It’s been three years since Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) implemented the Equal School Day. The move in 2021, created a consistent seven-hour school day, four days a week and a district-wide professional learning time (PLT) block of one hour for teachers through a late start on Wednesdays. For teachers and staff, the late start hour doesn’t allow for an extra hour to sleep in or provide more time for general staff meetings to take place. Instead, it gives teachers and staff needed time to come together in focused planning around the needs of the students.
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From teaching to advocating for educational equity, Jason Unger, a newly elected member of the BVSD Board of Education, once contemplated a path in law but found his calling in the classroom instead.
BVSD Board of Education member Kitty Sargent embarked on a diverse career journey that eventually led her back to her passion for education. Beginning as a special education teacher, she briefly became a stockbroker at Merrill Lynch before returning to teaching.
At its Feb. 27 meeting, the Board of Education heard the first annual report about enrollment projections and school building capacity for BVSD elementary schools for the next five years. Projections show that enrollment will decline for nearly all BVSD schools in the coming years. Because school districts are funded on a per pupil basis, declining enrollment can lead to budget reductions, inefficient facility operations and a less comprehensive educational experience for students at small schools.
COVID-19 will likely be with us as an ongoing endemic disease with emerging variants and seasonal fluctuations in cases. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has shared COVID-19 Reminders for Parents to provide everyday steps to ensure everyone has access to healthy and safe learning spaces.
BVSD Board of Education President Nicole Rajpal has been actively involved in the school district since her children were BVSD kindergarten students. Now her kids are in middle and high school and over that time Rajpal’s positive impact on the students and staff experience in BVSD continues to grow.
On February 1, Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) hosted a group of leaders from the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) and nearly 60 educators from 19 other school districts in the state to discuss practices and approaches for supporting newcomer students.
Wanda Vasquez Garcia has been a music teacher at Escuela Bilingüe Pioneer for the past five years, but her love for music began at a very young age. Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, her father, a librarian for the National Symphony Orchestra in the Dominican Republic, played a crucial role in her musical upbringing, opening doors to opportunities that she might not have otherwise encountered. Bilingualism and her multicultural background serve her well in her role as the music teacher at a dual language school. Now, her mission is to extend those possibilities to her students, helping them grow and learn through music.
Jorge Chavez was recently elected to the BVSD Board of Education in December 2023. He brings a unique blend of expertise in sociology and criminology to his role. Currently serving as an associate professor at CU Denver's School of Education and Human Development, Chavez's academic focus on social issues seamlessly aligns with his responsibilities on the School Board.
While Tony Skala has been the director of transportation for the Boulder Valley School District for four years now, he says he has not forgotten where he started.