Dear State School Board Members,

One of the strongest features of Pueblo is our sense of community, and it shows with the great pride we take in our schools and students. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, educators, community members, and business people want what’s best for our schools and are willing to work collaboratively to make sure the success of our students becomes a reality. Since August, over 1000 community members have shared their concerns with the Pueblo Education Coalition and how we can improve educational outcomes in Pueblo.

After examining the data more closely, it’s apparent that our community is looking for a different, more inclusive model of education. The concerns expressed by our community fall into several areas including authentic parent and community engagement, culturally relevant curriculum, a focus on high quality teaching and learning, positive discipline practices, and mental health supports, to name a few. The most powerful voices speaking about what is needed, were in fact students. Based on this engagement, a Community Schools model, which is acceptable under the state’s turnaround options, is the best fit for what we need and want in Pueblo, Colorado. This concept provides a way for our schools to work with an external partner to implement a Community Schools model that will improve student achievement. It will help improve achievement because it builds buy-in from a variety of community stakeholders and partners, it also provides a way for students to receive help and support for all the issues that impact their learning and achievement. Across the country, Community Schools have proven effective in communities with similar issues and we want to be another success story of the transformational potential this model can have.

This is a unique opportunity for the State Board to make a decision that acknowledges what a local community believes will have the most positive impact on our schools. We need you to hear our voices and allow us the opportunity to fully implement this model in Pueblo. This is a decision that will allow you to positively impact the lives of thousands of students. You will be receiving a petition with signatures supporting this model, please note the amount of signatures and allow this model to be the one used in Pueblo.

Our community is special and our students deserve the best. We believe that the Community Schools model is indeed the best for our community.

Sincerely,

The Community of Pueblo