School News: GOV. RITTER RELEASES NEW REPORT ABOUT THE P-20 EDUCATION COORDINATING COUNCIL

Students at Landmark academy at reunion celebrate first annual latin culture week

Landmark Academy at Reunion , a tuition-free public charter school, recently hosted their First Annual Latin Culture Week, a week focused on educating students on the various aspects of Latin culture, from music and art to sports and celebrities, through unique activities. During the week-long celebration, students were able to step into the lives of the Aztecs, Incas and Mayans with Latin culture lessons through piñata making, cultural crafts, songs, traditional foods and more. Students made maracas and learned a traditional Mexican Hat Dance; created Aztec suns working with metal tooling; and studied different countries in Mexico , Central America and South America . Aztec dancers from the Colorado Folk Arts Council also visited with students and educated them on the spiritual and traditional aspects of Aztec culture through dance. “We reside in a community with strong Latin and Hispanic roots,” said Matt Carlton, principal of Landmark Academy at Reunion . “Our community culture is important to us at Landmark. By providing unique ways for our students to learn the various backgrounds of our diverse community they are able to understand and appreciate different cultures.” For more information about Landmark Academy at Reunion , please visit www.landmarkacademy.org.

November 23, 2010

GOV. RITTER RELEASES NEW REPORT ABOUT THE P-20 EDUCATION COORDINATING COUNCIL

Gov. Bill Ritter and Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien released a new report today that chronicles the work and accomplishments of the Governor’s P-20 Education Coordinating Council, a volunteer panel appointed in 2007 that became the foundation for the state’s groundbreaking education reform efforts. The report was distributed during a reception this afternoon honoring the 32-member council at Rose Community Foundation in Denver.

“When I became Governor, creating a world-class education system was a top priority. That’s why I created the P-20 Council, a panel of education experts from across Colorado who worked hard to create a framework of initiatives that would transform our education system to benefit our children for years to come,” Gov. Ritter said. “There is more work to be done. But I am proud to look back and see the amazing body of work that this council created on behalf of Colorado’s children and our future.”

The P-20 Council was chaired by Lt. Gov. O’Brien, Lt. Governor-elect Joe Garcia, University of Colorado President Bruce Benson and United Launch Alliance CEO Michael Gass. Members and subcommittees were comprised of teachers, school administrators, early childhood experts, business executives, parents and a variety of education experts. The group focused on creating a seamless education system from pre-school to graduate school that would prepare Colorado’s children for the 21st century workforce. The panel offered 35 recommendations that resulted in numerous new laws, including the landmark SB 212 – the Colorado Achievement Plan for Kids (CAP4K). Other accomplishments include expansion of the state pre-school program and full-day kindergarten and a law that allows high school students to simultaneously earn college credits.

The report can be found here.