:26:08,169 --> 00:26:08,669
she,

684
00:26:09,210 --> 00:26:10,649
was like, oh, do we wanna watch it?

685
00:26:10,649 --> 00:26:12,855
And I was like, sure. Let's play it.

686
00:26:12,934 --> 00:26:14,554
Then we put it on,

687
00:26:15,734 --> 00:26:17,194
the screen in

688
00:26:17,575 --> 00:26:19,275
the meeting room we were in,

689
00:26:20,054 --> 00:26:20,554
and

690
00:26:21,494 --> 00:26:22,394
within, like,

691
00:26:22,775 --> 00:26:25,095
15 minutes, they show the list. I'm like,

692
00:26:25,095 --> 00:26:25,914
damn it.

693
00:26:26,589 --> 00:26:28,129
DCIS is on it.

694
00:26:28,589 --> 00:26:30,589
So I sent a text to Camilla, a

695
00:26:30,589 --> 00:26:32,669
text to our group chat, and all of

696
00:26:32,669 --> 00:26:34,609
our friends at our school.

697
00:26:36,269 --> 00:26:38,669
And I immediately just like Camilla, I'm like,

698
00:26:38,669 --> 00:26:40,269
we have to remedy this in some way.

699
00:26:40,269 --> 00:26:41,470
There's a way that we can find it.

700
00:26:41,470 --> 00:26:41,894
I know there

701
00:26:42,855 --> 00:26:44,775
is. And I immediately like, I started texting

702
00:26:44,775 --> 00:26:47,255
Magnolia and asking questions about, like, what we

703
00:26:47,255 --> 00:26:48,234
could do, what,

704
00:26:50,055 --> 00:26:52,455
I needed to know about not only the

705
00:26:52,455 --> 00:26:54,315
engagements and stuff as well.

706
00:26:56,220 --> 00:26:58,619
But yeah. And then I was also

707
00:26:59,019 --> 00:27:00,539
so I had already known about the school

708
00:27:00,539 --> 00:27:03,579
closures because I'm part of the student cabinet.

709
00:27:03,579 --> 00:27:05,119
Specifically, that's where I work,

710
00:27:05,819 --> 00:27:07,279
in student voice and leadership.

711
00:27:07,819 --> 00:27:08,319
And

712
00:27:08,700 --> 00:27:11,440
we had an executive meeting with

713
00:27:13,164 --> 00:27:14,144
doctor Madero.

714
00:27:14,444 --> 00:27:16,544
And we were talking about

715
00:27:18,524 --> 00:27:21,825
the information and, like, the facts behind why

716
00:27:22,284 --> 00:27:23,825
they're closing schools,

717
00:27:24,284 --> 00:27:24,784
and,

718
00:27:25,085 --> 00:27:26,784
I was taking notes and

719
00:27:28,660 --> 00:27:29,940
listening. And then at the very end of

720
00:27:29,940 --> 00:27:30,440
it,

721
00:27:30,820 --> 00:27:31,779
I looked at him in the eyes. I

722
00:27:31,779 --> 00:27:32,980
said, oh, I hope my school's not on

723
00:27:32,980 --> 00:27:34,420
the list. And he said, well, I haven't

724
00:27:34,420 --> 00:27:35,640
made the decision yet.

725
00:27:36,180 --> 00:27:38,580
And then our school is on the list.

726
00:27:38,580 --> 00:27:38,660
So

727
00:27:39,460 --> 00:27:39,960
yeah.

728
00:27:41,539 --> 00:27:42,200
How did

729
00:27:43,755 --> 00:27:44,255
others

730
00:27:44,555 --> 00:27:45,615
react? Like,

731
00:27:46,315 --> 00:27:47,055
I'm wondering

732
00:27:47,674 --> 00:27:48,734
if this news

733
00:27:49,035 --> 00:27:49,535
was

734
00:27:50,394 --> 00:27:50,894
disruptive

735
00:27:51,195 --> 00:27:54,174
to, you know, kind of the regular activities

736
00:27:54,234 --> 00:27:55,134
of the school.

737
00:27:56,330 --> 00:27:58,269
What were some of your peers saying,

738
00:27:59,130 --> 00:28:00,509
and those kinds of things?

739
00:28:01,049 --> 00:28:03,070
I mean, it for sure was very disruptive.

740
00:28:04,410 --> 00:28:06,170
In all of the different group chats that

741
00:28:06,170 --> 00:28:08,410
I'm in, people were talking about it. I

742
00:28:08,410 --> 00:28:09,150
had to

743
00:28:09,464 --> 00:28:11,544
post a statement on the DCIS student council

744
00:28:11,544 --> 00:28:12,044
page,

745
00:28:12,664 --> 00:28:14,505
and that post blew up more than anything

746
00:28:14,505 --> 00:28:16,424
else that's ever been posted. So it was

747
00:28:16,424 --> 00:28:17,244
very much,

748
00:28:17,704 --> 00:28:19,944
something that people were caring about. And when

749
00:28:19,944 --> 00:28:21,565
we came into school on Monday,

750
00:28:21,910 --> 00:28:23,769
the vibe was just completely different.

751
00:28:25,269 --> 00:28:27,430
But I think it was actually positive in

752
00:28:27,430 --> 00:28:29,690
the sense that everybody had a fighting

753
00:28:30,309 --> 00:28:31,269
spirit to them.

754
00:28:31,670 --> 00:28:33,670
It wasn't it wasn't sad. I think we

755
00:28:33,670 --> 00:28:35,509
took that time over the weekend to feel

756
00:28:35,509 --> 00:28:36,329
those emotions.

757
00:28:36,634 --> 00:28:38,095
And we came back on Monday

758
00:28:38,715 --> 00:28:40,255
ready to fight for our school.

759
00:28:40,715 --> 00:28:41,215
Wow.

760
00:28:42,154 --> 00:28:42,975
It's amazing.

761
00:28:43,674 --> 00:28:44,174
Wanna

762
00:28:44,475 --> 00:28:45,775
pivot a little bit,

763
00:28:46,795 --> 00:28:47,295
to

764
00:28:48,235 --> 00:28:50,634
to Kev to have you sort of talk

765
00:28:50,634 --> 00:28:51,855
about your

766
00:28:54,049 --> 00:28:55,109
your positionality

767
00:28:55,809 --> 00:28:58,150
as a community member and as a parent.

768
00:28:58,609 --> 00:28:59,109
Mhmm.

769
00:28:59,650 --> 00:29:00,150
And

770
00:29:00,849 --> 00:29:02,150
what are the things

771
00:29:03,009 --> 00:29:03,509
that

772
00:29:04,049 --> 00:29:05,484
what are the, first of all, what were

773
00:29:05,484 --> 00:29:08,125
your reactions to things from that lens? And

774
00:29:08,125 --> 00:29:09,424
then second of all,

775
00:29:10,365 --> 00:29:11,345
what you know

776
00:29:12,044 --> 00:29:14,704
about how these things impact parent communities?

777
00:29:16,125 --> 00:29:16,785
You know,

778
00:29:17,244 --> 00:29:17,744
so

779
00:29:18,740 --> 00:29:20,820
I had never been through this. Right? I

780
00:29:20,820 --> 00:29:22,980
had never and and I know there's some

781
00:29:22,980 --> 00:29:25,619
families, unfortunately, that have been through it multiple

782
00:29:25,619 --> 00:29:27,779
times. Yeah. And I think I think that's

783
00:29:27,779 --> 00:29:31,000
the biggest thing. Like, as a public institution,

784
00:29:31,460 --> 00:29:33,880
if this is happening multiple times to families,

785
00:29:34,024 --> 00:29:34,764
if, like,

786
00:29:35,065 --> 00:29:37,484
that experience happens over and over,

787
00:29:38,024 --> 00:29:39,784
what are we doing? Right? And I've learned

788
00:29:39,784 --> 00:29:40,924
a lot about the

789
00:29:41,384 --> 00:29:43,164
the impacts on

790
00:29:43,704 --> 00:29:44,204
students

791
00:29:44,984 --> 00:29:45,484
who

792
00:29:46,920 --> 00:29:48,039
attend who have,

793
00:29:48,440 --> 00:29:49,340
school closure,

794
00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:51,019
you know, the the,

795
00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:53,019
mental impacts,

796
00:29:54,039 --> 00:29:56,920
impacts on mental health, the impacts on,

797
00:29:57,640 --> 00:29:58,460
just overall

798
00:30:00,125 --> 00:30:01,265
academics. Right?

799
00:30:01,644 --> 00:30:03,265
But I think as a parent,

800
00:30:04,765 --> 00:30:06,605
you know, and I always joke about, like,

801
00:30:06,605 --> 00:30:09,404
I've I've switched hats at work. Right? So,

802
00:30:09,404 --> 00:30:11,164
like, I'd be like, I've this parent hat

803
00:30:11,565 --> 00:30:13,325
Kev has his camera off, so we can't

804
00:30:13,325 --> 00:30:15,269
see what hat he's actually wearing, but we

805
00:30:15,269 --> 00:30:17,670
assure you that he's wearing a parent community

806
00:30:17,670 --> 00:30:19,910
hat. Is it the same hat, or is

807
00:30:19,910 --> 00:30:21,750
it 2 hats that

808
00:30:22,070 --> 00:30:24,230
2 hats. You put, like, 2 baseball hats

809
00:30:24,230 --> 00:30:25,910
on. It's a double bill. I can flip

810
00:30:25,910 --> 00:30:26,410
around.

811
00:30:26,950 --> 00:30:27,450
Yeah.

812
00:30:28,070 --> 00:30:30,009
That's what's up. That's what's up. Yep.

813
00:30:30,365 --> 00:30:31,184
But, you know,

814
00:30:31,565 --> 00:30:34,605
but as a parent, you know, Sofia is

815
00:30:34,605 --> 00:30:36,625
senior year. Shout out to,

816
00:30:37,484 --> 00:30:38,625
class of 2025.

817
00:30:39,644 --> 00:30:41,965
They they they were all they they've been

818
00:30:41,965 --> 00:30:44,650
doing big stuff, so it doesn't surprise me

819
00:30:44,650 --> 00:30:46,730
that, like and I know they didn't anticipate

820
00:30:46,730 --> 00:30:49,049
it, but saving their school was on their

821
00:30:49,049 --> 00:30:52,250
bingo card for this year. But, here surprise.

822
00:30:52,250 --> 00:30:53,470
There it is, you guys.

823
00:30:53,850 --> 00:30:55,470
Did you put that in your ICAP?

824
00:30:56,115 --> 00:30:57,335
That senior year,

825
00:30:58,434 --> 00:31:00,214
you would save your school from closure.

826
00:31:01,234 --> 00:31:04,035
Gotta get that iCAP done. Yep. But but

827
00:31:04,035 --> 00:31:04,535
but

828
00:31:05,075 --> 00:31:06,375
my son, Takari,

829
00:31:06,994 --> 00:31:09,349
is an 11th grader. Right? And and 11th

830
00:31:09,349 --> 00:31:11,750
grade in our community for all students is

831
00:31:11,750 --> 00:31:13,529
a is a really kind

832
00:31:14,389 --> 00:31:15,049
of important

833
00:31:15,349 --> 00:31:19,029
year, keystone year, because it's passages. Right? And

834
00:31:19,029 --> 00:31:21,429
I think it's it's where our students really

835
00:31:21,429 --> 00:31:24,294
find themselves. They begin to see themselves as,

836
00:31:24,294 --> 00:31:24,794
like,

837
00:31:25,255 --> 00:31:26,154
fully formed

838
00:31:26,694 --> 00:31:27,194
scholars,

839
00:31:28,134 --> 00:31:29,115
globally competent

840
00:31:29,734 --> 00:31:30,234
individuals,

841
00:31:30,615 --> 00:31:32,714
right, who can accomplish big stuff.

842
00:31:33,015 --> 00:31:33,515
And,

843
00:31:34,054 --> 00:31:36,294
you know, my big realization was that, like,

844
00:31:36,294 --> 00:31:39,000
I I I might not see my son

845
00:31:39,059 --> 00:31:41,619
do his senior presentation. Right? And I'm and

846
00:31:41,619 --> 00:31:43,380
I'm so thrilled that I get to see

847
00:31:43,380 --> 00:31:43,880
Sofia

848
00:31:44,420 --> 00:31:46,980
and Camila and all of their friends give

849
00:31:46,980 --> 00:31:49,715
their senior presentation this year. But that is

850
00:31:49,715 --> 00:31:51,955
such an important part of our community. You

851
00:31:51,955 --> 00:31:53,335
know, I start to think about

852
00:31:53,795 --> 00:31:55,414
all of these rights of passage

853
00:31:56,035 --> 00:31:57,815
that exist in our community.

854
00:31:59,555 --> 00:32:02,289
And and, you know, that just hurt to

855
00:32:02,289 --> 00:32:04,529
see, you know, because we have, you know,

856
00:32:04,529 --> 00:32:07,569
you you know passages day. Our middle schoolers

857
00:32:07,569 --> 00:32:09,970
sit there and they're like, okay. When you're

858
00:32:09,970 --> 00:32:11,970
a junior, what are you gonna do your

859
00:32:11,970 --> 00:32:13,730
passage on? Right? And they have to sit

860
00:32:13,730 --> 00:32:15,924
there and come up with different topics

861
00:32:16,305 --> 00:32:18,144
and, you know, and we build them up

862
00:32:18,144 --> 00:32:20,464
to that. So, like, thinking about that bigger

863
00:32:20,464 --> 00:32:20,964
thing,

864
00:32:21,265 --> 00:32:22,404
thinking about the,

865
00:32:22,705 --> 00:32:25,345
you know, at times I've and we've talked

866
00:32:25,345 --> 00:32:27,345
about this at times that a 6 through

867
00:32:27,345 --> 00:32:29,640
12 can drive you crazy. But at other

868
00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:31,580
times, it's like the most beautiful

869
00:32:32,279 --> 00:32:34,440
kind of thing that I can ever see

870
00:32:34,440 --> 00:32:37,080
in the world. When I see seniors, I

871
00:32:37,160 --> 00:32:38,600
all the time, I'm like, why are y'all

872
00:32:38,600 --> 00:32:41,500
messing with middle schoolers? But, like, that's community.

873
00:32:41,799 --> 00:32:44,279
That's building the relationship. And just to think

874
00:32:44,279 --> 00:32:46,774
that, like, you take that part away.

875
00:32:47,794 --> 00:32:49,634
And then I got into the numbers. Right?

876
00:32:49,634 --> 00:32:51,634
It said, like, the plan the proposal would

877
00:32:51,634 --> 00:32:52,774
be in our building,

878
00:32:53,394 --> 00:32:55,794
it would go from a school this year

879
00:32:55,794 --> 00:32:56,534
of 344

880
00:32:57,154 --> 00:32:58,375
students to

881
00:32:59,420 --> 00:33:00,640
a school of,

882
00:33:01,019 --> 00:33:03,679
as a middle school only, a school of

883
00:33:03,980 --> 00:33:04,480
331

884
00:33:04,779 --> 00:33:05,279
students.

885
00:33:05,660 --> 00:33:07,119
Hang on. Hang on.

886
00:33:08,059 --> 00:33:09,440
Did you flip those numbers?

887
00:33:09,740 --> 00:33:12,566
No. Are they backwards? No. Because it sounds

888
00:33:12,566 --> 00:33:13,759
to me Go down.

889
00:33:14,275 --> 00:33:15,734
It sounds to me

890
00:33:16,674 --> 00:33:17,174
like

891
00:33:18,194 --> 00:33:18,934
it's going

892
00:33:19,554 --> 00:33:21,255
from one number to a

893
00:33:21,954 --> 00:33:22,934
smaller number.

894
00:33:23,474 --> 00:33:23,974
Yes.

895
00:33:24,434 --> 00:33:26,835
Yes. It's so Make that make sense. This

896
00:33:26,835 --> 00:33:28,755
is part of the solution. Right? In our

897
00:33:28,755 --> 00:33:31,159
high school, all of our kids would go.

898
00:33:31,220 --> 00:33:33,159
You know, but you started, oh,

899
00:33:33,539 --> 00:33:35,859
the district happened to for people who were

900
00:33:35,859 --> 00:33:37,960
outside of the city of Denver, Colorado.

901
00:33:38,980 --> 00:33:40,579
We it it was it was it must

902
00:33:40,579 --> 00:33:42,279
have been a magical moment,

903
00:33:43,125 --> 00:33:43,605
because,

904
00:33:43,924 --> 00:33:45,144
they announced this

905
00:33:45,605 --> 00:33:46,105
Thursday,

906
00:33:46,965 --> 00:33:49,924
November 5th. Oh, yeah. At at or November

907
00:33:49,924 --> 00:33:52,424
7th, right, at 5 o'clock.

908
00:33:52,884 --> 00:33:54,585
But at 2 o'clock,

909
00:33:55,269 --> 00:33:57,430
Thursday, November 7th, they were like, we will

910
00:33:57,430 --> 00:33:58,730
have a snow day tomorrow.

911
00:33:59,670 --> 00:34:02,089
All different public schools, offices

912
00:34:02,710 --> 00:34:04,950
will be closed. Oh, it was funny. We're

913
00:34:05,029 --> 00:34:06,970
I was on the 9th floor, and

914
00:34:07,430 --> 00:34:08,765
and a few of us were kinda like,

915
00:34:08,765 --> 00:34:09,265
there's

916
00:34:09,644 --> 00:34:12,445
some correlation. Yeah. Correlation. Like, what's going on?

917
00:34:12,445 --> 00:34:15,105
I mean, Marjorie Taylor Greene thinks that

918
00:34:15,644 --> 00:34:16,144
that

919
00:34:16,525 --> 00:34:18,224
that we can control the weather.

920
00:34:19,164 --> 00:34:21,565
So, I mean, I'm not saying, but I'm

921
00:34:21,565 --> 00:34:23,025
just kinda saying that.

922
00:34:23,820 --> 00:34:24,320
So

923
00:34:24,780 --> 00:34:27,680
Ironically but to to Camila's point, when we

924
00:34:28,059 --> 00:34:30,380
you know, I came in on Monday feeling

925
00:34:30,380 --> 00:34:32,880
really funky. Right? I I think I had

926
00:34:33,579 --> 00:34:36,400
a a really poor attitude about it all.

927
00:34:36,699 --> 00:34:37,180
And,

928
00:34:37,985 --> 00:34:40,085
the one thing that lifted me

929
00:34:40,465 --> 00:34:41,204
was the kids.

930
00:34:41,664 --> 00:34:43,204
To to watch the kids

931
00:34:44,065 --> 00:34:45,045
already rallying,

932
00:34:45,505 --> 00:34:48,485
taking action. Yeah. You always said no time.

933
00:34:48,704 --> 00:34:50,864
Like, they they were in full. They were

934
00:34:50,864 --> 00:34:53,025
in that mode. Right? They were ready to

935
00:34:53,025 --> 00:34:53,525
go.

936
00:34:54,199 --> 00:34:55,500
They were locked in.

937
00:34:56,039 --> 00:34:58,359
Right? And and and they knew what they

938
00:34:58,359 --> 00:34:59,579
had to do, but, also,

939
00:35:00,199 --> 00:35:00,859
you know,

940
00:35:01,239 --> 00:35:04,519
kids talking about how important the school was

941
00:35:04,519 --> 00:35:06,299
to them. Kids at times

942
00:35:06,599 --> 00:35:08,954
who, you know, I'm like, do you really

943
00:35:08,954 --> 00:35:11,034
like this school? Do you like anything? I

944
00:35:11,034 --> 00:35:13,355
have the same question. But these kids, you

945
00:35:13,355 --> 00:35:15,355
know, they they were like, nah, they they

946
00:35:15,434 --> 00:35:16,954
I don't want them to close down my

947
00:35:16,954 --> 00:35:19,775
school. Right. And this is all grade levels,

948
00:35:19,994 --> 00:35:22,174
you know, kids expressing concern,

949
00:35:22,760 --> 00:35:24,219
wanting to take action,

950
00:35:24,920 --> 00:35:27,260
wanting to complete testimonials, kids,

951
00:35:27,800 --> 00:35:30,219
you know, that they that Sofia

952
00:35:30,599 --> 00:35:33,739
and Camilla were connecting with alumni,

953
00:35:34,519 --> 00:35:37,079
you know, and then, like, family started to

954
00:35:37,079 --> 00:35:39,474
connect. Right? And and it's still not the

955
00:35:39,474 --> 00:35:42,054
family connection that I would love to see.

956
00:35:42,195 --> 00:35:44,135
Right? But and and involvement,

957
00:35:45,155 --> 00:35:46,534
because it's not every

958
00:35:47,315 --> 00:35:49,875
and, hopefully, this week, we'll get to those

959
00:35:49,875 --> 00:35:50,695
big numbers.

960
00:35:51,110 --> 00:35:53,349
But we have had big numbers. I shouldn't

961
00:35:53,349 --> 00:35:55,750
say that. But, like, I want I want

962
00:35:55,750 --> 00:35:58,890
everybody because everybody really values our school community.

963
00:36:01,110 --> 00:36:03,929
And and seeing all of that,

964
00:36:04,775 --> 00:36:07,655
watching the kids speak before the board this,

965
00:36:08,375 --> 00:36:10,555
last Thursday in our engagement sessions

966
00:36:11,015 --> 00:36:12,715
was one of the most magical,

967
00:36:13,094 --> 00:36:13,594
realist,

968
00:36:15,015 --> 00:36:17,515
assessments that I've ever seen. Authentic,

969
00:36:18,099 --> 00:36:20,920
Sage, Gerardo, like we used to talk about.

970
00:36:21,139 --> 00:36:21,619
Right?

971
00:36:22,019 --> 00:36:24,039
It was they were perfect.

972
00:36:24,420 --> 00:36:25,480
It was DCIS

973
00:36:26,500 --> 00:36:28,339
to a t. You know? And everybody who

974
00:36:28,339 --> 00:36:29,859
sees it, they're like, oh, these kids are

975
00:36:29,859 --> 00:36:30,839
special. You know?

976
00:36:31,364 --> 00:36:33,125
We hear you. This is a special place.

977
00:36:33,125 --> 00:36:34,184
Right? And so,

978
00:36:35,525 --> 00:36:38,744
it's just it's been inspiring. It's and and

979
00:36:38,804 --> 00:36:41,385
I've I've always will say this about DCIS.

980
00:36:42,085 --> 00:36:44,025
It is a transformative community.

981
00:36:44,360 --> 00:36:46,860
It changes you, like, at a molecular

982
00:36:47,400 --> 00:36:47,900
level.

983
00:36:48,519 --> 00:36:50,619
It changes who you are.

984
00:36:51,079 --> 00:36:51,579
Like,

985
00:36:52,199 --> 00:36:54,599
I'm doing I've done stuff at DCIS that

986
00:36:54,599 --> 00:36:56,219
I never imagined I would do.

987
00:36:57,094 --> 00:36:59,974
And it's usually rooted in, like, students being

988
00:36:59,974 --> 00:37:00,474
like,

989
00:37:00,855 --> 00:37:01,594
hey, mister.

990
00:37:02,135 --> 00:37:04,054
That's where it always starts. Take us to

991
00:37:04,054 --> 00:37:04,554
Japan.

992
00:37:07,815 --> 00:37:09,309
Yeah. No. I think that's I think that's

993
00:37:09,309 --> 00:37:10,750
really beautiful. And,

994
00:37:11,150 --> 00:37:12,609
and I'll I'll speak from

995
00:37:14,030 --> 00:37:14,769
the standpoint,

996
00:37:16,750 --> 00:37:19,170
as both a parent and an alum of

997
00:37:19,630 --> 00:37:20,130
DPS,

998
00:37:22,325 --> 00:37:24,664
As you all may know, I did graduate

999
00:37:24,885 --> 00:37:26,825
from the Manuel High School.

1000
00:37:27,605 --> 00:37:29,765
You both The, the beacon of the east

1001
00:37:29,765 --> 00:37:30,265
side.

1002
00:37:31,925 --> 00:37:32,425
And

1003
00:37:32,965 --> 00:37:35,305
closure and consolidation didn't affect

1004
00:37:36,039 --> 00:37:38,859
us because we had a little thing called,

1005
00:37:39,799 --> 00:37:40,940
court ordered busing.

1006
00:37:41,639 --> 00:37:42,139
And

1007
00:37:42,440 --> 00:37:44,219
so we didn't have school choice.

1008
00:37:44,920 --> 00:37:47,159
And so the enrollment at manual, even when

1009
00:37:47,159 --> 00:37:47,900
it dipped,

1010
00:37:48,335 --> 00:37:49,954
it didn't dip to the point

1011
00:37:50,335 --> 00:37:53,855
where it caused a desperate situation. But so

1012
00:37:53,855 --> 00:37:56,674
I wanna name that I never experienced firsthand

1013
00:37:56,734 --> 00:37:57,954
being in any school,

1014
00:37:58,255 --> 00:37:59,234
that faced closure

1015
00:37:59,534 --> 00:38:00,355
or consolidation.

1016
00:38:02,650 --> 00:38:05,449
But it impacted me after the fact. So

1017
00:38:05,449 --> 00:38:06,670
in the early 2000s,

1018
00:38:06,969 --> 00:38:08,670
Manuel was closed.

1019
00:38:09,289 --> 00:38:12,250
Yep. And That was the year after I

1020
00:38:12,250 --> 00:38:14,510
student taught there. Yep. Yep.

1021
00:38:16,844 --> 00:38:17,985
Manual is closed.

1022
00:38:18,364 --> 00:38:21,085
There were brilliant teachers there. Manual kids are

1023
00:38:21,085 --> 00:38:23,085
just dope. Like, it's just something in the

1024
00:38:23,085 --> 00:38:23,585
walls.

1025
00:38:23,965 --> 00:38:25,985
Yep. It's just like DCIS kids are dope.

1026
00:38:26,765 --> 00:38:28,684
The kids are dope. Let's be real. That's

1027
00:38:28,684 --> 00:38:29,184
right.

1028
00:38:29,619 --> 00:38:30,119
And

1029
00:38:31,460 --> 00:38:32,920
and it had an impact

1030
00:38:33,460 --> 00:38:33,960
on

1031
00:38:34,579 --> 00:38:37,699
my own sense of confidence in the education

1032
00:38:37,699 --> 00:38:38,760
that I had received.

1033
00:38:39,619 --> 00:38:41,400
What does it say about me

1034
00:38:41,885 --> 00:38:44,764
that my school closed? Mhmm. And then I

1035
00:38:44,764 --> 00:38:47,505
started looking back at every school I attended.

1036
00:38:47,885 --> 00:38:49,425
I went to Mitchell Elementary,

1037
00:38:49,964 --> 00:38:52,944
eventually closed. Closed. Went to Cole Middle School,

1038
00:38:53,244 --> 00:38:56,519
eventually closed. Closed. Went to Manuel High School,

1039
00:38:56,840 --> 00:38:59,000
eventually closed. You know what school that I

1040
00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:00,619
attended didn't close, Kev?

1041
00:39:02,440 --> 00:39:05,079
The University of Colorado at Boulder? Yeah. It's

1042
00:39:05,079 --> 00:39:05,960
never gonna close,

1043
00:39:06,519 --> 00:39:07,019
unless

1044
00:39:07,320 --> 00:39:10,039
the, the current the new administration has anything

1045
00:39:10,039 --> 00:39:11,085
to say about higher ed.

1046
00:39:12,125 --> 00:39:13,344
No. Steck Elementary.

1047
00:39:13,644 --> 00:39:16,045
Okay. Steck is still open. You're right. I

1048
00:39:16,045 --> 00:39:17,505
I rode the bus to Steck,

1049
00:39:17,964 --> 00:39:20,764
which is in the hilltop neighborhood. Yes. Yes.

1050
00:39:20,764 --> 00:39:23,489
That school's never gonna close. No. Those those

1051
00:39:23,489 --> 00:39:25,809
kids are not having that conversation. Well, they

1052
00:39:25,809 --> 00:39:27,349
may at some point. But,

1053
00:39:28,210 --> 00:39:28,710
but

1054
00:39:29,489 --> 00:39:30,949
so for me,

1055
00:39:31,489 --> 00:39:33,670
as I was kinda reflecting on this,

1056
00:39:34,289 --> 00:39:36,130
I was thinking about what it means. And

1057
00:39:36,130 --> 00:39:37,795
so I I did a little bit of

1058
00:39:37,795 --> 00:39:40,434
research before this conversation, then and then I'll

1059
00:39:40,434 --> 00:39:40,934
invite,

1060
00:39:41,795 --> 00:39:43,875
Camilla and Sofia to kinda comment on some

1061
00:39:43,875 --> 00:39:44,454
of this.

1062
00:39:45,795 --> 00:39:47,815
CBS News reported that families

1063
00:39:48,195 --> 00:39:50,054
felt shocked and betrayed

1064
00:39:50,594 --> 00:39:51,655
by these decisions.

1065
00:39:54,070 --> 00:39:54,889
Even BoardHawk,

1066
00:39:55,190 --> 00:39:58,489
which BoardHawk is very pro Charter, very pro

1067
00:39:58,710 --> 00:39:59,210
privatization,

1068
00:39:59,590 --> 00:40:02,409
very anti union and anti traditional education.

1069
00:40:02,949 --> 00:40:04,010
Even BoardHawk

1070
00:40:04,389 --> 00:40:07,264
wrote, school closures are not only a byproduct

1071
00:40:07,405 --> 00:40:10,065
of a system that doesn't work, trust

1072
00:40:10,364 --> 00:40:11,585
is the root problem.

1073
00:40:12,125 --> 00:40:12,625
Right?

1074
00:40:12,925 --> 00:40:15,505
And that community trust

1075
00:40:16,204 --> 00:40:18,204
is one of the things that's causing the

1076
00:40:18,204 --> 00:40:20,204
reaction because I think it would be naive

1077
00:40:20,204 --> 00:40:22,289
of anyone who has spent more than a

1078
00:40:22,289 --> 00:40:23,430
few days in DPS

1079
00:40:24,450 --> 00:40:26,769
to not realize the lack of trust that

1080
00:40:26,769 --> 00:40:29,490
exists between Denver public schools and the communities

1081
00:40:29,490 --> 00:40:30,230
we serve.

1082
00:40:31,090 --> 00:40:33,905
Education week. The harm of school closures can

1083
00:40:33,905 --> 00:40:34,885
last a lifetime,

1084
00:40:35,505 --> 00:40:37,585
new research shows. This was a report that

1085
00:40:37,585 --> 00:40:39,925
came out in June of 2024.

1086
00:40:41,105 --> 00:40:42,005
And so,

1087
00:40:42,625 --> 00:40:43,925
and then there in ProPublica

1088
00:40:44,304 --> 00:40:44,804
had

1089
00:40:45,260 --> 00:40:45,760
a,

1090
00:40:46,139 --> 00:40:47,039
a case study

1091
00:40:47,420 --> 00:40:49,599
of falling enrollment after the pandemic

1092
00:40:50,059 --> 00:40:52,559
and how these closures work. I also

1093
00:40:52,940 --> 00:40:55,579
saw a report somewhere that indicates that school

1094
00:40:55,579 --> 00:40:57,339
closures don't really work in the way that

1095
00:40:57,339 --> 00:40:58,364
people think they do,

1096
00:40:59,324 --> 00:41:02,045
that it is presented as a financial stop

1097
00:41:02,045 --> 00:41:02,545
gap,

1098
00:41:03,324 --> 00:41:05,005
but economists are very,

1099
00:41:05,405 --> 00:41:08,284
dubious about the about whether that actually makes

1100
00:41:08,284 --> 00:41:08,945
a meaningful,

1101
00:41:09,644 --> 00:41:11,264
financial impact on schools.

1102
00:41:12,200 --> 00:41:14,440
Camila or Sophia, what are your thoughts on

1103
00:41:14,440 --> 00:41:15,099
kind of

1104
00:41:15,400 --> 00:41:17,019
what what what,

1105
00:41:17,880 --> 00:41:20,680
mister Adams, Kev, dad? He's he's you have,

1106
00:41:20,680 --> 00:41:22,059
like, 3 hats just

1107
00:41:22,360 --> 00:41:23,660
on this, like,

1108
00:41:24,119 --> 00:41:25,180
episode, sir.

1109
00:41:28,565 --> 00:41:30,324
What are some of your thoughts on on

1110
00:41:30,324 --> 00:41:31,704
what he's sharing about,

1111
00:41:33,284 --> 00:41:35,045
about his experience as a parent as a

1112
00:41:35,045 --> 00:41:36,025
member of the community?

1113
00:41:38,164 --> 00:41:39,045
I think that,

1114
00:41:39,684 --> 00:41:41,950
as his child and as the sibling of

1115
00:41:41,950 --> 00:41:43,010
my brother, especially

1116
00:41:43,470 --> 00:41:45,190
Like, the sibling of your brother like it.

1117
00:41:45,230 --> 00:41:47,170
One of my first thoughts was like,

1118
00:41:48,590 --> 00:41:50,510
oh, dang. I like, I don't get to

1119
00:41:50,510 --> 00:41:51,250
see him.

1120
00:41:51,950 --> 00:41:53,815
I I'll get to see his passage, but

1121
00:41:53,815 --> 00:41:55,894
I don't get to see his senior presentation.

1122
00:41:55,894 --> 00:41:57,434
I don't get to see him graduate

1123
00:41:57,815 --> 00:42:00,215
and get his DCIS diploma. I don't get

1124
00:42:00,215 --> 00:42:01,434
to see this really

1125
00:42:02,855 --> 00:42:05,574
like, my brother's incredibly smart. He's so international

1126
00:42:05,574 --> 00:42:08,550
minded. DCIS is like a perfect school fit

1127
00:42:08,550 --> 00:42:09,130
for him,

1128
00:42:09,590 --> 00:42:11,829
and I don't get to see him get

1129
00:42:11,829 --> 00:42:12,650
those, like,

1130
00:42:13,110 --> 00:42:15,190
milestones and key points that I've seen people

1131
00:42:15,190 --> 00:42:17,769
get throughout the past 7 years

1132
00:42:18,150 --> 00:42:19,050
of my life,

1133
00:42:19,750 --> 00:42:22,230
if not even more than that. Yep. And

1134
00:42:22,230 --> 00:42:25,195
it and it really hurts because I know

1135
00:42:26,375 --> 00:42:27,894
the type of person he is, and I

1136
00:42:27,894 --> 00:42:30,635
know the type of school that DCIS is.

1137
00:42:30,695 --> 00:42:32,795
And I've seen him thrive in this community,

1138
00:42:33,094 --> 00:42:35,414
and I've seen others thrive in this community,

1139
00:42:35,414 --> 00:42:37,675
and I've seen legacy families be devastated

1140
00:42:38,639 --> 00:42:39,139
by

1141
00:42:39,679 --> 00:42:40,500
this decision.

1142
00:42:41,760 --> 00:42:42,819
I know people

1143
00:42:43,920 --> 00:42:44,420
who

1144
00:42:44,960 --> 00:42:48,719
are, like, really insanely devastated by this. And

1145
00:42:48,719 --> 00:42:48,880
it's

1146
00:42:49,839 --> 00:42:52,844
it pisses me off that that the district

1147
00:42:52,844 --> 00:42:54,764
is willing to do this to such a

1148
00:42:54,764 --> 00:42:56,684
wonderful school just because of,

1149
00:42:58,204 --> 00:42:59,824
the low enrollment, and

1150
00:43:01,085 --> 00:43:03,565
it also really motivates me to keep fighting

1151
00:43:03,565 --> 00:43:05,724
for it because I know how incredible this

1152
00:43:05,724 --> 00:43:08,400
place is. And I know that the district

1153
00:43:09,099 --> 00:43:12,000
choosing to throw away as to eloquently,

1154
00:43:12,619 --> 00:43:14,860
quote someone from our school who gave a

1155
00:43:14,860 --> 00:43:15,360
speech,

1156
00:43:16,619 --> 00:43:20,234
throwing away a trophy, a school that DPS

1157
00:43:20,234 --> 00:43:22,974
used to carry around, record videos on,

1158
00:43:23,275 --> 00:43:23,775
flaunt,

1159
00:43:24,074 --> 00:43:26,234
and show off that not only fits the

1160
00:43:26,234 --> 00:43:27,454
Denver Public Schools'

1161
00:43:30,635 --> 00:43:33,934
mission statement for high quality schools, but also

1162
00:43:35,340 --> 00:43:37,900
that just fits everything that I believe that

1163
00:43:37,900 --> 00:43:40,559
they stand for as a district is genuinely

1164
00:43:40,619 --> 00:43:42,480
disheartening all because of a number,

1165
00:43:42,860 --> 00:43:45,420
which is insanely wild, especially if I'm hearing

1166
00:43:45,420 --> 00:43:47,980
from board members and from community members and

1167
00:43:47,980 --> 00:43:49,574
from people in the district saying,

1168
00:43:50,054 --> 00:43:52,214
like, we really love the this education style.

1169
00:43:52,214 --> 00:43:53,914
We really we we,

1170
00:43:54,695 --> 00:43:56,695
think that the learning people are doing here

1171
00:43:56,695 --> 00:43:57,014
is,

1172
00:43:57,894 --> 00:43:58,954
worth it and important.

1173
00:43:59,655 --> 00:44:00,554
And then seeing

1174
00:44:04,420 --> 00:44:04,920
close

1175
00:44:05,219 --> 00:44:05,800
a learnings,

1176
00:44:06,420 --> 00:44:09,719
establishment, a school that is providing the education

1177
00:44:09,860 --> 00:44:12,260
after they praise it is genuinely disheartening and

1178
00:44:12,260 --> 00:44:12,760
honestly,

1179
00:44:13,460 --> 00:44:15,460
appalling. It makes me embarrassed to work for

1180
00:44:15,460 --> 00:44:16,760
the district too.

1181
00:44:17,405 --> 00:44:19,644
Just thanks so much for just being so

1182
00:44:19,644 --> 00:44:21,744
honest about this. Like, I think that,

1183
00:44:22,445 --> 00:44:24,445
a lot of times, particularly and I work

1184
00:44:24,445 --> 00:44:26,304
in a central office space, and

1185
00:44:26,605 --> 00:44:28,364
there are a lot of spaces in central

1186
00:44:28,364 --> 00:44:30,969
office that forget the human results of the

1187
00:44:30,969 --> 00:44:33,529
decisions that we make, or we kinda decenter

1188
00:44:33,529 --> 00:44:35,210
those things. There's a point that both of

1189
00:44:35,210 --> 00:44:38,650
you made, both you and, Kev made that

1190
00:44:38,650 --> 00:44:40,809
I think I can't put a fine enough

1191
00:44:40,809 --> 00:44:43,069
point on. The beauty of watching

1192
00:44:43,704 --> 00:44:46,184
a kid arrive at a school at age

1193
00:44:46,184 --> 00:44:47,644
10 or 11. Right?

1194
00:44:48,664 --> 00:44:51,545
Barely, like, crying at their locker. I'm still

1195
00:44:51,545 --> 00:44:53,565
close to, like, a former student,

1196
00:44:54,424 --> 00:44:56,264
who I believe let me do the math

1197
00:44:56,264 --> 00:44:58,859
real quick. I believe is approaching the age

1198
00:44:58,859 --> 00:45:01,659
of 30. I met this student crying at

1199
00:45:01,659 --> 00:45:03,420
their locker because they couldn't get their locker

1200
00:45:03,420 --> 00:45:05,179
open. I helped them get their locker open,

1201
00:45:05,179 --> 00:45:06,239
and we've been close

1202
00:45:06,539 --> 00:45:09,420
ever since. And so you you you meet

1203
00:45:09,420 --> 00:45:10,960
these these little kids,

1204
00:45:11,339 --> 00:45:14,105
right, who are just out of elementary school.

1205
00:45:14,724 --> 00:45:17,445
And the trajectory of being able to see

1206
00:45:17,445 --> 00:45:19,605
a 10, 11 year old become a 17,

1207
00:45:19,605 --> 00:45:21,525
18 year old ready to face the world

1208
00:45:21,525 --> 00:45:23,844
and filled with passion like the 2 of

1209
00:45:23,844 --> 00:45:25,605
you. And folks, I spent 15 years at

1210
00:45:25,605 --> 00:45:26,985
DCIS as a teacher.

1211
00:45:28,240 --> 00:45:29,940
Sophia and Camila are

1212
00:45:30,320 --> 00:45:30,820
exceptional,

1213
00:45:31,200 --> 00:45:32,500
but they're not the exception.

1214
00:45:32,800 --> 00:45:35,119
Right? There's a lot of kids like these

1215
00:45:35,119 --> 00:45:35,619
2,

1216
00:45:36,160 --> 00:45:37,140
at this school.

1217
00:45:38,079 --> 00:45:39,220
The former superintendent,

1218
00:45:39,920 --> 00:45:41,059
Susana Cordova,

1219
00:45:42,045 --> 00:45:43,484
I remember her making a visit to the

1220
00:45:43,484 --> 00:45:45,244
school. Kev, you probably remember when she came

1221
00:45:45,244 --> 00:45:47,244
to our staff meeting, and it was when

1222
00:45:47,244 --> 00:45:49,644
our performance numbers had dipped a little bit.

1223
00:45:49,644 --> 00:45:51,885
Yep. And the first thing she said to

1224
00:45:51,885 --> 00:45:52,784
us is,

1225
00:45:53,405 --> 00:45:56,159
before we talk about this this school performance

1226
00:45:56,159 --> 00:45:58,880
framework, I just wanna remind you that there

1227
00:45:58,880 --> 00:46:00,260
are great things happening

1228
00:46:00,639 --> 00:46:04,079
in every school, including this one. Yeah. And

1229
00:46:04,079 --> 00:46:06,260
so just that kind of humanizing

1230
00:46:07,065 --> 00:46:08,905
part is is so important, and I and

1231
00:46:08,905 --> 00:46:10,445
I think a 6 through 12

1232
00:46:11,065 --> 00:46:11,565
does

1233
00:46:12,905 --> 00:46:13,704
facilitate that.

1234
00:46:14,344 --> 00:46:16,105
I I also have a really strong bias.

1235
00:46:16,105 --> 00:46:18,184
I arrived at DCIS as a 30 year

1236
00:46:18,184 --> 00:46:18,585
old,

1237
00:46:19,144 --> 00:46:20,204
8 year teacher,

1238
00:46:21,539 --> 00:46:22,039
who

1239
00:46:22,500 --> 00:46:25,219
had, you know, kind of become disillusioned with

1240
00:46:25,219 --> 00:46:25,719
things.

1241
00:46:26,260 --> 00:46:28,519
And it really was the student community

1242
00:46:28,820 --> 00:46:29,320
that,

1243
00:46:29,940 --> 00:46:30,440
Yep.

1244
00:46:30,900 --> 00:46:31,640
Not only

1245
00:46:32,579 --> 00:46:34,200
restored my optimism

1246
00:46:34,579 --> 00:46:35,400
in the educational

1247
00:46:35,700 --> 00:46:36,200
process,

1248
00:46:36,635 --> 00:46:39,114
but also helped me grow into a bigger

1249
00:46:39,114 --> 00:46:40,574
and better version of myself.

1250
00:46:41,194 --> 00:46:42,175
And so,

1251
00:46:42,714 --> 00:46:45,275
you know, so so it's really tough. Camila,

1252
00:46:45,275 --> 00:46:46,894
what were some of your thoughts around,

1253
00:46:47,514 --> 00:46:49,454
what was shared about kind of the broader

1254
00:46:49,514 --> 00:46:50,655
impacts of

1255
00:46:51,079 --> 00:46:53,480
disclosure on community, on the people that you

1256
00:46:53,480 --> 00:46:53,980
know?

1257
00:46:54,920 --> 00:46:57,400
I think for me, especially as a leader

1258
00:46:57,400 --> 00:46:59,659
who works a lot with the middle schoolers,

1259
00:47:01,000 --> 00:47:03,320
it was really, really difficult to be able

1260
00:47:03,320 --> 00:47:05,320
to look at these kids who are looking

1261
00:47:05,320 --> 00:47:06,614
to you for help,

1262
00:47:08,215 --> 00:47:10,855
Because to them, they they're a little ignorant

1263
00:47:10,855 --> 00:47:12,614
on it, which you can't blame them for

1264
00:47:12,614 --> 00:47:14,135
because they are just kids at the end

1265
00:47:14,135 --> 00:47:15,735
of the day. I'm just a kid at

1266
00:47:15,735 --> 00:47:16,715
the end of the day.

1267
00:47:17,974 --> 00:47:19,114
And it's like

1268
00:47:19,800 --> 00:47:21,079
they look at you and they ask you

1269
00:47:21,079 --> 00:47:23,019
for answers and you can't give them to

1270
00:47:23,239 --> 00:47:23,900
to them.

1271
00:47:24,440 --> 00:47:26,360
So you're really just trying to fight for

1272
00:47:26,360 --> 00:47:27,960
them at the end of the day. You

1273
00:47:27,960 --> 00:47:29,880
see how every single day these kids are

1274
00:47:29,880 --> 00:47:31,340
looking to you for help

1275
00:47:31,744 --> 00:47:33,585
and you wanna help them. And I want

1276
00:47:33,585 --> 00:47:34,085
to

1277
00:47:34,704 --> 00:47:36,625
set this up. I wanna have this school

1278
00:47:36,625 --> 00:47:38,704
open for kids to be able to experience

1279
00:47:38,704 --> 00:47:39,204
it.

1280
00:47:39,824 --> 00:47:41,664
And for my parents as well, this was

1281
00:47:41,664 --> 00:47:43,505
a huge thing for me. I came to

1282
00:47:43,505 --> 00:47:44,164
the school

1283
00:47:44,679 --> 00:47:46,920
who after being bullied for years, I was

1284
00:47:46,920 --> 00:47:49,079
super, super quiet. I didn't wanna talk to

1285
00:47:49,079 --> 00:47:49,579
absolutely

1286
00:47:49,880 --> 00:47:50,380
anyone.

1287
00:47:51,159 --> 00:47:53,159
And this school opened so many doors for

1288
00:47:53,159 --> 00:47:54,679
me. I would not be the person that

1289
00:47:54,679 --> 00:47:56,860
I am today without this school.

1290
00:47:57,494 --> 00:47:57,994
So

1291
00:47:58,295 --> 00:48:00,154
the fact that I could lose

1292
00:48:01,014 --> 00:48:01,674
it is

1293
00:48:02,214 --> 00:48:02,714
heartbreaking.

1294
00:48:03,494 --> 00:48:05,734
Even if I'm not here next year, I'm

1295
00:48:05,734 --> 00:48:07,815
heartbroken for the people who come after me

1296
00:48:07,974 --> 00:48:10,135
Yeah. Because they're losing a chance at what

1297
00:48:10,135 --> 00:48:10,650
I got.

1298
00:48:11,849 --> 00:48:13,150
Yeah. Schools are communities.

1299
00:48:13,929 --> 00:48:16,010
Schools are are communities, and,

1300
00:48:16,889 --> 00:48:18,109
it's something to really

1301
00:48:18,809 --> 00:48:19,710
keep in mind.

1302
00:48:20,250 --> 00:48:23,769
One other question I kinda wanna bring to

1303
00:48:23,769 --> 00:48:24,269
you,

1304
00:48:25,049 --> 00:48:25,549
and

1305
00:48:26,545 --> 00:48:27,364
this came

1306
00:48:27,985 --> 00:48:29,905
in a quick conversation in one of the

1307
00:48:29,905 --> 00:48:30,405
community

1308
00:48:30,864 --> 00:48:32,885
organizations that I'm involved with.

1309
00:48:33,425 --> 00:48:34,405
There was concern,

1310
00:48:35,905 --> 00:48:36,405
among

1311
00:48:37,505 --> 00:48:38,324
some adults,

1312
00:48:38,980 --> 00:48:40,900
one adult who brought who kind of brought

1313
00:48:40,900 --> 00:48:42,119
this up in the meeting

1314
00:48:42,420 --> 00:48:44,599
that there's an idea that

1315
00:48:47,059 --> 00:48:49,059
DCIS kids may see themselves as being too

1316
00:48:49,059 --> 00:48:50,119
good to go to west.

1317
00:48:52,144 --> 00:48:53,905
Can you speak to that? Because I have

1318
00:48:53,905 --> 00:48:54,565
a feeling

1319
00:48:56,144 --> 00:48:57,284
that I have a feeling

1320
00:48:57,744 --> 00:49:00,164
that that's not the case, first of all.

1321
00:49:00,864 --> 00:49:04,144
But talk about what it is that and

1322
00:49:04,144 --> 00:49:05,905
you've kind of talked about this a lot,

1323
00:49:05,905 --> 00:49:07,684
but what it is that may

1324
00:49:09,849 --> 00:49:12,409
cause DCIS students to be like, I don't

1325
00:49:12,409 --> 00:49:13,630
wanna go to that school.

1326
00:49:14,090 --> 00:49:15,769
Why would they be saying, like, that kind

1327
00:49:15,769 --> 00:49:18,030
of thing? Yeah. Camille, go ahead. Yeah. No.

1328
00:49:18,090 --> 00:49:20,090
I I wanna I wanna preface this. When

1329
00:49:20,090 --> 00:49:22,010
I did reach out to West students for

1330
00:49:22,010 --> 00:49:22,670
the walkout,

1331
00:49:23,954 --> 00:49:25,875
I told them from the start that it

1332
00:49:25,875 --> 00:49:26,695
wasn't personal

1333
00:49:26,994 --> 00:49:28,755
because the truth is is that this is

1334
00:49:28,755 --> 00:49:31,255
not personal at all. This is about

1335
00:49:31,635 --> 00:49:33,815
us. This is about our community.

1336
00:49:34,355 --> 00:49:36,835
We don't have anything against WES. We never

1337
00:49:36,835 --> 00:49:39,320
have and we never will. It's because we

1338
00:49:39,320 --> 00:49:40,539
are our own community.

1339
00:49:41,000 --> 00:49:42,300
We have built something

1340
00:49:42,680 --> 00:49:43,579
on our own.

1341
00:49:43,880 --> 00:49:45,820
And to us, it is extremely,

1342
00:49:46,199 --> 00:49:47,340
extremely important.

1343
00:49:48,119 --> 00:49:50,199
So it's not that we have anything against

1344
00:49:50,199 --> 00:49:50,940
West kids.

1345
00:49:51,494 --> 00:49:53,734
I I have friends at Wes. Yeah. I

1346
00:49:53,734 --> 00:49:56,054
just think that what's important to us is

1347
00:49:56,054 --> 00:49:57,755
that we don't lose each other.

1348
00:49:59,414 --> 00:50:01,174
And I think by going to Wes, we're

1349
00:50:01,174 --> 00:50:04,730
losing that. You're breaking apart 2 groups of

1350
00:50:04,730 --> 00:50:06,510
people who have grown together

1351
00:50:06,809 --> 00:50:08,589
and who continue to thrive together

1352
00:50:09,050 --> 00:50:10,429
and build each other up.

1353
00:50:11,210 --> 00:50:13,869
Yeah. So it's it's not personal against them.

1354
00:50:14,010 --> 00:50:14,510
Yeah.

1355
00:50:15,130 --> 00:50:17,150
Not only that, but, like, DCIS

1356
00:50:17,690 --> 00:50:19,614
was already in West. We were already a

1357
00:50:19,614 --> 00:50:20,675
part of that community.

1358
00:50:21,055 --> 00:50:23,055
We had our time in that community, and

1359
00:50:23,055 --> 00:50:25,215
we served our purpose there. But now we

1360
00:50:25,215 --> 00:50:27,454
are not only, like, our own entity, but

1361
00:50:27,454 --> 00:50:28,755
we have our own school culture.

1362
00:50:29,375 --> 00:50:31,715
We are our own people. And I don't

1363
00:50:31,775 --> 00:50:34,039
like and it's like Camilla said, it's not

1364
00:50:34,039 --> 00:50:35,420
a personal thing at all.

1365
00:50:36,119 --> 00:50:38,920
West students are lovely. We've had DCIS students

1366
00:50:38,920 --> 00:50:40,059
transfer to West.

1367
00:50:40,440 --> 00:50:40,940
And

1368
00:50:41,559 --> 00:50:43,579
I think the main thing is, like, keeping

1369
00:50:44,119 --> 00:50:47,500
those communities separate because they serve different purposes.

1370
00:50:48,405 --> 00:50:49,785
They are for different people,

1371
00:50:50,324 --> 00:50:53,545
and they are focused on very different things.

1372
00:50:54,324 --> 00:50:54,824
And

1373
00:50:55,204 --> 00:50:58,105
not only are the classes different, but the

1374
00:50:59,364 --> 00:51:02,105
the way the schools function is completely different.

1375
00:51:02,650 --> 00:51:05,050
And each of these schools deserve their own

1376
00:51:05,050 --> 00:51:05,550
place.

1377
00:51:06,010 --> 00:51:08,170
Yeah. I love that. But I I would

1378
00:51:08,170 --> 00:51:09,309
add as a parent,

1379
00:51:09,690 --> 00:51:10,590
you know, that,

1380
00:51:11,769 --> 00:51:12,010
you

1381
00:51:12,650 --> 00:51:15,230
like, it's different models. Right? And the district

1382
00:51:15,449 --> 00:51:17,144
offered this portfolio model

1383
00:51:17,545 --> 00:51:18,045
where,

1384
00:51:19,385 --> 00:51:21,224
you know, there's choice in the types of

1385
00:51:21,224 --> 00:51:24,664
schools. And, you know, my my kids have

1386
00:51:24,664 --> 00:51:26,284
been in small schools

1387
00:51:26,905 --> 00:51:29,565
their entire time. They went to downtown Denver

1388
00:51:29,625 --> 00:51:30,125
expeditionary

1389
00:51:30,505 --> 00:51:34,170
school, small school model. Right? And then they

1390
00:51:34,170 --> 00:51:35,150
came to DCIS

1391
00:51:36,010 --> 00:51:38,650
because I think they felt like it was

1392
00:51:38,650 --> 00:51:39,150
similar

1393
00:51:39,690 --> 00:51:40,489
and kind of,

1394
00:51:40,969 --> 00:51:43,289
a programming offerings. They were familiar with the

1395
00:51:43,289 --> 00:51:45,210
idea of a passage because they had done

1396
00:51:45,210 --> 00:51:47,204
one every year at DDS.

1397
00:51:47,505 --> 00:51:48,005
Right?

1398
00:51:48,784 --> 00:51:51,764
They were familiar with that small community

1399
00:51:52,144 --> 00:51:52,644
feelings.

1400
00:51:53,344 --> 00:51:55,525
Right? Your your child is shaking her head.

1401
00:51:56,545 --> 00:51:58,625
We did not do passages every year. We

1402
00:51:58,625 --> 00:52:00,484
did one when we were in 5th grade.

1403
00:52:00,940 --> 00:52:03,579
Oh, okay. Alright. Well, I've It's correct. A

1404
00:52:03,579 --> 00:52:04,800
little bit. Podcasters,

1405
00:52:05,099 --> 00:52:05,739
this is,

1406
00:52:06,140 --> 00:52:07,900
this is a warning on what happens when

1407
00:52:07,900 --> 00:52:10,219
you bring your children on the show. Yeah.

1408
00:52:10,219 --> 00:52:11,660
Yeah. My my daughter has,

1409
00:52:12,140 --> 00:52:14,255
my my my they will correct you if

1410
00:52:14,255 --> 00:52:17,014
you don't have the information correct. Yeah. My

1411
00:52:17,014 --> 00:52:19,414
kid has floated the idea of a podcast

1412
00:52:19,414 --> 00:52:21,574
that we cohost called Shut Up, Dad. Oh,

1413
00:52:21,574 --> 00:52:23,194
there we go. I'd listen.

1414
00:52:24,375 --> 00:52:25,920
Anyway, you would listen. Of course, you would.

1415
00:52:26,239 --> 00:52:27,859
You're always trying to tear me down.

1416
00:52:28,159 --> 00:52:31,039
Uh-huh. So so having them having been in

1417
00:52:31,039 --> 00:52:32,099
these small schools,

1418
00:52:33,199 --> 00:52:34,339
you know, that continuity,

1419
00:52:34,639 --> 00:52:36,799
you're you're saying it feels really Yeah. And

1420
00:52:36,799 --> 00:52:39,460
and then I think that's like, I think

1421
00:52:41,605 --> 00:52:44,005
a lot of our community members and students

1422
00:52:44,005 --> 00:52:44,505
included

1423
00:52:44,964 --> 00:52:46,885
prefer a small school model. If you go

1424
00:52:46,885 --> 00:52:48,644
to West, if they have this based on

1425
00:52:48,644 --> 00:52:50,404
the numbers, if all of our high schoolers

1426
00:52:50,404 --> 00:52:53,069
were to, transfer over there, it's a 712

1427
00:52:53,849 --> 00:52:55,849
person school. And, you know, you've been at

1428
00:52:55,849 --> 00:52:58,349
DCIS. We had those numbers, and our conversations

1429
00:52:58,409 --> 00:53:00,170
then where we need to start at the

1430
00:53:00,170 --> 00:53:02,730
cap, right, that we were actually growing bigger

1431
00:53:02,730 --> 00:53:03,630
because I know

1432
00:53:03,929 --> 00:53:05,549
our founder of our programming,

1433
00:53:05,849 --> 00:53:08,425
doctor Lutz, I I think his sweet spot

1434
00:53:08,425 --> 00:53:10,425
is I think he says, like, right around

1435
00:53:10,425 --> 00:53:10,925
500

1436
00:53:11,545 --> 00:53:12,844
to 600 kids,

1437
00:53:13,144 --> 00:53:14,364
right, in the school.

1438
00:53:16,505 --> 00:53:17,565
But I think,

1439
00:53:18,824 --> 00:53:20,905
I think people have to realize that that's

1440
00:53:20,905 --> 00:53:21,405
what

1441
00:53:21,784 --> 00:53:22,284
families

1442
00:53:22,869 --> 00:53:23,929
were looking for,

1443
00:53:24,389 --> 00:53:25,690
who were coming to DCIS.

1444
00:53:26,230 --> 00:53:28,250
And then that a lot of the kids,

1445
00:53:28,630 --> 00:53:30,170
and I think, families

1446
00:53:30,710 --> 00:53:32,389
and students made this, but they're like, I

1447
00:53:32,389 --> 00:53:35,050
don't come to DCIS because of its location.

1448
00:53:35,750 --> 00:53:36,969
I actually come

1449
00:53:37,844 --> 00:53:38,344
because

1450
00:53:39,125 --> 00:53:39,864
it is,

1451
00:53:40,565 --> 00:53:42,804
of the school model because it's a small

1452
00:53:42,804 --> 00:53:43,304
school,

1453
00:53:43,764 --> 00:53:44,164
because of

1454
00:53:47,844 --> 00:53:48,344
Yeah.

1455
00:53:49,690 --> 00:53:52,010
Kev might have frozen for a second, but

1456
00:53:52,010 --> 00:53:52,670
that's okay.

1457
00:53:53,130 --> 00:53:55,449
We ball. Just interrupt me, Kev, if any

1458
00:53:55,530 --> 00:53:57,949
if you come back. Yeah. I think I

1459
00:53:58,010 --> 00:54:00,909
I think that that's just such an important

1460
00:54:01,050 --> 00:54:01,949
point, especially

1461
00:54:02,809 --> 00:54:04,590
I'm not sure that you can have

1462
00:54:05,195 --> 00:54:07,215
school choice and per pupil funding,

1463
00:54:08,315 --> 00:54:08,815
simultaneously.

1464
00:54:09,195 --> 00:54:11,835
It seems like one will always subvert the

1465
00:54:11,835 --> 00:54:12,335
other,

1466
00:54:13,355 --> 00:54:16,074
and that's something that just kind of came

1467
00:54:16,074 --> 00:54:18,014
to mind for me.

1468
00:54:18,474 --> 00:54:21,059
And I think kind of to your point,

1469
00:54:21,460 --> 00:54:23,300
to both of your points, Camilla and Sofia,

1470
00:54:23,300 --> 00:54:23,880
one thing

1471
00:54:24,180 --> 00:54:26,900
that just warms my heart to hear the

1472
00:54:27,059 --> 00:54:28,840
to to hear you both say

1473
00:54:29,300 --> 00:54:31,559
is that there's actually solidarity

1474
00:54:32,019 --> 00:54:33,974
between the two schools. Any of you who

1475
00:54:33,974 --> 00:54:37,574
have seen the video of the marches that

1476
00:54:37,574 --> 00:54:39,355
the students engaged in,

1477
00:54:39,734 --> 00:54:42,074
you if you look closely enough,

1478
00:54:43,014 --> 00:54:44,554
you see that there are

1479
00:54:45,639 --> 00:54:47,340
kids from more than one school,

1480
00:54:48,359 --> 00:54:49,260
who are participating

1481
00:54:49,719 --> 00:54:52,119
in this. And so I think some of

1482
00:54:52,119 --> 00:54:52,619
the

1483
00:54:53,079 --> 00:54:53,579
conversation

1484
00:54:54,119 --> 00:54:57,000
of, oh, it's just because DCIS kids don't

1485
00:54:57,000 --> 00:54:59,159
wanna be around West Kids. Y'all are sharing

1486
00:54:59,159 --> 00:55:01,664
that that's absolutely not the case, and that

1487
00:55:01,664 --> 00:55:03,925
serves to be very divisive. Right?

1488
00:55:04,305 --> 00:55:04,805
And,

1489
00:55:05,265 --> 00:55:07,985
it is an easy narrative to put forth

1490
00:55:07,985 --> 00:55:09,824
when you say, oh, they just think they're

1491
00:55:09,824 --> 00:55:11,344
too good good for that school. No. They're

1492
00:55:11,344 --> 00:55:13,605
friends. They respect each other. And in fact,

1493
00:55:14,130 --> 00:55:15,589
students at the other school

1494
00:55:16,210 --> 00:55:17,109
are also

1495
00:55:17,489 --> 00:55:17,989
marching

1496
00:55:18,449 --> 00:55:18,949
for

1497
00:55:19,250 --> 00:55:21,089
the right for both schools to remain who

1498
00:55:21,089 --> 00:55:21,829
they are.

1499
00:55:22,529 --> 00:55:24,929
So it's it's beautiful stuff. So we've seen

1500
00:55:24,929 --> 00:55:26,150
some of the action taken.

1501
00:55:27,010 --> 00:55:29,089
Gonna take a quick pause. When we come

1502
00:55:29,089 --> 00:55:29,534
back,

1503
00:55:30,094 --> 00:55:31,954
you will hear from,

1504
00:55:32,815 --> 00:55:34,994
from especially from Camilla and Sofia

1505
00:55:35,534 --> 00:55:36,034
how

1506
00:55:36,335 --> 00:55:39,234
you can support what actions they're looking

1507
00:55:40,014 --> 00:55:42,275
to take, but what actions frankly they need

1508
00:55:42,414 --> 00:55:43,650
from adults.

1509
00:55:44,269 --> 00:55:45,409
Stay with us here

1510
00:55:45,869 --> 00:55:47,570
on 2 Dope Teachers and a Mic.

1511
00:55:53,150 --> 00:55:54,210
Welcome back everybody

1512
00:55:54,590 --> 00:55:56,764
to Tudo Teachers in the Mic, where we

1513
00:55:56,764 --> 00:55:57,984
remix the conversation

1514
00:55:58,444 --> 00:56:00,304
on race, power, and education.

1515
00:56:01,164 --> 00:56:02,864
We don't know if Kev is still frozen.

1516
00:56:03,404 --> 00:56:05,085
So I guess we'll find out at some

1517
00:56:05,085 --> 00:56:05,585
point.

1518
00:56:06,924 --> 00:56:07,744
It's wild.

1519
00:56:08,260 --> 00:56:09,559
Technology, it's beautiful.

1520
00:56:10,500 --> 00:56:11,000
So

1521
00:56:11,539 --> 00:56:13,700
first of all, I just wanna express a

1522
00:56:13,700 --> 00:56:14,599
lot of gratitude

1523
00:56:15,300 --> 00:56:17,860
to Camila Sofia and to Kev, who, you

1524
00:56:17,860 --> 00:56:20,119
know, who's worn multiple hats on this episode,

1525
00:56:22,155 --> 00:56:24,894
For bringing this story forth, I think

1526
00:56:25,195 --> 00:56:26,574
one of the things that

1527
00:56:27,114 --> 00:56:27,614
folks

1528
00:56:27,914 --> 00:56:28,414
like

1529
00:56:28,795 --> 00:56:30,255
and you may feel

1530
00:56:30,795 --> 00:56:33,035
a little tugging in your brain where you're

1531
00:56:33,035 --> 00:56:33,535
like,

1532
00:56:34,079 --> 00:56:36,900
okay. But yes. But there's a demographic reality,

1533
00:56:36,960 --> 00:56:39,039
and the reality is that schools are underfunded,

1534
00:56:39,039 --> 00:56:40,640
and there's these things that have to be

1535
00:56:40,640 --> 00:56:42,579
addressed. Sure. That's fine.

1536
00:56:43,519 --> 00:56:45,599
The the thing I would push you to

1537
00:56:45,599 --> 00:56:46,099
do,

1538
00:56:47,164 --> 00:56:48,704
listeners, dear listeners,

1539
00:56:49,965 --> 00:56:50,465
is

1540
00:56:51,005 --> 00:56:51,985
to put aside

1541
00:56:53,244 --> 00:56:55,885
the numbers and the statistical data that's being

1542
00:56:55,885 --> 00:56:58,704
presented to you because data has an opinion,

1543
00:56:59,730 --> 00:57:01,969
and data is not neutral. And so it's

1544
00:57:01,969 --> 00:57:04,289
important for you for you all to also

1545
00:57:04,289 --> 00:57:05,510
center the stories,

1546
00:57:06,050 --> 00:57:06,949
the counternarrative

1547
00:57:07,409 --> 00:57:08,230
to the narrative

1548
00:57:08,690 --> 00:57:11,489
that is happening not just in Denver public

1549
00:57:11,489 --> 00:57:13,784
schools, but in schools across the country.

1550
00:57:14,344 --> 00:57:16,105
We have to challenge challenge them with the

1551
00:57:16,105 --> 00:57:18,764
stories. When my battery in my car dies,

1552
00:57:19,144 --> 00:57:21,065
I can replace it with another battery. I

1553
00:57:21,065 --> 00:57:23,224
don't have to worry about the feelings of

1554
00:57:23,224 --> 00:57:24,984
the battery that I replaced, and I don't

1555
00:57:24,984 --> 00:57:26,344
have to worry about the feelings of the

1556
00:57:26,344 --> 00:57:28,319
battery I purchased and put in my car.

1557
00:57:28,380 --> 00:57:30,880
Right? These are human beings we're talking about.

1558
00:57:30,940 --> 00:57:33,019
It is not a matter of switching out

1559
00:57:33,019 --> 00:57:33,519
fuses

1560
00:57:33,980 --> 00:57:36,400
and, just up uprooting

1561
00:57:36,859 --> 00:57:39,099
a tree and planting it somewhere else. And

1562
00:57:39,099 --> 00:57:39,679
in fact,

1563
00:57:40,460 --> 00:57:42,885
in fact, when you transplant plants, sometimes it

1564
00:57:42,885 --> 00:57:44,724
doesn't work because it's not the right soil

1565
00:57:44,724 --> 00:57:46,824
for them. Anyway, I'm gonna end that metaphor

1566
00:57:46,885 --> 00:57:48,744
before it gets completely out of control.

1567
00:57:49,445 --> 00:57:51,204
Let's talk a little bit about action. What

1568
00:57:51,204 --> 00:57:52,664
are the things that you need

1569
00:57:53,125 --> 00:57:54,664
from your peers

1570
00:57:54,965 --> 00:57:55,784
in the district,

1571
00:57:56,324 --> 00:57:57,224
from the adults

1572
00:57:57,680 --> 00:58:00,820
in the district, not just in your community,

1573
00:58:00,880 --> 00:58:01,619
but also,

1574
00:58:03,039 --> 00:58:03,539
in

1575
00:58:04,559 --> 00:58:07,840
school level or district level this, decision making

1576
00:58:07,840 --> 00:58:09,220
spaces? What do you need?

1577
00:58:10,204 --> 00:58:11,804
I think one thing that we talked about

1578
00:58:11,804 --> 00:58:12,864
a lot was,

1579
00:58:13,324 --> 00:58:15,025
that students are very creative.

1580
00:58:16,125 --> 00:58:18,125
And when Sofia and I were looking at

1581
00:58:18,125 --> 00:58:20,844
this issue, we understood that we can't just

1582
00:58:20,844 --> 00:58:22,764
complain, we can't just say that this isn't

1583
00:58:22,764 --> 00:58:25,264
fair because the truth is we understand numbers.

1584
00:58:25,400 --> 00:58:27,160
We do, we understand that those are things

1585
00:58:27,160 --> 00:58:28,539
that run the district.

1586
00:58:29,079 --> 00:58:29,820
And so,

1587
00:58:30,199 --> 00:58:31,820
we were looking at a lot of solutions

1588
00:58:32,440 --> 00:58:33,960
and in doing so we've reached out to

1589
00:58:33,960 --> 00:58:35,960
a lot of similar communities to ours like

1590
00:58:35,960 --> 00:58:36,460
DSISD

1591
00:58:37,574 --> 00:58:40,054
who, focuses on that will close.

1592
00:58:40,534 --> 00:58:42,614
On another school that will close that actually

1593
00:58:42,614 --> 00:58:44,795
focuses a lot of their learning on cultural

1594
00:58:44,855 --> 00:58:45,835
aspects as well

1595
00:58:46,295 --> 00:58:48,074
and having end product and whatnot.

1596
00:58:48,695 --> 00:58:50,614
And that's a community that meshes really well

1597
00:58:50,614 --> 00:58:52,619
with ours. For them, their concern is that

1598
00:58:52,780 --> 00:58:55,680
DCI or DPS is having them go to

1599
00:58:56,059 --> 00:58:57,760
east or that's their

1600
00:58:58,220 --> 00:59:00,460
the school that they're directing them towards. And

1601
00:59:00,460 --> 00:59:01,740
for those kids, they are used to a

1602
00:59:01,740 --> 00:59:02,480
small community.

1603
00:59:03,420 --> 00:59:05,820
And DCIS is opening their arms to them.

1604
00:59:05,820 --> 00:59:07,855
We're saying, you guys can come to us.

1605
00:59:07,855 --> 00:59:10,494
We're hoping that we can help, find other

1606
00:59:10,494 --> 00:59:12,494
solutions. We were looking at South, which right

1607
00:59:12,494 --> 00:59:14,974
now has a lot of students. They have

1608
00:59:14,974 --> 00:59:16,035
700 freshmen.

1609
00:59:16,735 --> 00:59:18,255
And one thing that we were told by

1610
00:59:18,255 --> 00:59:19,550
South students was that a lot of those

1611
00:59:19,550 --> 00:59:21,550
students are struggling to learn English because of

1612
00:59:21,550 --> 00:59:23,710
the large class sizes. They aren't getting the

1613
00:59:23,710 --> 00:59:24,769
support that they need.

1614
00:59:25,150 --> 00:59:25,869
And so,

1615
00:59:26,429 --> 00:59:27,869
one thing that we're doing is we're doing

1616
00:59:27,869 --> 00:59:29,949
a lot of research. We're looking at ways

1617
00:59:29,949 --> 00:59:32,235
that we can support other communities around us

1618
00:59:32,715 --> 00:59:35,614
that would, be integrated well into our schools.

1619
00:59:35,994 --> 00:59:37,355
So I think one thing that we would

1620
00:59:37,355 --> 00:59:40,875
ask of DPS is, considering students' voices when

1621
00:59:40,875 --> 00:59:43,535
making these decisions, even before making these decisions.

1622
00:59:44,075 --> 00:59:45,900
When looking at the schools on the list,

1623
00:59:46,299 --> 00:59:48,779
I think it'd be appreciated by communities if

1624
00:59:48,779 --> 00:59:51,179
we saw members of VPS in our schools

1625
00:59:51,179 --> 00:59:53,019
before these decisions were made, looking at our

1626
00:59:53,019 --> 00:59:56,219
programs, looking at us as people rather than

1627
00:59:56,219 --> 00:59:57,039
just numbers.

1628
00:59:57,739 --> 00:59:59,500
I think that that way people would take

1629
00:59:59,500 --> 01:00:00,559
it a lot less personally.

1630
01:00:01,045 --> 01:00:02,744
And we would try to understand

1631
01:00:03,844 --> 01:00:06,025
their perspective a little bit more, but because

1632
01:00:06,485 --> 01:00:08,105
we were just viewed as numbers

1633
01:00:08,405 --> 01:00:10,164
and it was clearly seen that we were

1634
01:00:10,164 --> 01:00:12,744
just viewed as numbers, people took this extremely

1635
01:00:12,885 --> 01:00:13,385
personally.

1636
01:00:14,900 --> 01:00:17,380
And so when we ask from our community

1637
01:00:17,380 --> 01:00:19,539
members and what we have been asking of

1638
01:00:19,539 --> 01:00:20,840
people from other schools

1639
01:00:21,219 --> 01:00:22,039
is to,

1640
01:00:22,980 --> 01:00:24,440
sort of consider our school

1641
01:00:25,059 --> 01:00:26,200
and to

1642
01:00:26,914 --> 01:00:29,155
sort of help us look for other schools

1643
01:00:29,155 --> 01:00:29,655
that

1644
01:00:29,954 --> 01:00:32,135
would thrive in our community.

1645
01:00:33,954 --> 01:00:35,394
I don't know if Sofia wants to add

1646
01:00:35,394 --> 01:00:37,635
something else, but that's kind of That's brilliant

1647
01:00:37,635 --> 01:00:39,315
stuff. That's brilliant stuff. But what I'm hearing

1648
01:00:39,315 --> 01:00:40,434
from you is a lot of out of

1649
01:00:40,434 --> 01:00:41,460
the box thinking.

1650
01:00:42,719 --> 01:00:44,559
And, you know, one of the things that

1651
01:00:44,559 --> 01:00:45,940
we know about large organizations,

1652
01:00:46,239 --> 01:00:47,539
especially school districts,

1653
01:00:48,000 --> 01:00:49,219
is that oftentimes,

1654
01:00:50,400 --> 01:00:50,900
they

1655
01:00:52,160 --> 01:00:53,380
we attempt

1656
01:00:53,914 --> 01:00:56,635
to solve persistent problems with the same solutions

1657
01:00:56,635 --> 01:00:58,014
that we've used before.

1658
01:00:58,635 --> 01:01:00,734
And if the data's telling us

1659
01:01:01,034 --> 01:01:03,594
that this doesn't function in the way that

1660
01:01:03,594 --> 01:01:06,234
we think it will, I think we need

1661
01:01:06,234 --> 01:01:06,315
to,

1662
01:01:07,820 --> 01:01:08,719
change our approach.

1663
01:01:09,019 --> 01:01:10,719
So thank you for that, Camilla. Sofia?

1664
01:01:12,940 --> 01:01:15,199
Yeah. I a 100% agree with what,

1665
01:01:15,659 --> 01:01:18,000
Camilla was saying. Like, not only

1666
01:01:18,860 --> 01:01:20,880
there's a reason why small schools exist.

1667
01:01:21,534 --> 01:01:24,594
Small schools serve a purpose for communities that

1668
01:01:24,974 --> 01:01:25,474
can't,

1669
01:01:26,894 --> 01:01:28,914
for individuals who can't handle

1670
01:01:29,215 --> 01:01:31,375
being in a larger setting, who need more

1671
01:01:31,375 --> 01:01:31,875
support,

1672
01:01:32,255 --> 01:01:32,755
who

1673
01:01:33,295 --> 01:01:33,795
need

1674
01:01:34,760 --> 01:01:37,719
specific help with specific things that bigger schools

1675
01:01:37,719 --> 01:01:40,359
cannot provide. And taking away that option, which

1676
01:01:40,359 --> 01:01:42,199
is what DPS is trying to do right

1677
01:01:42,199 --> 01:01:42,699
now,

1678
01:01:43,079 --> 01:01:46,039
causes harm to students. There are schools at

1679
01:01:46,039 --> 01:01:46,539
25%

1680
01:01:47,000 --> 01:01:47,500
capacity,

1681
01:01:49,385 --> 01:01:51,385
that or even smaller that are not on

1682
01:01:51,385 --> 01:01:52,684
the school closure list

1683
01:01:53,304 --> 01:01:55,164
while DCIS is.

1684
01:01:55,545 --> 01:01:56,525
There are,

1685
01:01:57,625 --> 01:01:59,244
communities that are specifically

1686
01:01:59,545 --> 01:02:00,925
made for students

1687
01:02:01,625 --> 01:02:02,764
who are

1688
01:02:03,349 --> 01:02:05,829
part of minority groups or who need,

1689
01:02:06,710 --> 01:02:08,489
support when it comes to neurodivergency

1690
01:02:09,510 --> 01:02:12,010
that are being closed, that are being put,

1691
01:02:13,269 --> 01:02:15,050
down simply because of a number.

1692
01:02:15,429 --> 01:02:16,809
There are other solutions

1693
01:02:17,429 --> 01:02:18,650
than school closures.

1694
01:02:20,085 --> 01:02:21,125
I will say that, and I will say

1695
01:02:21,125 --> 01:02:23,764
it again. There are other solutions than school

1696
01:02:23,764 --> 01:02:24,264
closures.

1697
01:02:24,965 --> 01:02:26,885
Financially, you can move stuff around. You can

1698
01:02:26,885 --> 01:02:29,684
figure that out easy. That doesn't harm community.

1699
01:02:29,684 --> 01:02:32,264
That doesn't impact those people. I understand

1700
01:02:32,730 --> 01:02:34,989
the purpose of school closures in our district,

1701
01:02:36,250 --> 01:02:37,309
but what really

1702
01:02:37,929 --> 01:02:38,750
makes them,

1703
01:02:40,889 --> 01:02:43,230
harmful is what you're doing to those communities,

1704
01:02:43,929 --> 01:02:45,609
what you're doing to those families who have

1705
01:02:45,609 --> 01:02:47,765
been sending their children there for years and

1706
01:02:47,765 --> 01:02:48,585
years years.

1707
01:02:49,125 --> 01:02:50,585
There are families who

1708
01:02:51,045 --> 01:02:53,765
there there's someone in our community who started

1709
01:02:53,765 --> 01:02:55,545
going to DCIS in 2006,

1710
01:02:56,405 --> 01:02:56,905
graduated,

1711
01:02:57,204 --> 01:02:58,344
and then is now

1712
01:02:58,644 --> 01:03:00,965
sending her daughter from 6th grade to our

1713
01:03:00,965 --> 01:03:01,465
school,

1714
01:03:02,539 --> 01:03:05,500
starting in 6th grade. Yeah. You're taking away

1715
01:03:05,500 --> 01:03:07,599
that opportunity that DCIS experience,

1716
01:03:08,300 --> 01:03:10,219
the experience that not only all of our

1717
01:03:10,219 --> 01:03:12,960
alumni have, that our current students have,

1718
01:03:13,260 --> 01:03:13,760
that,

1719
01:03:14,619 --> 01:03:14,940
their

1720
01:03:15,454 --> 01:03:18,175
that future students can have, that families have

1721
01:03:18,175 --> 01:03:20,355
at DCIS, you're taking that away.

1722
01:03:20,735 --> 01:03:22,594
You're taking that away for DSISD,

1723
01:03:23,215 --> 01:03:23,715
for,

1724
01:03:25,054 --> 01:03:27,375
other small schools on the list for West

1725
01:03:27,375 --> 01:03:30,514
Middle School. You're taking away that community aspect

1726
01:03:30,735 --> 01:03:34,150
and that community that is already thriving even

1727
01:03:34,150 --> 01:03:35,130
if it is not,

1728
01:03:36,150 --> 01:03:38,390
seen through numbers like how the district wants

1729
01:03:38,390 --> 01:03:39,130
to see it.

1730
01:03:39,510 --> 01:03:40,489
And trust me,

1731
01:03:40,789 --> 01:03:42,309
I've told the board this, and I'll tell

1732
01:03:42,309 --> 01:03:43,210
them this again.

1733
01:03:43,590 --> 01:03:46,010
For DCIS, I'm willing to find your numbers.

1734
01:03:46,605 --> 01:03:48,605
Other schools, I'll help them find their numbers

1735
01:03:48,605 --> 01:03:50,945
if they ask for it. But

1736
01:03:51,324 --> 01:03:53,565
something that cannot happen is,

1737
01:03:53,965 --> 01:03:55,664
taking away these smaller communities

1738
01:03:55,965 --> 01:03:59,344
that are serving their students well, especially when

1739
01:03:59,485 --> 01:03:59,985
DCIS

1740
01:04:00,764 --> 01:04:02,829
has been walked around as a trophy,

1741
01:04:03,769 --> 01:04:04,750
has had

1742
01:04:05,530 --> 01:04:07,710
amazing students graduate from it,

1743
01:04:08,170 --> 01:04:08,670
and

1744
01:04:08,969 --> 01:04:09,789
has also,

1745
01:04:10,890 --> 01:04:12,349
inspired and created opportunities

1746
01:04:12,650 --> 01:04:13,469
like this

1747
01:04:13,985 --> 01:04:15,905
for students like me and Camilla, as well

1748
01:04:15,905 --> 01:04:17,364
as our 5280 students

1749
01:04:17,824 --> 01:04:18,324
and

1750
01:04:19,025 --> 01:04:19,525
other,

1751
01:04:20,545 --> 01:04:23,025
people in our community. You can't just take

1752
01:04:23,025 --> 01:04:23,684
that away.

1753
01:04:26,139 --> 01:04:26,639
Well,

1754
01:04:27,500 --> 01:04:28,880
Kev, I feel like that

1755
01:04:29,179 --> 01:04:30,400
might be a good place.

1756
01:04:30,780 --> 01:04:32,380
Yeah. I I think so. But I just

1757
01:04:32,380 --> 01:04:34,239
wanna add this, and I think that,

1758
01:04:35,980 --> 01:04:37,359
you know, Sofia Kavila

1759
01:04:38,155 --> 01:04:38,894
brought this

1760
01:04:39,355 --> 01:04:41,434
up. It's it's also and and I think

1761
01:04:41,434 --> 01:04:43,375
this has been the experience that I've seen

1762
01:04:44,394 --> 01:04:46,394
whether it was last year with the small

1763
01:04:46,394 --> 01:04:49,275
schools plan, whether it was 3 years ago

1764
01:04:49,275 --> 01:04:50,820
with AIAD or

1765
01:04:51,380 --> 01:04:52,680
the closure of AIAD.

1766
01:04:53,300 --> 01:04:54,500
Right? Whether it's,

1767
01:04:54,900 --> 01:04:56,199
Montbello restructuring,

1768
01:04:56,900 --> 01:04:57,880
whether it's,

1769
01:04:58,739 --> 01:05:01,219
you know, what happened at manual. Right? There's

1770
01:05:01,219 --> 01:05:03,219
been a process, and and I'm going

1771
01:05:07,644 --> 01:05:09,585
It has been a process indeed.

1772
01:05:13,085 --> 01:05:15,905
I think what Kev was probably gonna say,

1773
01:05:16,764 --> 01:05:20,464
and interrupt me, Kev, as soon as you're

1774
01:05:20,525 --> 01:05:21,025
back.

1775
01:05:22,219 --> 01:05:25,139
Am I back? You are back. Okay. So

1776
01:05:25,339 --> 01:05:27,280
but, like, what I've said is is

1777
01:05:27,980 --> 01:05:28,480
they

1778
01:05:28,780 --> 01:05:29,280
they

1779
01:05:30,219 --> 01:05:31,679
have rushed this process.

1780
01:05:31,980 --> 01:05:34,460
It feels very rushed. There was no kind

1781
01:05:34,460 --> 01:05:35,920
of warning to our community.

1782
01:05:36,494 --> 01:05:38,974
No sort of like, hey. This is this

1783
01:05:38,974 --> 01:05:40,594
is something that's being considered.

1784
01:05:41,054 --> 01:05:42,654
I would love to have some back and

1785
01:05:42,654 --> 01:05:45,074
forth. You know, our our superintendent,

1786
01:05:45,534 --> 01:05:46,355
doctor Marrero,

1787
01:05:47,534 --> 01:05:49,534
has has not come to our community. And

1788
01:05:49,534 --> 01:05:51,739
as far as I know, his plan is

1789
01:05:51,739 --> 01:05:52,480
to come

1790
01:05:53,260 --> 01:05:54,639
on fry on Thursday

1791
01:05:54,940 --> 01:05:55,440
21st,

1792
01:05:56,539 --> 01:05:58,159
from 7:30 to 9:30

1793
01:05:58,460 --> 01:06:00,780
to really just tell us, and and it's

1794
01:06:00,780 --> 01:06:03,019
supposed to be a session to answer questions.

1795
01:06:03,019 --> 01:06:05,635
Right? And so I I I think in

1796
01:06:05,635 --> 01:06:06,934
a district that says

1797
01:06:07,554 --> 01:06:08,934
students first. Right?

1798
01:06:09,394 --> 01:06:12,355
In a district that, has has trained its

1799
01:06:12,355 --> 01:06:14,355
leadership to say, you know, we want some

1800
01:06:14,355 --> 01:06:17,094
junkyard dogs. Junkyard dogs find solutions.

1801
01:06:17,469 --> 01:06:19,890
That's right. Junkyard dogs find solutions.

1802
01:06:20,349 --> 01:06:22,989
They work to find solutions. They don't they

1803
01:06:22,989 --> 01:06:24,289
don't go with the easy

1804
01:06:24,910 --> 01:06:26,369
kind of, of

1805
01:06:26,670 --> 01:06:28,750
solution of just saying, well, we'll close down.

1806
01:06:28,750 --> 01:06:30,369
We'll move these kids around.

1807
01:06:31,085 --> 01:06:33,664
You know, I love your plant metaphor because,

1808
01:06:34,045 --> 01:06:36,045
you know, anybody as a as a person

1809
01:06:36,045 --> 01:06:37,264
who loves to garden,

1810
01:06:37,565 --> 01:06:38,704
you do transplant

1811
01:06:39,085 --> 01:06:39,585
plants.

1812
01:06:39,964 --> 01:06:42,224
It there's some shock. Some plants

1813
01:06:42,605 --> 01:06:44,464
recover from that shock really fast.

1814
01:06:45,480 --> 01:06:46,619
Others, they might die.

1815
01:06:47,400 --> 01:06:47,900
Right?

1816
01:06:48,199 --> 01:06:49,820
And and and and

1817
01:06:50,199 --> 01:06:52,519
I don't wanna be too drastic, but, you

1818
01:06:52,519 --> 01:06:54,140
know, this is my family.

1819
01:06:54,519 --> 01:06:57,079
These are my kids. Right? Whether they are

1820
01:06:57,079 --> 01:06:57,820
my biological

1821
01:06:58,119 --> 01:06:58,619
kids

1822
01:06:59,034 --> 01:07:01,614
or the kids that I've my chosen

1823
01:07:02,235 --> 01:07:02,735
family

1824
01:07:03,195 --> 01:07:04,255
at my school.

1825
01:07:05,114 --> 01:07:07,355
You know, like, I I and and that's

1826
01:07:07,355 --> 01:07:09,114
why I admire the kids, and and I

1827
01:07:09,275 --> 01:07:09,934
you can't

1828
01:07:10,315 --> 01:07:12,715
you can't go down without a fight even

1829
01:07:12,715 --> 01:07:14,869
though, you know, I mean, Tyson made it

1830
01:07:14,869 --> 01:07:15,610
8 rounds.

1831
01:07:16,150 --> 01:07:16,650
It

1832
01:07:17,670 --> 01:07:20,250
no. Sorry. He was around. Greg

1833
01:07:20,630 --> 01:07:22,950
Greg Greg Greg Greg. Listen. I I I

1834
01:07:22,950 --> 01:07:25,769
just wanna say that I watched

1835
01:07:26,474 --> 01:07:27,215
Mike Tyson

1836
01:07:27,835 --> 01:07:31,195
knock out Michael Spinks in 83 seconds, like

1837
01:07:31,355 --> 01:07:32,894
Yes. Back in the day.

1838
01:07:34,795 --> 01:07:35,535
Like, that

1839
01:07:36,155 --> 01:07:38,235
that boy with the crazy hair was just

1840
01:07:38,235 --> 01:07:40,489
lucky to get out with his life because

1841
01:07:40,489 --> 01:07:42,210
if he had fought my prime Mike Tyson

1842
01:07:42,409 --> 01:07:44,569
if he had fought Mike Tyson 15 years

1843
01:07:44,569 --> 01:07:46,569
ago It would have been over. It would

1844
01:07:46,569 --> 01:07:48,089
have been think he would have been among

1845
01:07:48,089 --> 01:07:48,829
the living

1846
01:07:49,210 --> 01:07:50,030
at that point.

1847
01:07:51,369 --> 01:07:52,730
But, yeah, I mean, I I I think

1848
01:07:52,730 --> 01:07:54,030
that's such an important,

1849
01:07:54,965 --> 01:07:57,304
piece, you know, for me as a person

1850
01:07:58,005 --> 01:07:58,505
whose

1851
01:07:58,965 --> 01:08:01,204
whose job it is to manage some of

1852
01:08:01,204 --> 01:08:03,065
the impacts of

1853
01:08:03,765 --> 01:08:05,465
these closures slash

1854
01:08:05,765 --> 01:08:06,265
consolidations.

1855
01:08:07,449 --> 01:08:10,010
Are we really living by the values that

1856
01:08:10,010 --> 01:08:10,750
we espouse?

1857
01:08:11,369 --> 01:08:12,190
Yep. Right?

1858
01:08:12,730 --> 01:08:15,070
Are we you know, and it's interesting.

1859
01:08:15,449 --> 01:08:17,710
So the junkyard dog thing is a reference

1860
01:08:17,850 --> 01:08:18,350
to,

1861
01:08:19,050 --> 01:08:20,970
a book that the the district leadership read

1862
01:08:20,970 --> 01:08:23,524
last year called Ruthless Equity by Ken Williams.

1863
01:08:24,064 --> 01:08:25,505
I don't know. I leave it to y'all

1864
01:08:25,505 --> 01:08:27,344
to draw opinions on that book. But one

1865
01:08:27,344 --> 01:08:29,604
of the things that, mister Williams argues

1866
01:08:30,864 --> 01:08:32,725
is that in pursuit of equity,

1867
01:08:33,744 --> 01:08:35,145
one has to be ruthless, and you have

1868
01:08:35,145 --> 01:08:37,284
to be junkyard dogs that fight for

1869
01:08:38,609 --> 01:08:40,469
the best opportunity for everybody.

1870
01:08:41,890 --> 01:08:43,429
It also occurs to me that

1871
01:08:44,609 --> 01:08:47,409
nobody thinks nobody sees themselves as the status

1872
01:08:47,409 --> 01:08:50,210
quo. Right? Yep. Like and so I think

1873
01:08:50,210 --> 01:08:52,994
it's really important for critical conversations to happen

1874
01:08:52,994 --> 01:08:54,774
with community and with students

1875
01:08:55,395 --> 01:08:57,875
around what is the status quo that we're

1876
01:08:57,875 --> 01:08:58,774
trying to break,

1877
01:08:59,154 --> 01:08:59,654
and

1878
01:09:00,914 --> 01:09:02,135
are our actions

1879
01:09:02,755 --> 01:09:03,255
aligning

1880
01:09:03,715 --> 01:09:05,314
to the things that we say we believe

1881
01:09:05,314 --> 01:09:05,814
in?

1882
01:09:07,840 --> 01:09:08,579
Sophia, Camilla,

1883
01:09:09,199 --> 01:09:12,319
thank you for bringing your powerful voices to

1884
01:09:12,319 --> 01:09:13,140
this platform.

1885
01:09:14,479 --> 01:09:16,960
I think you should come back soon and

1886
01:09:16,960 --> 01:09:19,215
give us an update on the work that's

1887
01:09:19,215 --> 01:09:21,614
going on, and feel free to bring any

1888
01:09:21,614 --> 01:09:23,155
other of your fellow activists,

1889
01:09:24,655 --> 01:09:25,155
to

1890
01:09:25,534 --> 01:09:27,155
to come back to the spot.

1891
01:09:28,414 --> 01:09:30,435
Kev, thank you for doing

1892
01:09:31,119 --> 01:09:32,420
the gymnastics required,

1893
01:09:33,199 --> 01:09:35,440
to be on this show today, man. Bet

1894
01:09:35,440 --> 01:09:37,699
y'all didn't know Kev was a gymnast, intellectual

1895
01:09:38,079 --> 01:09:38,579
gymnast.

1896
01:09:40,880 --> 01:09:41,380
Yeah.

1897
01:09:41,760 --> 01:09:43,460
Well, thank you all for being here,

1898
01:09:45,234 --> 01:09:45,734
and

1899
01:09:46,114 --> 01:09:48,114
we will we will keep this stuff coming.

1900
01:09:48,114 --> 01:09:51,175
Folks, if you're interested in learning more about

1901
01:09:51,234 --> 01:09:52,454
community response

1902
01:09:53,074 --> 01:09:55,094
to, the closure and consolidation

1903
01:09:55,475 --> 01:09:57,574
announcements in Denver Public Schools,

1904
01:09:58,770 --> 01:10:00,069
you should follow on,

1905
01:10:02,050 --> 01:10:02,550
Instagram,

1906
01:10:03,250 --> 01:10:05,189
and on other social media platforms.

1907
01:10:06,369 --> 01:10:09,010
They are the organization formerly known as Padres

1908
01:10:09,010 --> 01:10:10,149
enjovines unidos.

1909
01:10:11,284 --> 01:10:13,385
They are doing some very important,

1910
01:10:14,005 --> 01:10:16,965
story sharing and amplification of the impacts on

1911
01:10:16,965 --> 01:10:17,465
communities.

1912
01:10:18,725 --> 01:10:19,225
Also,

1913
01:10:20,885 --> 01:10:23,864
DPS board meetings are open to the public.

1914
01:10:24,630 --> 01:10:26,149
And if there's no room for you to

1915
01:10:26,149 --> 01:10:27,369
walk into the space,

1916
01:10:27,829 --> 01:10:30,869
the they do stream online, and, DPS Wi

1917
01:10:30,869 --> 01:10:32,729
Fi in central is pretty good.

1918
01:10:33,189 --> 01:10:34,409
Yep. And so

1919
01:10:34,710 --> 01:10:36,789
I I really recommend that y'all check this

1920
01:10:36,789 --> 01:10:38,404
out. A lot of y'all have reached out

1921
01:10:38,404 --> 01:10:40,564
to us, especially in light of the election,

1922
01:10:40,564 --> 01:10:42,564
which we didn't even talk about. Yeah. A

1923
01:10:42,564 --> 01:10:44,645
lot of you have reached out to us

1924
01:10:44,645 --> 01:10:45,145
asking,

1925
01:10:45,524 --> 01:10:46,965
you know, how do I get more involved

1926
01:10:46,965 --> 01:10:49,305
in policy? How do I learn about policy

1927
01:10:49,364 --> 01:10:51,305
decisions that could impact my community?

1928
01:10:52,140 --> 01:10:53,659
The first thing is attend these school board

1929
01:10:53,659 --> 01:10:54,159
meetings.

1930
01:10:54,619 --> 01:10:55,760
And if you're brave,

1931
01:10:56,460 --> 01:10:59,500
not brave, if you are standing on your

1932
01:10:59,500 --> 01:10:59,900
business

1933
01:11:00,300 --> 01:11:01,600
Standing on big business.

1934
01:11:02,060 --> 01:11:03,119
Yeah. That's right.

1935
01:11:03,755 --> 01:11:05,514
Sign up for public comment. You need to

1936
01:11:05,514 --> 01:11:07,274
do it ahead of time, but you can

1937
01:11:07,274 --> 01:11:09,454
get 2 minutes to speak uninterrupted

1938
01:11:09,914 --> 01:11:12,554
to the board. So do that kind of

1939
01:11:12,554 --> 01:11:15,135
stuff. Any anywhere else that y'all would recommend

1940
01:11:15,274 --> 01:11:18,175
going to learn more and to engage?

1941
01:11:20,750 --> 01:11:24,110
There is an Instagram called the DCIS student

1942
01:11:24,110 --> 01:11:25,090
council Instagram.

1943
01:11:25,470 --> 01:11:27,570
Please check it out. We're just

1944
01:11:27,949 --> 01:11:29,170
seeing active updates,

1945
01:11:29,550 --> 01:11:30,850
student testimonials,

1946
01:11:31,310 --> 01:11:33,364
a bunch of stuff. I think there's dots

1947
01:11:33,364 --> 01:11:35,145
in there. I don't know the exact at.

1948
01:11:35,204 --> 01:11:37,364
Camilla, you should probably say that. I do

1949
01:11:37,364 --> 01:11:39,524
have the at. Hold on. It's called d

1950
01:11:39,844 --> 01:11:40,824
it all lowercase.

1951
01:11:41,444 --> 01:11:42,265
It's called

1952
01:11:42,645 --> 01:11:43,145
dcis.

1953
01:11:44,650 --> 01:11:45,470
Student council.

1954
01:11:45,850 --> 01:11:47,070
I'm pretty sure.

1955
01:11:47,690 --> 01:11:48,430
Yeah. It

1956
01:11:48,810 --> 01:11:51,230
is. Got it. You can follow me at

1957
01:11:51,770 --> 01:11:52,270
silori.asf

1958
01:11:56,170 --> 01:11:56,909
on Instagram.

1959
01:11:57,210 --> 01:12:00,270
I'm posting active updates about everything going on.

1960
01:12:02,944 --> 01:12:03,104
And

1961
01:12:03,824 --> 01:12:07,104
yeah. But isn't there isn't there a for

1962
01:12:07,104 --> 01:12:08,885
for family members, DCIS,

1963
01:12:09,585 --> 01:12:10,965
family froze again.

1964
01:12:11,344 --> 01:12:13,824
What did I You froze. I was hearing

1965
01:12:13,824 --> 01:12:16,069
you just fine. But is there's a website,

1966
01:12:16,130 --> 01:12:18,710
right, where people can fill out that survey,

1967
01:12:19,409 --> 01:12:21,090
that they're trying to get as many families

1968
01:12:21,090 --> 01:12:22,929
to fill out their survey about what they

1969
01:12:22,929 --> 01:12:25,429
would do if DCIS closes.

1970
01:12:25,969 --> 01:12:28,195
Yes. That's a really good point. We have

1971
01:12:28,195 --> 01:12:29,494
something called the DCIS,

1972
01:12:30,275 --> 01:12:31,255
or Save DCIS

1973
01:12:33,715 --> 01:12:35,655
site. It's a Google site.

1974
01:12:36,354 --> 01:12:38,354
And on there, we have a lot of

1975
01:12:38,354 --> 01:12:40,994
different documents that talk about what's happening. And

1976
01:12:40,994 --> 01:12:42,449
with that, we also have a survey

1977
01:12:42,850 --> 01:12:45,909
that, DCIS families should fill out and students

1978
01:12:46,530 --> 01:12:48,369
that gives us a percent of how many

1979
01:12:48,369 --> 01:12:50,690
students would actually move to West High School

1980
01:12:50,690 --> 01:12:52,630
and how many students would stay at DCIS

1981
01:12:52,690 --> 01:12:54,690
Middle School if the West High or West

1982
01:12:54,690 --> 01:12:56,564
Middle School were to transfer over.

1983
01:12:58,224 --> 01:12:58,465
So

1984
01:12:59,104 --> 01:12:59,604
Great.

1985
01:13:00,145 --> 01:13:00,965
Well, folks,

1986
01:13:01,425 --> 01:13:03,904
there you have it. Check the show notes

1987
01:13:03,904 --> 01:13:05,284
for links and information,

1988
01:13:05,744 --> 01:13:07,125
and, we will anxiously

1989
01:13:07,664 --> 01:13:10,545
await updates and bring you updates as soon

1990
01:13:10,545 --> 01:13:11,524
as you have them.

1991
01:13:12,433 --> 01:13:15,333
Peace out. 2 Dope Nation. Stay dope.