Letters to the Editor
The Crux Of Relay
Big thanks to Lynn Kalinauskas for her extensive article in September on the incorporation of Relay training into Denver Public Schools. The crux of the piece for me was the central fact that “Relay is not accredited by an institution of higher education.” Why are we subjecting our children to a management and teaching method that has never been studied, never been shown, objectively, to be effective, and has no basis in research and scholarship? Why is DPS spending our tax money to use our children as guinea pigs in a program that may not provide any benefit to their education? There are numerous studies spanning decades showing that policies such as reducing class size, increasing availability of quality preschools, and providing a variety of in- and after-school services for high-risk kids (including medical, mental health, educational and nutritional support) are effective ways to help kids succeed. DPS should stick with the researched and documented before breaking out the checkbook to support what appears to be the latest educational fad.
Eve Cohen
Denver
Disheartened Over Stedman Story
As a fellow Park Hill resident and parent to a new Stedman student, I am writing in response to the June article, “School Culture Under Fire at Stedman Elementary” by Lynn Kalinauskas. While I understand the intent in publishing the article, I am very disheartened that it was run with such a marked bias against the school and the many people working so hard to make it a terrific place for our kids.
I have a background in Urban Education and have taught at a school with high numbers of students on free and reduced lunch (a common statistic used when looking at the demographics of a school), a school that was struggling in many similar ways to Stedman. Low test scores, a poor reputation, and dwindling enrollment. And while these obstacles are hard to tackle, some people are brave enough to take on that challenge. These brave people are highly educated, motivated, and courageous enough to commit their days (and nights) to that challenge. And that is just what is happening at Stedman.
Stedman is obviously going through a change. Changes are necessary to move the school out of its “yellow” coding while hopefully reversing the attitudes so prevalent throughout the neighborhood. And change IS happening. While some people – apparently those highlighted in your article – have had a difficult time with these changes, there are many people who have embraced them. Teachers and parents alike. I had hoped that your article would have sought out those people, because they are most certainly not hard to find. Talk to the PTA, talk to the teachers, talk to parents on the playground each morning. Because I have done that, and what I hear are stories far different from what was displayed so hurtfully in your article.
Stedman does not suffer from a bad administration, a bad school culture, or bad teachers. Far from it! It suffers from a lack of community support and unfounded negative rhetoric.
Neighborhood schools are essential for so many reasons. They educate our kids (all kids), they bring the community and neighbors together, they develop pride in our neighborhood and foster ties that are hard to create elsewhere. Every child in our neighborhood deserves a good school, and giving up on this one does no one any good.
When we let our schools fail, we fail our kids. Maybe not your kid, but the kids of our community. I’m not ready to let that happen. But with dwindling enrollment due to fear and perception, we may just fail our kids. Again, maybe not your kid. But we will fail the kids of North Park Hill. When that happens, we all lose. We all lose when unemployment numbers creep up. We all lose when gangs take hold of our kids. We all lose when racial tensions continue to persist.
My son is loving his time at Stedman, and I know he’s learning a great deal about not just academics, but life. We want to be a part of our neighborhood. We want to know our neighbors. We want our son to thrive in environments he may not be accustomed to. And most of all, we want all children in the community to have access to a great school. And I believe Stedman is just that. Is Stedman perfect? Nope. But I guarantee you that no school is.
I am speaking for myself here but know many other parents who would say the same. Our Fall Festival is coming up, I encourage you to stop by and check it out. Before you make comments or presumptions about this wonderful neighborhood school, please visit for yourself. Talk with our kids and the amazing teachers. I think you’ll like what you hear.
Ali Larson, Park Hill Resident
& Stedman Parent
Editor’s Note: Both stories can be read online at greaterparkhill.org. In addition to the June piece about Stedman – which included positive comments as well as many documented criticisms – a second story about the elementary school ran in the January, 2015 issue. That story can also be read online, at http://greaterparkhill.org/2015/01/knights-round-table/.
We love your letters, and give preference to those that address an issue that has been covered in the newspaper, or a topic that is Park Hill or Denver-specific. Join the conversation and make your voices heard. Send letters to editor@greaterparkhill.org, and include your full name, and the neighborhood in which you live. Deadlines are the 15th of each month, for the following month’s issue.