April 10, 2026

Teacher Appreciation Week is just around the corner, taking place May 4-8! In celebration, DPS invites our students to recognize their favorite teachers by sharing what they love most about them. 

Specifically, students have the option to respond to one of the following prompts: 

My teacher has taught me…

Without my teacher, I wouldn’t…

A teacher is…

My teacher has inspired me to become (career or profession) because…

Work with the students in your life to tell us what makes their teachers great by completing this Student Quote form by Friday, April 24. Please note that submissions may be featured on the DPS website and DPS social media pages (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn).

We look forward to sharing these perspectives and thanking our amazing educators for helping Every Learner Thrive!

Join DPS at an upcoming regional meeting to learn about the process and share your thoughts on the potential mill levy override. Attendees will participate in an interactive budget allocation tool to allocate funding for their top priorities. Each meeting will be held from 6:30-8 p.m. Food, childcare and interpretations will be available for each meeting.

As part of Governance Policy 15, board members will engage with the community within their respective districts over the next few months. At these engagement sessions, board members will be talking about various policies and getting community input. Details for next week’s session are listed below. Childcare, light refreshments and interpretation services will be available at each meeting.

Board District 5 (Northwest)
Marlene De La Rosa, Secretary
Monday, April 13 from 5:30-8 p.m.
Location: North High School (2960 N Speer Blvd.)

The Generation Teach STEAM Academy (GTSA) is a free five-week summer academic and enrichment program for elementary and middle school students. GTSA introduces students to engineering and law, accelerates math and reading skills, and provides enrichment classes (games, team sports, fitness and movement and art). Free breakfast and lunch are served daily. Fun Fridays feature field trips, team competitions and/or games. Learn more through this flyer (with additional languages) and enroll at www.gtsteam.org by the April 30 deadline. For questions or more information, email Denver@genteach.org. Current kindergarten through seventh-grade students at district-run schools are eligible to enroll.

Apply to the Generation Teach Summer Teaching Fellowship. The fellowship includes a dynamic summer of learning, teaching and creating community. Fellows receive a $3,000 taxable cash scholarship and over 275 hours of teaching and leadership experience. Deadlines are the 15th of each month through May 15. Learn more through the Generation Teacher Summer Teaching Fellowship flyer and apply today. For questions or more information, email info@genteach.org.

The Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF) Scholarship application is now open! Current DPS high school seniors can apply or renew their scholarship by May 1. Read the scholarship eligibility requirements.

Nine DPS schools have been named winners of the Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Awards! Please join us in celebrating the following schools’ achievements:

These awards are given to schools that demonstrate exceptional student growth. On the school performance framework that is used by the state to evaluate schools, these schools “exceed” expectations on the indicator related to longitudinal academic growth at all grade levels. Congratulations!

The Black Education Advisory Council (BEAC) advocates for accountability in Denver Public Schools so Black students are seen, valued, protected and positioned to thrive. BEAC amplifies Black family and community voices and challenges inequitable policies to advance culturally affirming, high-quality education. 

Membership is open to DPS parents, guardians, students, educators, community members, district employees and other stakeholders who believe in diversity and equality for all students. Submit an application by May 1. If you need assistance submitting an application, please reach out to Ieasha Smith.

Join the Multilingual Education (MLE) District Advisory Committee (DAC) on Wednesday, April 15 from 9-11 a.m., at Robert F. STEAM Academy. Join us to explore Career and College Success programs that prepare students for the future, from elementary to high school. We will discuss diverse pathways like vocational training and university degrees to ensure every student is ready for life after graduation. Plus, a Denver Scholarship Foundation alumni panel will share firsthand advice on navigating higher education and securing financial support. Dinner, childcare and interpretation will be available. View the flyers in the eight most common DPS languages. Attendees are encouraged to pre-register. For more information, visit the MLE website or contact Sary Portillo at 720-423-2661. 

At Park Hill Elementary, pride is something the community builds together. Through BE-HIVE — a parent, educator and community-led group focused on Black Excellence, History, Inclusion, Values and Equity — families and educators are creating a space where every learner feels seen, celebrated and supported.

Andrew Murphy has been a fixture in Denver Public Schools since 2009, but his "why" remains as fresh as it was his first day: guiding students to reach their full potential by making learning a personalized experience. As the Assistant Principal at Cheltenham Elementary, Andrew centers his work on the belief that students should have the privilege to drive their own journey. 

"The successes belong to the students," Andrew says. "My hope is that I can provide unique experiences that allow students to learn from both successes and failures." Read Andrew’s story.

DPS ninth graders recently participated in the 15th Annual Ninth Grade College Expo at the Auraria Campus. Students toured the Community College of Denver, Metropolitan State College of Denver and the University of Colorado at Denver. Students also explored different degree programs and heard from current college students about choosing the right fit. 

The experience is designed to help students start thinking early about their college options and understand what pathways are available to them after high school.

Buy low, sell high! April is Financial Literacy month. Financial Literacy is now a graduation requirement and the DPS Humanities Team hosted a Financial Literacy Conference for high school students to help prepare them for the real world. Watch the video on the Financial Literacy Conference to see the learning in action.

Lincoln High School Principal Nestor Bravo joins DPS Communications Manager Nicole Brady to discuss how Lincoln was able to move from red to yellow on the state performance framework in the past year.

“My Plan is Professional Basketball!” Alongside Evo’s dream of playing professional basketball, he intends to pursue a path that provides long-term professional stability and intellectual fulfillment by earning a degree that aligns with his interests in STEM or Business. In preparation for his career, Evo excelled in rigorous IB and Honors courses. Outside of academics, he is the Varsity Captain of his school’s basketball team. Evo is also the founder and director of a non-profit basketball camp organization dedicated to serving refugees and immigrants. This has taught him social responsibility as he mentors young athletes who aspire to become high-level student-athletes. His advice to freshmen is, “turn your passion into a service for others.”

Read more about additional resources and information Google Doc:

dpsk12.org