VOLUME 36 | ISSUE 12
WEEK OF MARCH 21, 2024
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Founder of Be The Change charter seeks Commerce City youth join forces to support a different type of learning for a better tomorrow
BY IVONNE OLIVAS SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNTIY MEDIA
to listen to our community that way. We got a group of six middle- and high-school students and asked them, if they could dream up anything, what would it be? We thought that they would want escalators and flying cars. But really, they said that they wanted to know why they were learning what they were learning. Like most high school students, they wanted the school to be more fun, and the learning to be more engaging and connected to their future. They also wanted to be in a place where they felt seen heard by adults and felt respected by adults. They wanted a place that brought the environment inside, and they wanted to feel the connection. We started there in developing a school program. We talked to educators, parents and community members in general to say, if we were to develop a school, what would we want it to be?
As the COVID-19 pandemic infiltrated daily life, Aliyah Acevedo was urgently searching for an escape. She wanted a distraction from school and home where she could make a real difference. Acevedo joined the Commerce City Youth Commission at a school resource fair, and, now, at 17 years old, she is making meaningful changes in her community. “I want to show (young people) that this is what you can do, this is who you can be,” Acevedo said. Growing up in a city with a high percentage of Latinos, Acevedo voiced the isolation and distress that many first-generation children face. The Adams 14 School District has 90% minority enrollment and many are children of immigrants. “I’m very much about working with immigrants and working with people who don’t speak English to make them comfortable in this nation and this community… and bring them closer together,” Acevedo said. The Youth Commission provides young people in Commerce City and surrounding areas a safe place to speak about frustrations and form a community with like-minded individuals. Youth have the opportunity to meet with Commerce City Council members and venture into the intimidating world of the legislature. For Acevedo, the commission has opened doors for her voice to be heard in law-making spaces. “I’m very passionate about gun and domestic violence, and going to legislation to increase and enforce those different restrictions,” Acevedo said.
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An innovative new school founded by two former special education teachers and school leaders with ties to Commerce City aims to COURTESY PHOTO reflect the needs and values of the community. BY ROSSANA LONGO BETTER SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
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• Vestas to lay off 200 employees •27J Schools moves online-only Dec. 1
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There are striking parallels between traditional and charter public schools. While both models rely on state funding and are subject to identical academic and financial accountability, charter schools operate under a contractual agreement that allows for more autonomy and flexibility in serving the community. In last week’s edition of La Ciudad, we interviewed Dr. Karla Loria, and initiatives unfolding at the Adams 14 School District. However, our exploration doesn’t stop there: There’s another education venture right here in our community:Be The Change Community School. Amanda Marquez, one of the founders of the charter school, wanted to share with La Ciudad readers about this small, single-site free public charter school set to launch this fall in Commerce City, offering classes for ninth and 10th graders.
Unlike charter schools run by large for-profit companies, Marquez says it is designed by the community, for the community. Founded by two former special education teachers and school leaders with ties to Commerce City aims to reflect the needs and values of the community. We took the opportunity to learn more about it. This article has been edited for clarity and length. La Ciudad: Please share how Be The Change Community School started.
Amanda Marquez: It started way back in 2018, almost six years ago. I was in a program called Moonshot Edventures, which takes underrepresented leaders in school and education and supports them in ventures. I was working with another woman in the program, Amanda Gonzalez. We were both traditional public school leaders at the time, and we wanted to know what students wanted in a high school, and we wanted
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