Off and Running at North

A big thank-you to everybody who came out to the rally at North High this morning. Jovenes Unidos and Padres Unidos were out in force, along with some students from the Colorado School of Mines’ Minority Engineering Program and representatives from Regis University and Metropolitan State. The list of VIPs and poobahs in attendance included Judy, District 3 Councilman Rick Garcia, DPS Superintendent Michael Bennet, and School Board member Lucia Guzman.

Judy was the only North High alumnus among the speakers. She described her alma mater as a phoenix rising from the ashes, with a new curriculum and faculty and a new lease on life. Principal Joann Trujillo-Hays said that the labor of getting everything ready for the new year — so many new hires, books, courseworks, &c — reminded her of childbirth, but so too did the joy at finally having the new program in place. Superintendent Bennet said Trujillo-Hays deserves all the credit for North’s successes — but responsibility for the failures, if any, should lie with him and his staff.

Councilman Garcia noted how important public schools are to the life of an urban neighborhood. He said he hoped the North High redesign would succeed so that, in 12 years or so, he can send his toddlers there. Ms. Guzman spoke of public education as a form of social justice; good schools have to work for all the members of a community, not just the select few. A 2003 graduate of North High school wrapped up the speechifying; alas, I never caught her name. She is now a senior at the University of Denver, and she spoke about the value of thinking and dreaming big. North High needs to be a way-station, she said — a place that prepares students to take the next step and go to college.

We’ll keep a close eye on how things go at North this year. Thanks again to everyone who showed up to help launch the new year with such enthusiasm.