Denver Families for Public Schools (Denver Families) shares our community’s deep concerns with today’s announcement regarding the executive order intending to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education. As a grassroots organization working alongside Denver Public Schools (DPS) families, educators, alumni and advocates, Denver Families is troubled by how this decision could harm students, teachers, and families – across our city, state, and country – by undermining access to high-quality public education and destabilizing the support systems our communities rely upon.
For more than 40 years, the Department of Education has played a vital role in ensuring equitable access to quality public education for all students, providing critical information about how our nation’s education system is performing, and issuing important funding to support vulnerable student populations who face systemic barriers. As an organization that works alongside all DPS communities, we are particularly concerned with the way in which this decision threatens funding programs for low-income students and students with disabilities. Without this funding, schools serving vulnerable students may struggle to meet basic needs, let alone maintain a high-quality education for all. Denver Families believes that the dissolution of the Department is an attack on our shared commitment to public education and puts the promise of equitable opportunity at risk for students and families.
Our work at Denver Families is grounded in listening to our community, learning what education issues they care most deeply about, and uplifting them to lead in policy decisions. Through our community organizing efforts and recent polling, we’ve found that 89% of our community is concerned about ensuring access to quality public schools in every Denver neighborhood. 1 in 4 Denverites see effective education funding as the top challenge facing public education in Denver. The elimination of the Department of Education directly undermines these priorities.
As DPS navigates the implications of this announcement, we are committed to advocating for Denver students, families, and educators to not only have a seat at the table, but to play a leading role in decisions that shape their schools and communities. With public education under threat, now is the time for the Denver community to stand together and ensure that all students have access to high-quality public schools and the support they need to succeed.
