Blog: Denver School Leaders Propose Innovation Zone to go from Good to Great
February 29, 2016

How can districts create the flexibility and culture of innovation and continuous improvement often associated with charters with the commitment to serving all students and engaging democratic voice of traditional districts to increase student achievement at scale? This question is at the core of the work happening at four Innovation Schools proposing the formation of an Innovation Zone in Denver, CO, a district at the forefront of portfolio work nationally.

At Empower, we have been working to address this question in Massachusetts. In Springfield we worked with the district, civic and community leaders, and the state to create an autonomous zone of schools overseen by an independent governing body with the goal to improve student achievement rapidly. These nine middle schools have flexibility to choose their own curricula, define staffing patterns and own the recruitment and hiring process, design a daily schedule and yearly calendar, and to budget at the school level to make all of these things happen. All of these flexibilities are made possible by a new, cutting edge collective bargaining agreement and in exchange for additional accountability for academic and operational outcomes.

What makes the Denver effort so extraordinary is the zone is being initiated by school leaders with a proven track record of using autonomies well and is supported by a Board of Education that is picking excellence over control. In other places where this kind of work is happening, it is either the district or the state promoting it. While the district and Board of Education is leading the way to grant educators flexibility, we are most encouraged by this group of school leaders taking the initiative to make this bold change in order to improve, not just react or comply with existing policy.

Read more about the effort to create an Innovation Zone in Denver in Chalkbeat Colorado, here.

The Colorado Rural Collaborative Guide is designed to raise awareness and support rural communities in expanding college and career pathways through regional partnerships. Rural Collaboratives serve as intermediary organizations that bring together school districts, higher education institutions, and employers to create shared opportunities for students.

This guide covers:

  • The benefits of forming a Rural Collaborative
  • Examples of collaborative services that design, expand, and enhance pathways
  • Governance models and sustainable funding strategies
  • Lessons from the field

By fostering cross-sector partnerships, Rural Collaboratives can improve student outcomes and strengthen local economies. This resource offers actionable strategies and real-world examples to help rural leaders navigate the process of building and sustaining collaborative efforts.