Dear Principals, Teachers and Other Educators,
Thank you for your interest in Beacon Schools. This exciting initiative represents the first time in history
that DPS and DCTA have co-sponsored a program to cultivate collaborative school environments that will
foster student growth. More important, it represents the first time in history that DPS has turned to you, our educational experts, for your ideas and inspiration around large-scale school reform.
We know that DPS employs some of the best and brightest instructional leaders. That’s why we launched Beacon
Schools. We’re confident that if our most talented principals, teachers and other educators have an opportunity
to collaborate around coherent school reform plans, the sky will be the limit in terms of student achievement.
Today, we are excited to kick off the selection process for the second cohort of Beacon Schools. We hope that
all of our principals and teachers will consider the exciting opportunity that this initiative presents. Thank
you for your interest. We look forward to your proposals.
Warm regards,
Michael Bennet and Kim Ursetta
Beacon Schools
The Denver Public Schools and the Denver Classroom Teachers Association jointly recognize that all families
demand rigorous and compelling academic choices for their children. To this end, DPS and DCTA will encourage
teachers and principals to collaborate in the development and implementation of Beacon Schools. In Beacon
Schools, teachers and principals will work closely together to establish coherent and consistent instructional
practice that leads to high academic performance for all students. Beacon Schools will be committed to promoting
school innovation and reform. Together we envision a day when all schools in Denver are Beacon Schools - schools
that shine a light on the academic aspirations of the citizens of Denver, especially our students.