The newly-announced Dr. Cile Chavez Fellowship has been created to inspire diverse, under-represented education leaders to join the Rural Superintendent Academy and bring their unique perspectives to the helm of Colorado districts. In this Q & A, Dr. Chavez, a retired superintendent, education thought leader, and Boettcher Foundation trustee, shares …
RISE Grant Brings COVID Impact Recovery Ideas to Life in Clear Creek
By Susan Paulsen, CEI Strategic Communications Manager Clear Creek School District (CCSD) is a rural district serving just under 700 students, located 35 miles west of Denver. CCSD serves students in Clear Creek County, which was recently identified as #13 in the nation for where COVID will have the most …
A Warm Welcome to George Welsh!
CEI is looking forward to the arrival of George Welsh in 2021. A 24-year veteran superintendent, George will bring his extensive experience in rural settings to our team, and will provide insight and vision that is aligned to CEI’s Design Commitments. George will be working closely with CEI’s Vice President …
A Year of Listening & Acting
By Rebecca Holmes, CEI President and CEO As we close this year, there are reminders everywhere that the pandemic is not yet over. However, Governor Polis described the arrival of the first vaccine doses this week as “the beginning of the end.” Similarly, in schools and districts across the state, …
The Progression of Recovery
By Rebecca Holmes, CEI President and CEO The holiday season means it’s time to start looking back at the year that’s almost behind us. In education innovation circles, pundits hoped the disruption of 2020 would drive demand for changes to education practice, ranging from seat time to the use of …
Meet Summer Maloney, HTI Coordinator at Holyoke School District
Get a glimpse at how one Colorado rural school district is connecting student, family, and community voices with learning objectives and outcomes. By Susan Paulsen, CEI Strategic Communications Manager Summer Maloney serves as Holyoke School District’s coordinator for the Homegrown Talent Initiative (HTI). This program aims to provide the resources …
Homegrown Talent Initiative Awards $750,000 for Program Implementation
Career-Connected Learning Opportunities Rooted in Rural Communities For the past year, rural communities across Colorado have been working on setting a new vision for their students and local economies. Community design teams made up of superintendents, business leaders, educators, students, and community members have spent countless hours working with Colorado …
The Class of 2020 Represents the Heroic Work of Students, Families, Educators
By Rebecca Holmes, CEI President and CEO Every May and June across Colorado we get to watch something really exciting – students graduating and transitioning to the next stage of their life. This time has always been one to reflect on the previous year, what is happening next, and how …
Colorado Classroom Project Expands Access to Literacy Instruction
By Rebecca Holmes, CEI President and CEO I wanted to break our regular cycle of end-of-month newsletters to share some really important news with you. As a parent of younger children, I’ve experienced first-hand the challenges this pandemic has put into the hands of parents in Colorado. I realize that …
What’s Needed… and What’s Next
By Rebecca Holmes, CEI President and CEO This has been a tough, turbulent, and challenging month for communities in Colorado. It’s been inspiring to see Coloradans across our state work together to solve the urgent challenges related to this pandemic and the dramatic changes it’s brought to our school systems. …