Tonight, our land acknowledgement will be read by Director Garland. On behalf of this board and the Cherry Creek School District, I would like to acknowledge that this meeting is being held on the ancestral and unseated lands
of the Cheyenne, Arapjo, Utetti, Shakawi people who stewarded who stewarded it for generations. The Oshetti Shakawi includes seven bands. So I would also like to recognize that over 40 additional tribal nations likely use this area for trade ceremonies and
social gatherings. Thank you. May I have a motion to approve the agenda for the February 9th, 2026 regular board of education meeting? >> I'll make a motion to approve. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second.
>> Thank you. Roll call, please. >> Director Spates, >> I. >> Egan, >> I. >> I. >> Garland, >> I. >> Am >> I? >> Thank you. That motion carries.
May I have a motion to approve the minutes listed on the February 9th, 2026 agenda? >> So moved. >> Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. Roll call, please. >> Director Spates,
>> I. >> Egan, >> I. >> Utro >> I. >> Garland. >> I. >> Hammer. >> I. >> Thank you. That motion carries. May I have a motion to approve the minutes listed on the February Well, we
already agenda. Yep. >> Yes, you approved the the minutes. So now you can >> We did it. Yep. It showed up twice. Okay. >> Yep. So you can move to board comments. >> Okay. Great. Uh we are now going to go into communications from the board of education beginning with Director
Garland. Thank you, President Egan. Good evening, and thank you to the Sky Vista community for welcoming us tonight. I want to begin by acknowledging what we already know to be true. This is a difficult and emotional moment for our district and
our broader community. Seeing the students represented here tonight reminded me of my why. All different, all beautiful, all brilliant, and full of promise. The the departure of Superintendent Chris Smith and the placement of our
human resources director on leave has stirred a wide range of emotions. For some, there is relief, perhaps even a sense of vindication. For others, there is grief, confusion, and a real sense of loss. I have had
conversations with people on both sides. And I want to be clear, both experiences are real, and both deserve to be acknowledged. What I also deeply believe is now better, we must all commit to do better.
I want to speak to something directly said about me that I have been silent. That I have ignored voices in our community or that I have not spoken enough. And here is my truth. This situation is complex. At its core, it's
an HR matter. As a public school district, we are bound by the same laws, protections, and due process requirements as any other workplace when issues involve employees. That reality is not convenient and it is not always satis satisfying, but it is
necessary. Another critical piece of this moment is separating fact from fiction. Truth matters. Rushing to judgment to appease the loudest or the most privileged voices does not create justice. It simply
shifts silence onto another group and risk fueling additional allegations of toxicity. As my grandmother say, truth is enough. You ain't got to lie. If we stay committed to truth, fairness,
reflection, and and courage, I believe Cherry Creek can emerge stronger, not just for today, but for the next generation. I will also say this plainly. Adults engaging in behaviors in our community and on social media that would create disciplinary issues at our
school presents a special kind of irony. We all want better. That starts with how we all show up. When some call my actions silence, what I what I would offer instead is that we have that I have been reading, listening, engaging,
and carefully sifting through facts versus fiction. That work is not visible, but it is essential. And what I will insist upon is that and what I will not compromise on is that this process results in a better better Cherry Creek.
As we celebrate our 75th anniversary, I'm not interested in simply upholding 75year-old practices or whining about the district of yesterday. We are today's Cherry Creek with today's students and families who are more diverse, have more needs, and are facing
today's issues. Our board of directors sorting through complex issues, and that work requires time. Whether we pursue an internal, national or even a global search for new leadership, I firmly believe believe that without reflection
and reform, we we risk repeating the same patterns regardless of who sits in that role. A thoughtful and inclusive process is what I will advocate for. Part of this process includes eval evaluating both real and perceived issues of nepotism and conflicts of
interest. Right now across this district, families work together, spouses, parents, and children, siblings, and so on. We celebrate excellent employees and we are deeply grateful for the more than 10,000 teachers and staff who show up every day
to educate our children and invest in our greatest treasure. At the same time, we owe it to our workforce and our community community to evaluate all of it at every level to ensure a fair workplace and to have honest conversations about employees pathways
to purpose and possible future conflicts. Alongside that, we will begin evaluating systems and structures that that shapes how this district operates. And again, that will take some time. I am not interested in selective
outrage. Pointing to the speck in someone else's eye while ignoring the plank in your own is not helpful. We did not get here overnight and we will not fix it in a single meeting. What we do commit to is a process that creates opportunities for engagement at every
corner and every level of this district. teachers, students, staff, families, and community stakeholders will be heard with the clear intention of developing a path forward. As we move into the final final stretch of our 75th anniversary, I
am asking for all of us to reflect individually and collectively across Cherry Creek. We encourage students to be brave, to find a trusted adult, to make good choices, and if they see something, say something. I also recognize that that can be hard in real
life as a woman with a full-time job outside of the board and also a full-time volunteer in this elected role. A and with real financial obligations, including children in college and children aspiring to go to college, aging parents, and the hope of
someday retiring with dignity. I understand that taking taking stand in the workplace can feel risky. Feeling like your livelihood is in jeopardy is is real. I get it. And still I believe that we can build an environment where disscent is not punished where truth is
not dismissed and we and and once a decision is made we can collectively decide on a better path forward. As part of the 92% I know like to lift your voice and not be believed. That is not how I wanted to start or
celebrate Black History Month. But yet here we are. And in honor of this moment I'm wearing my Howard University sweatshirt. No, I am not an alum, nor do my children attend, but many district staff, members of my family and loved
ones are. Founded in 1867 in Washington DC, Howard University, known as the Mecca, has long stood as a bedrock of excellence. It served as the birthing ground for for the anti-ynch lynching movement, for the women's rights movement, for the voting rights and
civil rights, and is the cradle of five of the divine nine organizations. Howard's alumni include Thood Marshall, Kamla Harris, Tony Morrison, Zoran Neil Hursten, Richard Smallwood, Felicia Rashad, Chadwick Boseman, Elijah
Cummings, Aie Davis, Debbie Allen, Taraji P. Henson, and Sterling K. Brown, and many, many Cherry Creek students. All leaders, artists, thinkers, and truth tellers who understood that progress is rarely comfortable, but it
is always necessary. That is the spirit I bring to this work. That is the spirit I will use to move our district forward. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you, Director Garland. >> Well, I echo many of the things Director Garland said. I just want to say first
of all uh those who have called, text, sent emails, we are listening. we and we are moving forward with many things and uh I think as director Garland so eloquently stated uh it doesn't happen
overnight and we're dealing with things that are personnel issues that we can't go out there and blast you know we can't put it on our social media and things like that. So anyway, what I do want to talk about is the positive things going on in Cherry Creek schools. First of
all, I want to give a hats off to our uh superintendent uh interim going to be hopefully superintendent at least for a while interal deputy of whatever title. Uh she's done uh Dr. Perry's done a great job of kind of seeing where we're
at, working with our staff u and calming the ship. And I think you know you deserve a lot of credit for a tough situation uh while we go through this transition. Um, you know, we're dedicated to excellence and I think uh Dr. Perry, you'll do a great job doing
that and uh I'm optimistic and looking forward to working with you. Things to celebrate. We have the highest graduation rate in I think Cherry Creek history at 92%. Uh I'm not happy with 92%. I want to see a 100, but uh I'm
still going to celebrate the 92%. our fall and winter assessments, our STAR assessments. We see great progress in a lot of our uh test results from the fall uh testing to the winter. You know, a bunch of our title one schools such as
Highline Elementary and Pulton. Um it raised up their scores. Uh hats off to the educators working with all these kids. We also, I think it was last week, maybe the la the week before, we've been kind of busy. We got to celebrate 53, I
believe it's 53 amazing volunteers across our district and it was great to see the work that these folks have been doing from 20 I don't know 21 22 year old kids working in robotics to I won't say uh uh
much older folks that have been volunteering at their schools. Uh in fact I remember I accommodated one principal who's running the school because this person had been volunteering so long in that school. Um I was really privileged to attend Pton
Elementary's literacy night the other night. Uh if anybody's here at Pton parent or attended they decorated the whole school with artwork uh celebrating uh literacy around Cinderella. And what was really cool, they had pictures of
the students up with QR codes so each individual student could tell their story. And uh it was a great program uh pack the families were there. Uh the students were excited. Uh and one other note on there, Aurora Public
Library showed up and they were getting library cards to all these families that showed up. You know, that's what we need to improve literacy. that's are one of the tools we have. So special night. I sure enjoyed it. Uh I also got to attend
the uh honors choir. I know last month I told you I went to the honors band. Uh this choir it was so big they had to have it at Eastern Hills uh uh on it was a packed house. I showed up early
and was sitting in the back row. uh these middle school kids and these high school kids were absolutely fantastic. It's proof that the arts are alive and well in Cherry Creek and we need to support all the arts across Cherry Creek because it really helps
educate our children. Uh, and it was really neat, too, that they joined together at the middle school and the high school for their last song together. And it was, uh, they kind of so they were so big they had to circle through the aisles to do it. Um, also,
uh, a great thing I attended recently was the Cherry Creek Spelling Bee. I think that was last Saturday. And, uh, the winner was a student here at Sky Vista. Uh, I don't remember her last name. I believe her name was Audrey. Uh,
oh my god, these kids. I mean, not just Audrey, uh, but all of them. And, uh, hats off to her and I believe it was 20 others that qualified to move on to the state competition. Um, I would have been eliminated
fourth, fifth round and I think so many of us would that were there. Uh, and uh, finally I understand the frustration going on. We are listening. we are taking action. Uh but I I believe we're
going to emerge stronger from this and be prepared with our pathways of purpose for the next 75 years in Cherry Creek. Positive change is occurring right now and it's going to continue. I thank you for your support. I ask for your
patience. We can't turn this aircraft carrier around in uh 20 hours or one week. It's going to take a little time, but rest assured, I know personally uh I I'm going to keep working on it non-stop. And I thank you for being here
tonight. >> Thank you, Director Ham, Director Bates. >> Good evening. I'd like to thank Dr. Perry for stepping in as interim superintendent. I great greatly appreciate her years of experience and
dedication to the school district. In my role as treasur of the board, I plan to talk about a different topic every month revolving around the financial well-being of the district.
This is only my third board meeting since being elected, but I've used the last couple of months to dig into the financial operations of the school district. I'm committed to fiscal responsibility
and accountability. Our students deserve it and our taxpayers demand it. As we go into this budget season, I'm focused on delivering a fiscal year 2027 balanced budget for our community,
not moving any money from general fund reserves to supplement losses. General fund reserves are intended to be our rainy day fund. The 2027
fiscal year is from July 1st, June 2026 through June 30th, 2027. Additionally, Dr. Perry will be announcing a special audit that will be conducted by the district. The auditors performing this
work will report to the audit committee and the reports of the audit will be discussed with the full board. I chair the audit committee and Mike Ham is a me member of this committee as well.
I'm a former auditor and CPA with Price Waterhouse Coopers. Scott Smith is our chief financial and operating officer. In case you don't know this, he's not related to Chris or
Brenda Smith. >> Scott has director Bates, I I'm sorry to interrupt, but this these are board decisions and that hasn't been determined yet. So >> about what? >> About this going directly to the audit committee. That has not been determined
yet. So I just want to clarify the for the audience that we have not had a conversation about that at the board yet. Thank you. Scott has been working with district leadership team to reduce central administration costs and other
non-direct classroom costs. In addition, the board tightened the approval process for spending on non-classroom costs. We we believe that as a result of these efforts and a few other factors that the
budgeted loss for fiscal year 2026 may be reduced by at least 50%. I appreciate the leadership of Dr. Perry and have a full confidence in Scott to deliver a balanced budget that delivers
for our community ensures the long-term success of the school district. As we head into the budget season, I plan to regularly engage with Scott and Dr. Perry. The board will also be receiving
monthly updates from now through when we have to vote on the budget in June. Coming out of the pandemic, our general fund reserve balances grew, i.e. our rainy day funds. And we have intentionally
spent some of these reserves to compensate our great employees and ensure student needs are being met. However, now is the time to review all of our cost centers and ensure we build
a balanced budget moving forward. I want to invest in teachers. I truly value the role of teachers. My grandfather and both my parents were teachers and I have a great empathy for the important work with students that
happens every day. While we hope to be able to invest in staff this year, that will be entirely dependent on the actions of Governor Polus and lawmakers during this state legislative session to deliver
additional meaningful funding to our school districts. And this impacts all throughout the state of Colorado. We should know no later than May 13th what the funding will be.
I look forward to the months ahead and being able to lend my background and experience to ensure Cherry Creek Schools continues to be one of the most financially sound districts in the state.
On a separate note, I want to give a shout out to Eagle Crest High School Spirit Program. Our combine cheer and dance teams competed together and won the national championship in the game day spirit program. Lastly,
CT had the most student applications with a seal of bioliteracy this year. Congratulations to both of these high schools. >> Thank you, Director Futrell. Thank you, President Egan. Good evening
and thank you Sky Vista for hosting us and happy Black History Month because Black History is American history. It's more than a reflection. More than ever, it means ensuring that our policies, decisions, and
accountability measures actively support equity, belonging, educational excellence, and more for every student. My family came to Colorado over 150 years ago. My great-grandfather came as
a freed slave during the silver rush and paved the way for future generations. My grandmother was an elected official and my grandfather was a Tuskegee airman. My children are our ancestors
wildest dreams come true and they are reminded of that through the stories we tell. the schools named for our trailblazers and the work we are currently tasked with. With that grounding,
I want to acknowledge the students of Prairie Middle School and Overland High School and the students across the district who are using their voices to express what matters to them. Now, the district does not encourage nor endorse student walkouts.
At the same time, we recognize and respect students con constitutional rights to freedom of speech and the freedom to assemble. In moments like this, our responsibility is to hold those rights up while ensuring that
student safety remains our utmost concern. Think about this. Approximately 1,500 students chose to leave the ozone last week and take to the streets. They were monitored by staff and
district security and surrounding areas to ensure their safety. I want to recognize that swift and coordinated response by our staff administr security teams who acted immediately to supervise the students and maintain both
their safety on campus and in the adjacent areas. Can we have a round of applause for our safety team and all of our admin? We appreciate you. We appreciate you. I bring a perspective to this board
through my experience in oversight, budgeting, and managing large high impact teams. During my time at the Denver Art Museum, I helped steward multi-million dollar budgets, federal grants, corporate sponsorships, led cross departmental teams, and oversaw
programs that serve more than 70,000 students annually. I also played a role in reopening the museum to children and families at the end of the pandemic and in launching the 175 million building, ensuring that public access, educational programming, and operational
accountability move forward together. On another note, but related, as a newly seated board, we are carefully reviewing the concerns raised by our community and examining our practices to ensure they align with the standards and
expectations of this district. This board is focused on doing its job with care, urgency, and a commitment to strengthening the future for our students. I also want to speak directly to the emails and communications that we have
received in the activist and organizing community. We say, "I see you. I hear you. You matter. Whether I agree with you politically or not. I will continue to respond and build bridges and not
engage in divisive language. I want to be very clear that as long as I am on this board, any allegations of misogyny, discrimination, racial bias, discrimination, and the improper use of funds, particularly those described as longstanding or systemic, will be taken
seriously and investigated. These issues are inexcusable. They are incompatible with public education, with ethical leadership, and with the trust our community places. They will not be tolerated moving forward and anyone participating in
these acts. This is your notice. No more. Our responsibility is to ensure those concerns are examined thoroughly, responsibly, and with integrity so that harm is addressed, accountability is real, and the future of this district is
stronger than its past. Finally, I want to share what engagement looks like for me board member, but as a member of this community, it means showing up in our schools, not just for
meetings, but for moments that matter. It means participating as a judge in that district spelling be. It means volunteering as a crossing guard when students and staff decide to make a political statement. It means reading to a kindergarten class, donating to our
food pantries, or starting a fundraiser. This is the kind of engagement that you can ac expect from me and that I'd like you to join me in. Being present, being visible, and grounded in the care for our students, educators, and our
families. Will you join me? This is not a rhetorical question. Will you join me? Oh, half of y'all. Okay, half of the rest of y'all can just leave out of here. Will you join me?
>> Thank you. We are grounded in the care of our students and our educators. Will you join me in working better to understand our constituents and our students, our families and our staff and the broader Cherry Creek community? Because listening to public comment and
community concerns is not optional. It is part of the job whether or not we agree with every perspective shared. We are dedicated to transparency and I hope that commitment is visible tonight
and every day we show up to do this work. Will you join me? Public education works best when trust is built in the open. and we will remain committed to walking this path together
because we are Cherry Creek. Thank you. >> Thank you. Good evening. Thank you to Sky Vista Middle School for hosting our meeting here this evening. And thank you to our safety, security, technology, and setup teams. Meetings happen in our
neighborhood schools. How great were our students? The students are a good reminder, the best reminder of why I ran for this and again in 2023. I'd encourage all of us to regground
ourselves in our students and our schools. Very important. It's fair to say we've had an eventful couple of weeks. That's why I'd like to take some time to restate what the board has done thus far and what our community can
expect in the days ahead. As you know, Superintendent Chris Smith offered his resignation to the board on January 27th, and we named Dr. Jennifer Perry as the interim superintendent that same day. Because a number of issues have
been raised around Superintendent Smith's leadership and subsequent resignation, the board felt urgent action was necessary to maintain the public's confidence. We took immediate steps to freeze certain travel, freeze new contracts, and we are actively
reviewing district policies as it relates to nepotism and conflict of interest. Brenda Smith, director of human resources, was placed on administrative leave effective February 7th, 2026. While this is a personnel
matter, we can confirm that an internal investigation is underway into the actions of Brenda Smith. All five members of this board are committed to transparency with and accountability for our community. We are also a board
governed by statute and we make decisions as a board. We might not always agree but will always emerge with one voice. Unfortunately, many of the items we are addressing, such as personnel matters, require legal advice and counsel, and
that compels us to meet in executive session more often than we'd like. As these matters come to resolution, we expect to return to a more normal cadence for board meetings and communication. At today's meeting, you will hear that our board has one passed
a resolution confirming Dr. Perry as the interim superintendent. Two, made changes to strengthen the procurement and expenditure approval policies of this district. Three, mandated that all contracts are reviewed and approved by
the legal department with failure to do so resulting in disciplinary action up to and including termination. Four, we have also finalized specific guidelines as they relate to district travel throughout the remainder of the school
year. Over the next several weeks, you will continue to see the board review district policies and make adjustments as necessary. Meanwhile, and to Director Hamrik's point, I'd like to share some celebrations. Many great things continue to happen in
the Cherry Creek School District, including Power Week at our high schools. Please check the district website for more information on these inspirational weeks of giving back. And Cherry Creek Reads is coming the week of March 10th through the 14th with the theme, read together, celebrate
together. I look forward to being in our schools for many of these events. Finally, in honor of Black History Month, I leave you with the words of Martin Luther King Jr., "The time is always right to do what is right." Dr. Perry, thank you for stepping into this
role and thank you for your team and staff for all of your efforts. I'll turn this over to you now. >> Thank you so much. Let me make sure I've got this adjusted. Uh thank you everyone. I'm excited to be here tonight. Um before I begin my comments,
I just want to say lots of people have asked me if this is congratulations or oh my god, are you okay? And this is absolutely congratulations. I could not be more proud. um to have worked in this school district for 25 years. And so I'll share my comments with you now. Um
good evening. I'm Dr. Jennifer Perry, interim superintendent of the Cherry Creek School District. I've had the privilege of working in public education for nearly three decades, 25 w 25 of which of those years have been here in the Cherry Creek School District. I've served as the deputy superintendent
since 2021, leading a variety of teams and initiatives across the district, including strategic planning, educational operations, performance improvement, and career and innovation. Half of my career, however, was spilt spent at the building level. I started as a classroom teacher and uh a reading
specialist before assuming the assistant principal ship, the principal ship, and ultimately ultimately moving into central administration 14 years ago. I acknowledge that the past couple weeks have broughten certainty and certainly strong emotions for many people. However, our purpose, my focus remains
clear. Academic excellence for every student and meaningful pathways for their future. The district strategic planning team is the foundation of this work um anchored in the five core values. The plan sets ambi uh ambitious uh goals focused on literacy for all,
health and well-being, and eliminating disproportionality. We continue to hold ourselves accountable through a public data dashboard that you can find today. Um that's transparent that trans transparently tracks our progress. Um it's about clarity and a shared
responsibility for results. This plan is already delivering impact some of which were spoken to earlier this evening. Rate evening our graduation rate has reached a high a record high of 91.6 just under 92. Um, our interim STAR data
that's going to be shared with you tonight is showing great gains uh from fall to winter uh testing. There are interim assessment data. Expulsions are down by more than 60% as schools shift away from exclusionary discipline and focus on student engagement and
restorative practices. Students of all our high schools are accessing and taking advanced courses such as AP, IB, concurrent enrollment u and concurrent enrollment college classes. Just AP alone, we gave 11,000 tests to our
student last student students last year. In addition, we have 4,800 students who took concurrent enrollment classes earning 31,000 college credits. The amount of money that that is saving our community as our students move forward into successful
successful pathways is unbelievable. And we have record numbers of enrollments. We'll be opening the CCIC which will double in its capacity this uh fall as well as opening pathways at Overland where we have students from every comprehensive registering voraciously
for this programming. And so we continue to offer amazing opportunities kind of like the student from Cherry Creek High School shared. These outcomes reflect the dedication of our educators, staff, students, and family and they show what's possible when we stay focused on what matters most. At this time of
transition, we have a lot to be proud of, but a lot of important work to do. Together with the board of education, we'll be listening closely and keeping the community informed regarding district priorities and accomplishments. President Egan and the board have announced several changes and reforms.
And at the direction of the board, I will be initiating an external audit in the coming weeks to review organizational systems and structures, including internal controls, operational processes, and fiscal responsibilities. Trust is built through transparency,
professionalism, and respect. And we are committed to those principles, and to fostering a culture that reflects the same values. As I wrap up my remarks, I also want to recognize that February is Black History Month. In Cherry Creek Schools, we honor and celebrate the contributions of black Americans, past
and present, whose impact and legacy are felt deeply in our schools and in our community. I encourage us all to take the time this month to learn, reflect, and celebrate together. Thank you again to the board of
education for their confidence in me um to help lead this district during this transitional period. Thank you to our hardworking staff that show up for kids every day and the entire Cherry Creek School District community for the continued partnership and service to
students. Thank you. >> Thank you, Dr. Perry. Would you introduce our presentation, please? >> Yes. as part of the strategic plan and what you will see uh throughout the spring, we've really aligned board presentations specifically for the second half of the year to be updates on
those things that are driving uh the work forward in Cherry Creek. So, tonight I have with us Norm Alerta who is our data guru. Um if we were doing column response like uh Mr. Futrell suggested, we could all say Norm. Um but
with him we have Toby who is our interim assistant superintendent of performance improvement. They are going to share STAR data which is a assessment that is given. It's our interim data. Um and I will speak to some assessment at the end. We obviously have lots of ways that we're measuring literacy and math but
this is kind of those in between snapshots of where our students are going and I was actually lucky enough to be here today at Sky Vista as they were sh celebrating their tremendous growth scores and literacy um as we're starting to c celebrate schools around the district. But with that I will turn it
over to Norm and Toby. >> All right. Good evening, President Egan Board of Education. Thank you for having Norm and I with you tonight. Um we're very excited to share some of our fall to winter um start at it in both literacy and math. We're seeing some really good patterns happening and
trends happening across the district. Um once Norm is complete with that, I will share with you some of our strategic actions to make sure we're doing the right work to continue to see that achievement and growth uh throughout the district. And so I'm going to turn it over to Norm uh to start our presentation.
>> Thanks, Toby. And thank you, President Egan, and members of the board for this opportunity to share some of the results. Uh before we get into the data, uh going to spend a couple of slides just to kind of go through the overview of the assessment system that we have implemented in the district. Um so
really we start off with our comprehensive line assessment system. This is something that we put in place a few years ago. Uh really the purpose of this was just to help us identify uh the various assessments that uh that can be used in the classroom to track where
students are in their learning and also define like the different purposes for each. A lot of times what you see in systems is that uh school districts will try to use one assessment. It's like a one-sizefits-all model using one assessment to progress, monitor,
diagnose, uh give information about whether or not students are predicted to be uh hitting the benchmarks on the state assessments. Uh you can do that, but you're not going to get more uh you're not going to get the most accurate measures. So, what we've defined within our district are different ways that teachers utilize
different measures to track student progress across the year. Uh and one of the what we're really going to talk about today is is really around our STAR assessment system. Uh the STAR assessments that we'll share the results with tonight uh really serve three purposes. Um they're designed to be
screeners at the beginning of the year at different points throughout the year just to see where our students are in uh in relation to grade level benchmarks. Within some of those reports, you'll also get some diagnostic information. And then because we're giving it at three different points throughout the year, it's kind of like our dipstick
throughout the year just to see uh check our progress as a system. Also for our students uh teachers can check progress. Teachers and parents can check where their students are at different points throughout the year in relation to the uh grade level benchmarks. So the results that we'll share today
again are from our universal screener. Um the STAR assessment is a computer adaptive test. What that means is that that test is a computer-based test. When students start taking the tests, uh the first test question they have will be a grade level uh type question. So, if I'm
a fourth grader, I take a reading test, I'm going to get a question that the average fourth grader should be able to respond to. If I respond correctly to that question, the next question that I get uh from the computer will be a slightly more difficult question. If I get that question correct, it'll ramp up
to a little more difficulty. If I get that next question wrong, it'll ramp down. Eventually, what happens is the series of responses and the types of questions that are that a ch uh a student receives calibrates really quickly so that you get an overall scale score. Uh the value of a computer
adaptive test is that it takes less questions and less time to get that that scale score that represents a student's achievement or performance level. uh something like a CAMASS is not a computer adapt adaptive test. It is a fixed form test. So it does take more
questions to determine a student's uh performance level. So that's when you state assessments. It's like a six-hour test, right? Three sessions about two hours each. And it's because there uh more questions are required in order to calibrate to a student's overall scale
score. So there is some efficiency in a computer adaptive test. Uh so it does take less time and less questions for a student. Uh who tests and when? We have three windows in the district. Uh and within our and there's really three assessments
within literacy. There's a star early literacy assessment that is administered to students in kindergarten through 2 grade. Then the star reading assessment is uh administered to our students in grades 3 through 10. It's not required for 11th and 12th graders. Uh however,
if a student is on a read plan in 11th and 12th grade, we are requiring that they we have required that they do take the STAR reading assessment. Uh Star Math, we don't administer to kindergarteners until the end of the year. Uh so mostly what you'll see what you'll see tonight are just results from our first through 10th grade students.
Uh when we have we come back in the spring to do this presentation, we'll have results for our kindergarten students. Uh we have three windows. Our fall window uh starts pretty much at the beginning of the year. It's a two-eek window. Our winter window we had for middle uh ele elementary and middle
schools was December 8th. We did extend it for our high schools. There's a lot of things that are going on right before we get into winter break. We extended it beyond the break. So when uh when schools students came back after winter break, there was an additional week for testing. Then our spring testing will
happen April 27th. In between the the winter and spring testing, we do have the state assessments uh window that is April 6. And then what you'll see today uh are a couple of benchmarks and how we measure progress. I'm sure you that clearly uh
because I can't. But uh there are four uh really instructional levels that the uh the assessments provide our instructors, our teachers. So uh student and they're broken out by percentiles. So there is a conversion. I I mentioned that there is a scale score that is
generated from the tests. those skill scores are converted to percentiles. Percentiles are just comparisons of how students score in this in uh on that test compared to students nationally who also take the same test. Uh so between the first and 25th percentile is what
they call the intensive support instructional level. So in addition to the universal instruction that a student receives in the classroom, they might also receive some small groupoup support, some intervention support to address need uh to work on or they might
have this uh one-on-one uh individual uh instructional support. Students who score uh who have a percentile rank between the 26 and uh they receive targeted support. So again, in addition to that universal
instruction that they're receiving in the gened classroom, they're also they might also receive some small groupoup instruction to again support any uh any skills within the content areas that they might need. And then at or above benchmark and strategic support, that blue and green band that you see up
there, uh typically students who score at this level are able to easily access the general ed instruction in the classroom. might not need as much support, but they could require some scaffolding within the the classroom instruction just to make sure that they're staying uh where they are in uh
able to access the universal instruction at that level. Uh we do have we set different benchmarks. I can't see. I'm going to have to look here. Uh but the the at or above benchmark 55 to 99 for our u literacy assessments and then for
math it's slightly higher. If you're at the 65th percentile, that is considered to be at benchmark. We set those based on uh an analysis our of analysis of our state assessment data last couple of years. We looked at where students were with the when they took the CAMs test and then when they took the STAR test,
we did some correlations. So, we readjusted these benchmarks to better represent where students might be at the end of the year on the state assessments. We did that for third through 8th grade. uh uh kindergarten through second grade doesn't really have a CAMASS test. Uh so this the test
vendor does provide some benchmark levels that we could use. So that's what uh we use to to make these determinations. Oops, I'm backwards. Uh the other way that we'll uh we'll present some data tonight is just uh measures of progress and growth. So you
can measure growth uh a couple of ways. One way very simple is just a change in achievement. Does a student's scaled score change from one administration to another? So does it go up? Does it go down? Uh and so the example here students scored uh you know a,2,020
in the uh winter. That's a change of eight points. Uh the slight issue with this is that there are scale there are different scores along a scale. So depending on where a student is along that scale, a change of eight points and the the test items that they're exposed
to might mean something different if a student is higher up on the scale, right? Going from let's say 700 to a thousand. So one way that this has been addressed by the state is through the what they call the Colorado growth model. So what they do is they look at that change in scale scores from one
test to another and then they compare similar starting kids. So if I got a score of a,2 I would be compared with other students who had a starting score of a,2 and if I scored a,020 they would look at all those other kids that scored a,2 and
they would see how much scale score gains did they make that in that second window and if somebody got uh some another student scored a,50 they would have a growth percentile that is higher than mine. Right? So if I was on average the average student with a,2
they score a,020 that the average uh that's the average growth for students that'd be at a 50. If somebody scored a,50 they might be have a growth percentile of 60. So that growth percentile is student growth percentiles is something that the state has used in
our state assessments and it's something that a lot of test vendors have now incorporated into their test platform. Uh one thing that we look at with student growth percentiles, the state considers a growth student growth percentile of 35 or higher to be typical growth throughout the year. So if a
student makes a growth percentile of 35, we could say that student is make making typical growth throughout the year. Uh you'll also see in what we'll present tonight is what we call our median growth percentile. So when you're talking about summing up growth percentiles for individual students across a classroom, a school or a
district, uh the state uses a median growth percentile. And that's essentially just taking all the growth percentiles, ordering them from lowest to highest, find that middle point, that's your median, and then that's what's used to uh summarize growth across a school or district. The state
says a median growth percentile of 50 is average. So what we're looking for when we look at median growth percentiles uh in our system is growth percentile of uh above 50 right because then we can make a statement that our school our district our classroom is growing above is
growing at an above average pace. Okay that's all that the explanation I have to do. I'm going to get right into the data here.h I am a nerd Jen you're right. All right so um we'll look at the star early literacy and star reading. As I mentioned, early literacy is just for our K2 students. We'll look at
achievement and growth. And we'll look at this by grade level and by race and ethnicity. So, I know you can't see the numbers, but uh what I want you to pay attention to are the colors. Right? So, as I mentioned, the greens represent students that are performing at or above benchmark. The red represents the
students who might need some intensive support, some one-on-one intensive support in addition to their universal instruction. So the pattern that we're wanting to look for, we want to look for when we look at our fall data. Fall's on the left, winter's on the right. The pattern we want to look for is are we
increasing the green bands from fall to winter and then are we decreasing the red bands from fall to winter. So if we look at this pattern here, you have kindergarten, first and second grade from left to right. And what we're seeing here are the patterns that we want to see, right? from from fall we've
uh we've reduced the uh percentage of kids who require intensive support in the classroom and we've increase the students who are able to access that universal instruction in the classroom for all three grade levels here this results for third through fifth
again you'll see the same patterns decreasing reds increasing greens and the results for 6 through 8 and then 9 through 10. Okay, not as pronounced change as we saw with the elementary and middle schools.
And then we don't present results for 11th and 12th graders uh because only a handful of our students are required to take the assessment uh uh the literacy assessments in our district. Okay. Okay. Then when we look at this by uh race and ethnicity, the from top to
bottom uh American Indian, Asian, black, Hispanic, Latino, our white students, our Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander students, and then our students who identify as two or more races. And again, uh you're looking at the fall on
the left, fall on the right, looking for that pattern again where we see a decrease in the reds and then at least a uh an an increase in the greens as you move from fall to winter. So this is K2. So what we've done here is we've combined kindergarten and second grade
for both uh fall and winter windows. I will caution though with uh with our American Indian Native Hawaiian population, we typically have smaller numbers So you might see some big jumps from uh big changes from fall to winter. So we always have to keep that in mind
when we're looking at groups with small ends. But at the same time too, we also want to make sure that we're sharing that information uh publicly with folks and we're not suppressing it. So that's early literacy. This is star reading for the elementary level third
through fifth and then sixth through eight. I'm going to put on my glasses, but these are actually reading glasses, so they're not going to help, but I can see here better. Um, again, we're seeing the same patterns that we want. And then 9 through 10.
Okay. Then this is the fall to winter median growth percentiles by grade level. So we're we're really looking at what was the change from fall to winter and how are the median for our students across the district changed. Uh and so when we look at this from kindergarten
to from kindergarten and then third through 10th grade, we're seeing either average or above average growth, right? 50 is that benchmark for average. So we want to see where those numbers are. We want to see numbers either at that average or above, preferably above. Uh but we did notice too that uh for
kindergarten or first and second grade uh we're not where we wanted to be, right? The median growth percent at those grade levels was 42 and 46. And then we'll go through the same thing with our STAR uh data. Again, we did not uh administer in uh at the kindergarten
grade level. We did talk with our kindergarten study team a few years ago. But we didn't think it was appropriate uh for students to be exposed to a math test on computers at the beginning of the year. Uh but it is going to be helpful at the end of the year as students transition from kindergarten to first grade that they are able to
demonstrate some math math skills on a computer test. And again uh the patterns that we're seeing that we want to see are present here where we're reducing the the uh percentage of students who need intensive support uh and then um
increasing the percentage of kids who are able to access that universal instruction in the classroom. So that's first grade on the left, second grade on the right, then third through fifth grade, sixth through 8th and then 9th through 10th
10th grade it was a little flat 51.7 to 51.7 I will share that uh one of our high schools did not test within the winter window so their results aren't included in this um that might have made an impact because they did score pretty well in the fall uh but it is it does
not show what the pattern that we're seeing across the other grade levels uh where that green uh was increased but it did kind of maintain where we were from uh fall first through 5th because all the elementary students take
the same math test. It's not split up by it's not split by early literacy and reading. We're combining all f all elementary levels here with this in this display. and then 6 through 8 and 9 through 10.
And then when we look at the growth percentiles across our grade levels, again, we're not seeing the same uh growth that we would want, above average growth that we would want as we saw with early literacy. So in grades uh one,
three, four, five, nine, and 10, we show above average growth. Uh grades sec, second grade, uh six, seventh, and eighth grade through our middle schools. Uh not where we want it to be in terms of demonstrating average growth from the
fall to the winter. Okay. And I'm going to turn it over to Toby to talk about literacy. All right. Thank you, Norm. Um, now that we have the data, now what? What are we doing to be strategic across our district to make sure we're meeting the needs of each and every child and
supporting our amazing teachers that are in classrooms, boots on the ground, doing the work each and every day. So, one thing we talk about through the leadership of Dr. Perry and the strategic plan team is making sure we have strategic direction. um going from operating with random acts of
improvement to a more aligned system and acts of improvement to make sure we're equipping all of our teachers with what they need to be successful. Uh which then impacts what our students get each and every day through instruction. And so a lot of good work happening through those. The one thing I will point out is
the cross department collaboration that's happening. um lots of great minds around the table to make sure the right work is taking place and then challenging each other um when there might be a better idea on the table and so um the strategic planning team is doing some amazing work.
So what are we doing currently? Um foundations is our high quality instructional material for our K3 students building their knowledge and capacity of foundational skills. Um this was rolled out a few years ago. One thing we want to do um for our teachers
is is continue to pour into them. Um and what does that PD look like? So, right now we're giving schools five days of inperson coaching through Wilson um who is the company that uh supports foundations. And so, what those coaches do is they go in and work with our collaborative teams to get rid of the
educational lottery to make sure kiddos are getting what they need, outcomes are the same, teachers understand what that target is that they need to get to. So kiddos get a a similar experience across grade levels. Currently we have 36 elementary schools that have either completed the training or are currently
completing the training. Um feedback from staff is very high. Um they appreciate us pouring into them. Um continuing to support the good work they're doing each and every day in classrooms to make sure they're doing the right work. And then reality is we have to support our youngest learners in
the best way possible, right? um we need to make sure by the time they get to third grade our reading scores show and demonstrate their understanding and ability to read. And so this provides them that starting point that we need. And if you think about building a brick wall, if you forget a brick, what are you going to do? You're going to go in
and put that brick in to build that foundational piece. And so that's what we're doing um with our staff diving into into reading K5. And this slide kind of goes prek12 actually. Um, our preK12 teachers have been involved
in a learning opportunity um to continue to build on their incredible knowledge and skills working with our um instructional materials. And one of those pieces we're doing this year is called the 15-day challenge, really building capacity, understanding of our teachers of how to start with
standards as the the bookends of their planning. Um, what does that backwards design look like with instruction? how are we assessing our students um during the learning so we can make instructional adjustments to meet their needs. Um and and feedback has been um
very very well received from our teachers. And so one one thing we're looking at is research shows when teachers try to teach all standards, kids are memorizing content, they're not truly mastering content. And so teams are going through identifying essential standards. um what are the standards
that our students need to know before they leave a grade level to be successful as they progress through their learning with our district. And so they're going through and doing that work now through the supportive norms team. We have some um pilots with interim assessments around the essential standards just to make sure we're doing
everything we can to track that learning in a timely manner. Um our collaborative teams have access um to grade level standards while providing time and support when needed. Um, most of us as adults in this room um have taken an assessment, didn't pass it. And guess
what? We got time and support, feedback from whoever, and we got to go back and retake that assessment. Our students deserve the same thing. It can't be, "I taught it, you didn't get it. I'm moving on." Um, we need to change that philosophical belief. And so, our teachers are doing an amazing job with that just to provide those opportunities
for kids. So, we're not leaving any anybody behind. We're creating equitable outcomes for all of our learners. As Norm said, our ninth and tth graders uh currently use STAR. Feedback we're getting as a system is STAR is not probably the best assessment for our
ninth and tth graders, and we want to be supportive of what they're telling us. So, one thing we're we're exploring right now in the experiment and explore stage is what does PSAT look like for our nth and tth graders to allow high schools to lean into our college board standards a little bit deeper um and use
that assessment in a different way. And so, um, all of our ninth and tth graders this year took PSAT in the fall. They'll take it again in spring. We have the opportunity to look at a couple vendors who will allow us to create our own assessments and save money. Um, and will also allow us to get a interim
assessment in the winter. Um, which is a when you look fall to spring, that's a big window. Um, so if we can get an interim in that winter piece, it gives those teachers more current information um, as we move through it. And then it just helps for teachers plan more targeted instruction, right? We have to be targeted of where we want our
students to go, what we want them to know and be able to do on what those outcomes look like. So, if we can give more relevant assessments, we have to be supportive of the system to make those changes. And then the last one, just districtwide, um we're building our data
literacy um preK12. And so what that means is there's assessment literacy. We're very good at giving assessments, um scoring assessments, having um test scores and whatnot. The question is is now what do we do with that data? How are we being responsive to what the data
data is telling us about our learners? And so really looking at how are we making more uh meaningful instructional decisions with our our students, making sure standards are the standards. We can't lower that bar. They are set. And so planning for rigorous outcomes for each and every student within our
district. Um a data-driven culture. teams, collaborative teams are diving into data um frequently, more frequently than in the past, which is a positive thing um because it identifies some of those inequities that are happening within our instruction and within our classrooms. And then it allows teachers
to truly make real time instructional adjustments before it's too late because there's a certain time frame with the students. If you wait too long, they they're they've forgotten um what they were doing. And so we got to make sure we're responsive to those students um because that's what they deserve each
and every day. So I'm going to turn it over to Norm to share some celebrations. Yeah. So as as I mentioned earlier uh you know one thing that we want to look for with our our growth especially once we start going from the district into the school level is do we have schools
that are demonstrating uh above average growth. And when we look at the uh early literacy and reading scores uh combined for our schools, uh what we found was 36 schools demonstrated above average growth. They had an MG a median growth percentile of 51 or higher. Of those 36
schools, we had three of the schools that had a median growth percentile of 60 or or higher. So those schools that are growing at that 60th percentile uh they have a sharper trajectory making more progress in the same amount of time as our other schools. Uh when we look at
breaking down the u literacy the literacy scores by grades star early literacy grades one through two we had 17 of 45 schools uh demonstrated above average growth. They had that MGP of 51.
And then of those 17 schools uh there were two, three, four, five schools. Did I count that right? That's of 60 or above. Right. Challenge, Dry Creek, Cottonwood, Homestead, and Altitude. Uh where we saw some really uh really uh
good scores, I think, is when we look at our star reading for grades uh for grades three through 10. So 46 schools demonstrated above average growth uh with that MGP of 51 or higher. And then we had several schools that had an MGP of 60 and above. Coyote Hills, Poulton,
Altitude, Analopee Ridge, Highline, Belleview, Willow Creek, Walnut Hills, Sunrise, and Homestead. The ones that you see that are bold and italics, those are highlighted because those are our Title One schools. And um for our title one schools to demonstrate a growth
percentile of 60 or higher, it does show that that they are on that right trajectory to continue to grow and then start to hit those grade level benchmarks of achievement. You want to talk about this? >> And I asked them to throw in um this
slide. I think it's helpful. Um sometimes when we're talking about uh assessment out in the community, we do have a public dashboard that shows our uh graduation rate which is high, our PSAT which remains strong. Our STAR data is updated on the interim basis showing
growth but CMASS publicly is where we've really kind of stalled a little bit really especially since CO and so hear me say we absolutely need to make growth in this area undoubtedly. And if you were to look at this chart in 2014, we were giving an assessment called TCAP.
TECAP was set on entirely different standards and scoring than CAMASS was. And so in fact, CDE, the Department of um education in Colorado came out and said in the future when we rebaseline from these tests, it would be inappropriate to use the original test
to baseline this test. uh SEAMASS was became park in 2015 and then they started calling it CAMass in 2016 but they came out and said that scores across the state would probably drop by half and in fact that's pretty much what happened. We actually have outperformed
that slightly. So you can see for the state in third grade in 2014 with TECAP, you can see all of those grades were kind of in the high 60s, low7s across the state. And two years later, they drop into the 30s and 40s. These
teachers did not forget how to teach. A bunch of these students are the same students. They're just two grades older. It just happens to be benchmarked off a college readiness standard versus the state standard. And so you can see the same thing happens in Cherry Creek. When I was the principal at Analopee Ridge, I
had fifth graders who regularly scored 90% proficient advanced. When they uh turned to Seamass, those scores dropped dramatically. And so you can see again, we as a district were historically in those 70s and 80s outperforming the state and then again dropped into the
40s and 50s maybe reaching close to a 60. To kind of further illustrate this point, I picked a couple schools that are probably well known to many of you in the community. I picked them I had Norm pick them at random, but Homestead, who was just listed on the last list as
being high growth, when they were taking TCAP, they were 97% proficient or advanced, they're now at 69%. A ton of that staff is the same staff. When you look at Willow Creek, went from 90s to 60s. Greenwood from 90s to 60s,
dropping 20, 30 points. Rolling Hills from the 90s to 49. Again, we have a ton of veteran staff that sit in our buildings and we continue to work on this and hear me say I want our scores to go up. But I also just want us to understand that remembering these days of test scores
that were and it was an entirely different test with an entirely different benchmark. And in fact, these students who scored um for the Cherry Creek School District in 2016 that you can see are 40s, 50, 53, 44, those are the same kids who have gone on into high
school and now continue to score high PSAT scores, continue to take these 11,000 AP tests, earn college credit, and earn us the highest graduation rate we had in history. So, just make sure that as we're talking about these things publicly, again, I want our scores to be
better and we need to move forward and it's just not the same as it was 12 years ago when we were taking a different test. And so I asked Norm to uh put that together as part of this presentation um because it is something that I think especially if you just have kids going through the system now you
may not know if you weren't a principal that when I was back and when this happened to happen you don't know what we were doing with the community at the time to try and communicate that. So I just wanted to bring that forward again um as an possible understanding as to some of the things that we are looking at today. And when you look at our
dashboard, it is why sometimes you see scores that are so significantly different because they're benchmarked in different ways. And so with that, I will kick it back to you guys and have questions um for the board to share.
Director Garland, thank you. I do have a question, but also I am neglecting my duty um because I am also on the foundation and I just want to announce that um the Cherry Creek Schools Foundation will be elevating what's possible at its annual
Elevate Gayla on Thursday, February 26th. By purchasing a ticket, you join thousands of community members investing in what works, supporting innovative classrooms, career pathways, mental health resources, and life-changing opportunities that help students thrive.
And our foundation executive, wave your hand if you need a ticket after the meeting. She can help you. Okay. Thank you. Um my my question is, so when looking at the data and just, you know, if I'm a if I'm a parent at home getting
this information, Um, how do I know when I should panic or not about my child's reading and math scores? I >> know if you necessarily have to panic because, uh, you know, we're as a system, we'll definitely provide the
supports they need. Uh, but, uh, you know, I like to look at a combination of both achievement and growth. There's a there's a graphic that we typically look at. Uh, we call it our quadrant graphic, right? And uh what it does is it it looks at a student's achievement and
growth. And so you know you wanna you want to see uh what you the ideal state would be a student that's demonstrating high achievement. They're scoring at least uh you know they're uh in terms of the percentile ranks that we talk about. They're scoring at that 55 or higher if
it's reading. But you also want them to have high growth right? So if they're if they're at a growth percentile of 50 and above, high achievement, high growth. Uh the opposite of that is a student that is low achievement and low growth. Right?
So if you're at the your uh score ranks in the 25th percentile and your growth percentile is like at 25, that's a student that's stuck, right? You're not achieving, you're not growing. Um I would panic. I would call Toby and I
would say, "Hey, I I I need some support, right? Uh who who do I turn to?" But uh we typically I would look at both achievement and growth to really determine um the students that need that intensive support. >> Okay. And then um and I guess kind of
along maybe this kind of ties into what uh Dr. Perry was talking about. I guess, you know, for those of us who have kids that have stretched this out quite a bit, um, when we started with things like just site words and you you get the orange book and you get the yellow book,
how does this system relate to that? Do you Does that question make sense? >> Yeah. So, the the foundational skills pieces Yes. Um, are going to be somewhat similar. Um, it's very sequential in the order uh that we teach this. And so it's just making sure that as kids progress
through that learning that that foundation is truly mastered, right? It's not a quick memorization. The other piece we're looking at is how do they take that learning and put it into practical application, right? So they're reading, they're writing. It's not just an isolation because sometimes in that
isolation moment, they've memorized it. We give an assessment, they can tell you, and then a couple days later they've lost it. But when they start to apply it in practice, it does show that they've internalized it and they've mastered that skill. So very similar. >> And then with the um as the state
adopted universal prek, are we seeing um our kindergarteners showing up more prepared or uh having more of those uh foundational literacy skills or phmic skills? >> Yeah, I think it's a benefit. One, it's a good point you just brought up. So, one thing we are looking at through the
strategic planning team and the leadership of Stacy Peoples, um they use what's called um the PY. It's in a kindergarten assessment that gives good information to our prek. Our kindergarten teams don't exactly know how to use it. So, one thing we're talking and working with Stacy Peoples
around is is it possible to have STAR early literacy given at the pre-K level? So then as kids go from prek to kindi we have data readily accessible so we can start uh doing what we need to do at earlier stages with our kiddos. >> That that's all my questions. But I do
have to share this with Norm. Every time I see you I think of the Stevie Wonder lyric until the day that 8* 8 time 8 is four. That just pops in my head. I just wanted you to know that. >> Thank you. Those are all my questions.
Thanks. There's uh what I really like about the STAR, I think I mentioned this before, is the immediate feedback into the classroom, uh which we don't get from Camass, uh which is, you know, I think problematic at best. So, I really
love that we're seeing that. But the one thing I forgot to ask the other day is when we an analyzed CAMASS scores, we looked at data showing kids that have been in the district for multi-year, we saw a growth pattern. Are
we seeing that same kind of growth pattern in the STAR assessments? >> Are you talking about continuous enrolled students? >> Yes, sir. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. And uh you guys answered my question so well the other day. I don't think I have
any further but uh thank you for your presentation. >> Thank you. >> Thank you Director Hammer. Director Bates >> Jen I appreciate the explanation at the very end about the difference in the test scores makes a big difference you
know in terms of the methodology of what's happened. Toby and and Norm on those six five or six schools that exceeded 60 on the MGP. Please make sure you give them a congratulations.
>> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you, Director Frell. >> Uh thank you, gentlemen. Um, I I have uh a pretty serious uh concern and I I I want to hear and we talked a little bit
about this earlier in the week at how we are rising to meet the challenge of uh supporting our MLL, our ESL and our ELLL uh learners um especially when it comes to reaching our 2030 uh goals of universal literacy. Can you please speak
in some detail about what we are doing to support those students? >> Yeah, absolutely. One thing our department does is teams very closely with Jen Hansen and department. And so she has brought a new perspective to what it looks like to provide instruction to those learners um and
different ways to look at testing. And so as you we shared with you before, Lolura is something in that experiment and explore stage. Um that is a uh that is the star assessment um given in Spanish. And so, um, what we have to make sure we're doing is
preparing the system of how to use that appropriately, right? And so, Highline, um, gave it to, I think about 70 students, um, this fall and they had the data, they weren't sure what to do with it, but through the leadership of Jen
Hansen, what we saw was um, it it takes away bias, right? because what it shows us is we have kiddos who are literate in their native language. And so we have to approach them differently um and provide instruction that's better going to meet their needs. And so what we're doing now
is really we have a team that's looking at laura um what does it mean for our system? Why are we giving it number one? Um I'm looking at Ron Garcia um through his leadership through ECCE. Um we did some um empathy surveys with students,
parents, and teachers. What did this test mean to them? Um and so we're getting very good feedback through through those um surveys. Um then when do we give it? Number two is a big one because we're not a dual language program and so there's different
purposes on when to use it. Um and then number three is we have the data. Now what and what does that mean for instructional planning as these teams move forward? and and we're looking at um ELD blocks differently, which Jen could speak to in more sophistication
than I can, but um I know the impact is is already being felt through schools. >> Thank you. Yeah, and I think that um you hit a uh a pretty important note there that taking away bias, I think, is an interesting concept and and should be a
policy. So, thank you for recognizing that, calling that out and the work that you're doing. Um, we look forward to more innovation and supporting more of our students. I'd like to see this universally spread out throughout all of our schools. Um, because our our students deserve it. Thank you. >> Yeah. Thank you.
>> Thank you. Thank you both for being here and thank you for adding that last slide to Director Garland and Dr. Perry's point. uh 26 years for kids through this district and I have to say that there
were a lot of moving of the goalpost in all those years by the state. So I think we also need to keep in mind that that looks different. Uh these assessments look different and I think it's really an important point to keep in mind. So thank you for adding that
>> and thank you for being here. >> Thank you. It is at this point in our meeting that we make time for members of the audience who have completed the online public comment form prior to 12 noon today to address the board of education. In order
for everyone to be heard, please limit your comments to a maximum of two minutes. A buzzer will sound at the end of two minutes and the microphone and audio will be automatically muted. Each speaker may only speak once during public comment. Speaking time may not be
shared between speakers. This is your opportunity to make comments to the board of education in accordance with board policy. It is not a question and answer session. Please combine your com comments to matters that are gerine to the business of the district. Further,
please recognize that students attend most of our meetings. Any speaker whose statements or behavior are unrelated to the business of the district, appear threatening or unsafe or are inappropriate for K12 students may be interrupted or warned and their
opportunity for comment terminated. Audience speaker asked to do so in a respectful manner and the audience is encouraged to listen respectively. Any speaker or audience member who disrupts the good order of the board meeting,
including the speaking time of others, may be asked to leave. We are very interested in your feedback and will listen carefully. On behalf of the board, I want to thank you in advance for your comments and taking the time to come to tonight's meeting.
Mr. Koig, will you call the first group of speakers, please? >> I'll call up five people at a time. Um, please line up in order behind the podium and remember to state your name at the beginning. Moren Welch, Tatiana
Stern, Molly Lamar, Ronda Carter, Bridgette Nelson. Sorry. Hold on one second. Shall I begin? Okay. Hello. My name is Moren Welch. I'm a recovering teacher and mother to two sons. Uh one who has att uh graduated and is at CU currently
and uh one who is a senior at Cherry Creek High School in the special ed ILC program. Uh, I wanted to give a moment of recognition in solidarity with the San Francisco Unified School District teachers who walked down on strike today with their allies. Um, as an alum of that school district, I was on the lines
as an 8-year-old 50 years ago and I hope they get their demands meet met quickly and students can get back in the classroom. Um, this board is in a really hard situation and I empathize with you. It's also a great opportunity. You can move from the past of agreeing always with the superintendent and staff and
start questioning them. I really think that transparency is important. Uh we need confidentiality with you. First of all, um I'm not sure if the public or the press realizes that every single email that is sent to the board of education inbox is read by the superintendent secretary. That's a real
conflict of interest and needs to be changed. Each member should have their own email to open on their own. I also suggest reconsideration of the setup of these meetings. Um the distance between us and you and all the security here sets a real tone of fear. I can get
closer to Governor Polus on a regular basis at the capital as well as the legislators and I just really feel like we need to have a a better vibe here. Um also the old toxicity and the anti- labor sentiment of this district has impacted my son directly. My son went
lost missing unaccounted for for 75 minutes in November. He has Down syndrome and autism and he's non-speaking. This is because the special education drivers were under pressure by management to leave 10 minutes after the bell rang, regardless of who was on the bus. This needs to
change. Luckily, he was spotted by a teacher who called the um case manager. She drove and pick him up. And I'll tell you what, that was the longest 15 minutes of my life, not knowing where he was and whether he was sick. Um they did not they were not under orders to inform the school staff or parents when a
student was not on the bus. >> Thank you. Your time is up. >> Good evening. My name is Tatiana Sturm. I'm a parent, a taxpayer, and a homeowner who cares deeply about families here in Cherry Creek. First, I want to thank you uh Director Forrell
for being the only be board member who has returned any of my emails. That responsiveness matters and I appreciate that. Frankly, I am very frustrated. The resignations, investigations, and the nepotism highlighted by Channel 7 are disappointing, but for many parents and
staff, they are not surprising. You receive piles of emails and calls warning toxic and financial mismanagement, and those war warnings were ignored. Toxic leadership didn't happen by accident. In 2021, this board promoted Chris Smith while his spouse
served as chief of HR that created a clear conflict of interest and silenced staff concerns for years. His res his resignation is only the beginning. Paid leave is not accountability. Trust is still broken. When leadership fails at the top,
everything underneath cracks morale, performance, and public confidence. We cannot fix a broken culture by recycling the same insiders. An internal hire may be comfortable for you, but our students and teachers deserve courageous, fresh
leadership and zero ties to the past. Remember who you work for. You work for us, the families, the teachers, the taxpayers, and our kids get one shot. I'm asking you to please do better and step up and lead. Good evening. My name is Molly Lamar. The resignation of a superintendent
hasn't solved the crisis in Cherry Creek schools because the inner circle that enabled him remains in power. I'm here to address the systemic nepotism and the political gatekeeping that has replaced public service in this district. On Friday, Director Garland told a group of
parents she isn't hard to find. yet our emails go unanswered. She claimed the leadership crisis is a personnel matter, but when leadership is entangled with private consulting firms and political operatives, it isn't a personnel matter. It's a public scandal. Let's talk about
the CA gatekeepers like Ashley Verval, who's leading district communications. Miss Verval came directly from the political world, having worked for years alongside Welker Company, the firm that runs this district's bond campaigns. It's a closed loop. The political
machine runs the campaigns to get the money and their associates now control the narrative on how it's spent and they want to find our new superintendent. This isn't a communications department. It's a PR shield for the inner circle. The rod is systemic. Tony P oversees a
department where his wife is a director. Toby Aratola manages strategic performance while his wife is a literacy coach and even on the board of education, the voice for the people. One member has replaced his wife who, as the former board president, is at the center of approving all of this. We don't want
a superficial reorg. We're here to say enough and demand that these political ties and nepotism be broken. We want to see this district to turn its focus to the students and genuine community engagement. It's time to start living our motto dedicated to excellence. If
you are a current employee who is still afraid, find me and I will help you. Thank you. Hi, my name is Rhonda Carter. I spent the last 35 years behind the wheel of a school bus. I retired officially in December. The safety of our buses has
been overlooked. We are We have a program where kids get on the bus, they scan, they sit down, we go to school, they scan to get off. But if there's five kids standing at the bus or five people, I can't even we we don't know if they're kids or not. We're forced to put
those students on our buses and take them to school. Now, I got in trouble a couple years ago. I drove Endeavor. I was told to take the kid, took him to school. He didn't even go to Endeavor. We're putting our staff and students at
risk. I asked the board to enforce the Tyler tablet. If a student comes to our bus, they need to scan. We need to know who's on our buses. If something was to happen on a bus, it would be like an airplane and 911.
There would be no survivors. We need safety and we need it now for our students and our staff. I'm just sorry. I just need to know that that all students are cared for. Our bus, our buildings are locked down. Our
admin buildings are locked down, but we open our door and we welcome every student or person standing at our buses to get on. That takes away the safety of our students and our staff. And I have a handout. Am I allowed to
hand it out? There's more. I just don't have safety is is important and it takes more than two minutes to talk about. Thank you. >> Good evening, Madame President, directors of the board, and Dr. Perry.
Thank you for the to speak tonight. My name is Bridget Nelson and I'm the vice president of the para educator association of Cherry Creek, also known as the PAC and a proud instructional PAR educator at Mountain Vista. On behalf of the pack, I want to sincerely thank you
for formally recognizing our union. Last year, 98% of PAR educators who voted chose the PAC as their bargaining agent. That recognition matters. It affirms that para educators voices are valued and that our role in this district is
respected. Over the past year, PAR educators have worked tirelessly not only in classrooms across the district but also at the bargaining table. Negotiations take time, patience, and persistence. And our team has shown all
three. We came committed to advocating for fair working conditions while keeping student success at the center. We also appreciate the collaboration with district leadership throughout this process. Bargaining isn't always easy, but we've made meaningful progress
together. Grounded in a shared goal, supporting the professionals who support students every day. PAR educators are essential to Cherry Creek Schools. We serve students with diverse needs, help create safe and inclusive classrooms,
and build relationships that make a real difference. When para educators are supported, students benefit and the entire district is stronger. As we move forward, we respectfully ask for your continued support. Ongoing collaboration
and commitment from the board will help ensure PAR educators can continue this vital work with the stability, respect, and resources it deserves. Thank you again for your recognition, your partnership, and your creeks
pareducators. Megan Cannon, Brian Dwiggins, Liza Hamck, Amanda Theer, Auggie Barber. Hello, my name is Liv Mitchell. Above everything else, I'm a severe needs parah at Liberty Middle School. I'm speaking on behalf of Megan Cannon. She
is the president of the pack. Um, good evening, Madame President, members of the board, and Dr. Perry. My name is Megan Cannon, and I'm the president of the Pared Educator Association of Cherry Creek, also known as the PAC. This evening, I want to talk about a group of educators whose impact is felt in every
hallway, every classroom, and every moment of growth in Cherry Creek schools, our PAR professionals. As paras, we're often the ones who spend the most amount of time with students each day. We are the ones sitting besides them during challenging lessons, celebrating victories, helping them
regulate big emotions, and building the trust that makes learning possible. These relationships aren't accidental. They're a result of countless hours spent listening, supporting, and showing up for our students. Our role is essential. We create safe, inclusive
learning environments by bridging communication between students and teachers as well as providing individualized support that allows students to access their education with dignity. Because we work so closely with students, we notice the small day-to-day changes in victories that others may
miss. That is our strength as paras. And it is also why our our stability matters so deeply. Right now, paras in Cherry Creek face a turnover rate that is simply too high. When paras leave, students often our most vulnerable
students lose trusted adults, classrooms lose consistency, and our schools lose valuable experience. Unfortunately, the cycle continues year after year. A strong bargaining contract is one of the most powerful tools we have to change that. When paras are respected,
supported, and compensated fairly, we can afford to stay. They can build long term they can build long-term relationships with students and continue to make our school stronger. Investing in pair of professionals in is investing directly in student success. In conclusion, the pack would like to
invite you to join our bargaining session on >> Sorry, your time is up. Thank you. Madame President, members of the board, Dr. Perry, my name is Ryan Dwiggins. I'm a Centennial City Council member and I'm here to introduce myself as your new
Centennial City Council liaison. Uh I represent District 3 that spans all the way from Colorado Boulevard on the west to just past Smoky Hill on the east. Uh about 80% of District 3 resides at Cherry Creek Schools, including where I live. Uh so this assignment means
something to me. Um you guys are celebrating Centennial just celebrated 25 years of incorporation this past Saturday and we want to continue to be good partners. I'm going to leave it up to Director Hamick to uh pass along my business cards to you guys. I'll send
them over here on the podium. Thank you. >> Good evening board president Egan directors. It gives me great pleasure to read a letter from the Colorado General Assembly supporting literacy in our district. And I'll I'll cut some stuff out so I make the two minutes. We are writing to express our strong support for the Cherry Creek Reads Celebration,
an outstanding event that highlights a vital role literacy plays in preparing our young people for the opportunities ahead. As state legislators, we recognize that strong reading and comprehension skills are foundational to lifelong learning, personal growth, and future success. Literacy is the most powerful when students not only learn
how to read, but choose to read. Support for initiatives like Cherry Creek Reads at every level of government underscores our shared responsibility to strengthen educational outcomes and to stand alongside the educators and staff who serve students each day. Cherry Creek Reads also demonstrates the power of integrating educational goals into
family life, making learning a meaningful and accessible part of our daily routines. Through programs like Cherry Creek Reads, CCSD is not only nurturing skilled, competent readers, but also fostering a more reflective, inclusive, and connected community. Thank you for your continued dedication to education and for cultivating an
environment where literacy is celebrated as a cornerstone of personal growth and community strength. Signed, Representative Liza Hamick, Senator Eman Judah, Representative Chad Clifford, Senator Chris Culker, Representative Meg Folic, Senator Tom Sullivan, Representative Jamie Jackson, Representative Manny Lindseay, Senator
Mike Weisman, and Representative Nquita Ricks. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Amanda Theer and I sit on your district accountability committee as your community member and I'm here to hold you accountable for the academic decline we've seen over the last years. For generations, Cherry Creek has been a
destination district and today that reputation is in tatters. While we have been busy protecting a toxic culture of nepatism, our students have been falling behind. And while I can appreciate the data that was shared this evening and the data that you shared, Dr. Harry, um
the the facts are that Cherry Creek has lost its crown and according to the Denver Post, we were the only district in the region to see a decline in our SEMASS scores last year. Our our students are currently performing below precoid levels. That was still SEMASS testing. So, I again appreciate what
you've shared this evening, but the literacy for all initiative is definitely clouded by mixed messages about assessment results. And so I really appreciate that you are doing your job to assess this toxic culture that we've seen that you've been addressing lately, but your primary job,
please do not forget it is that we are here to educate students and we are here to support those students. And the fact is that our students are struggling. We have no business leading this district if we cannot support our students. Please stop acting as a PR firm for the
administration and start acting as advocates for our children. Our students deserve the leaders that are focused on their achievement, not on administrative survival and protecting the toxic culture. Please do better for our students.
>> Good evening, chairman, our president, um, Egan, board members, and Dr. Perry. My name is Ay Barber and I served on the Cherry Creek Board of Education from 2000 to 2011 and as board president from 2005 until I was term limited in 2011. I
sat in your seats and I'm glad I'm not now truthfully. I also chaired Citizens for Cherry Creek during the 2012 bond and budget election and two of my children now in their 40s graduated from Smoky Hill High School. The education
they received launched them into successful adulthood. I'm here tonight because I care. I still care deeply about the Cherry Creek School District. Board President Egan, you and your colleagues are facing daunting
challenges that truly test your leadership. Thank you for taking decisive actions that you described in your comments earlier to begin restoring trust in the community by commissioning a comprehensive inclusive external
financial audit. I along with many others in the audience tonight appreciate your willingness to exercise strong fiduciary responsibility on behalf of the taxpayers of this district. Former board presidents and administrators are here this evening and
stand ready to support your diligent stewardship as you work to restore confidence in the Cherry Creek. Across this district, there are classrooms filled with dedicated teachers who inspire students to think,
to learn, to achieve, and to care. And it is the responsibility of the board of education to ensure that every dollar is directed toward what matters most, student achievement. I urge you to continue to do the right thing.
Dedicated to excellence is a high bar. Thank you. Craig Craig Clark, Maline Horn, Carly Holiday, Sarah Olmstead, Rachel Raven Wetzel. Craig Clark, graduate, taxpayer, father,
former teacher, former coach. The nepotism and corruption in this district must end. It extends beyond the superintendent and his wife into the schools at Cherry Creek High School. Principal Ryan Silva hired his wife
Sarah Silva to run the AP Institute. He did this without a proper job posting. He did this without a proper contract posting. And he has put tens of thousands of dollars using his position into his family's pocket. At the same time at that school, athletic director
Jason Wilkins runs a private for-profit company from his office known as Mile High Sports Camps. He uses his district email to run this business. He directs staff on tasks in support of him profiting. He uses the district website,
intellectual property, etc. to advance his business interests. Even worse, he schedules facilities with his business, then cancels the facilities and pockets the money while charging the camps. At the same time, he contracts with the districts bringing money in. Not only
this is illegal, it is unethical. People know this is wrong in the school and in the administration, and they're complicit in this, but they're also afraid. They're afraid because this district's human resources weaponizes
investigations against those who complain about discrimination, sexism, and racism. They put those who complain into a room in the human resources office they finally call the cry room or the crying room. And they joke amongst each other about how long it can take
till they make someone cry. Then when they're done with them, they send an email saying, "You can resign in two hours or we're firing you." Forced resignation, destroying lives of those who speak out. Thank you.
I'm Maline Horn. Hi, school board. And thank you for your service. Welcome, Dr. Perry. These are difficult political times for our country and my family has considered leaving. The reason we have not is that my children are thriving here in Cherry Creek schools. Cherry
Creek is committed to whole child wellness, to uplifting uplifting diversity and academic excellence that meets each child where they are. We are so grateful to the district and to our teachers. Our district is a safe haven in a national political storm. With this
in mind, I was disappointed to hear on the local news that many of our teachers do not feel safe and supported. As you work to resolve these multiple nepotistic nightmares, please listen to the teachers. So far, you've resolved the issue with leaves and future
retirements. This is not enough. Remove the employees not doing their jobs in ways that align with Cherry Creek's values. Not just Chris Smith, but Brenda Smith, Tony P, Rebecca Lopez, and possibly others. Get them out of our
district. Please remember our district's core values as you replace these employees. Make sure our teachers are supported because they are the ones who make our teach our schools excellent. Thank you. >> Good evening. I know it seems like so
much has changed since last month's board meeting, but I'm here tonight to remind everyone of what remains the same. I'd hate for us to forget who we are, what Cherry Creek Schools means to our students, our families, and our educators. We still have almost 53,000 students who
come to school every day in search of Cherry Creek's promise. We still have 4,200 teachers and SSPs who show up every day ready to teach and ready to support our students. We areed by one person. We are defined by our collective
promise to sustain our excellence from the last century to the next. The way we do that is by working together, by continuing to collaborate in the interest of students, all students. CCA has always been a critical role in
helping this district ensure excellence for all and we are committed to doing the same now. I choose to see this moment as an opportunity to regground in what we do and who we are to assess what's working and to continue improving from there. Whatever the board decides
to do next, we will support it as long as everyone understands the need for educators to be a part of that discussion since they can speak best to what our students need. In the meantime, I have faith that Dr. Perry and her team understands what's immediately in front of us that requires attention. Whether
that's protecting our students right to raise their voices, recognizing the challenges of AI in the classroom, maintaining services for special education students in the face of cuts, or building a budget that honors the efforts of educators and the needs of students. I look forward to the ongoing
conversation. Thank you for your time. Hello, my name is Sarah Olmstead. On top of the concerns listed by the previous speakers, I wanted to talk about the growing administrative staff despite declining enrollment. In 2018, Fox Hollow Elementary had 650 students and a
small front office with a principal, an office manager, and a registar. But we had two full-time reading interventionists and a full STEM program. have fewer than 450 students. The front office has a principal, an assistant principal, a raise coach, an office
manager, and but our reading interventionist has been reduced to a seven position, and our STEM is now at a.3 position. Also quoting the Denver Post, after six years, the district's CAMass scores still remain below pre-COVID levels.
While Cherry Creek is ranked fourth in the state, we are the only district showing a decline in literacy, trailing 15% behind the top district. In math, we are almost 13% behind leaders. Other districts have the same hurdles that Dr. Perry pointed out. And my
question is, why are we so far behind them? During the study session, it was discussed that possible state funding cuts impacting the district budget budget are coming. In preparation, I hope the board leadership re-evaluates the district's structure, starting at
the top, reducing district positions and reallocating those resources to the schools to better serve the students. I sent an email to all of you on Saturday and Mr. Futrell, thank you for your response. But in that, I gave the examples in the ongoing cycle of the
poor decision-making by leadership. I believe it's time to broaden the search for a new simper intended to include candidates not only from outside the district but outside the state. This is an opportunity for the board to reset and restore the trust within the
community but most importantly to put our students best interests at the forefront. Thank you. >> Good evening. My name is Rachel Raven Witzell and I'm a special education teacher of 26 years, 24 of those in Cherry Creek. First and foremost, I want
to thank all of you. I want to thank you for your hard work, your dedication to this district, and I'm sure none of you could really have anticipated all the challenges and you're handling it with the grace and
leadership of the people who I voted for very proudly. I stand here because as the district prepares to make budget decisions for the coming year, I would like to highlight how current spending impacts special education services. As a special education teacher, I'm concerned that
the needs of students with intellectual and social emotional disabilities are not being fully met, as evidenced by the increasing number of outofd placements. As an audit is being done, it would be valuable to review the cost of reopening and operating the Juliet Learning Center
compared to ongoing expensive outofdist placements. With the loss of Juliet, students with significant safety and health needs are being placed back in home schools that often lack the resources to adequately support them. This has contributed to increased staff stress, higher turnover, workers
compensation claims, and burnout. Additionally, it would be helpful to review the number of students currently served at Traverse and the overall cost effectiveness of that program. One of my students just returned from there and reported that there were only two other students at the high school with him.
Juliet Learning Center was closed when Traverse opened under the belief that both were not necessary. I wonder if the district would be or could be creative in utilizing resources that it has in order to reduce outside costs while serving more students in a separate school run like GLC was. Perhaps it
could even be housed with Traverse. Given the significant spending on outside contracts and private placements, I urge the board and district leadership to review whether these priorities best serve our students and to consider more effective ways to support both students and
Carolyn Porter, Shada Ramadan, Carolyn Clark, Deborah Bodton, Fiona Magcguire, Maguire OShea. Good evening. My name is Carolyn Porter and I am a 20-year veteran teacher here in the Cherry Creek School District. I
am also an active member of the CCEA. Cherry Creek Schools, like many districts across the nation, is facing significant budget shortfalls. This makes it especially important to take a close and thoughtful look at how our limited resources are being used. Cherry Creek educators bring an extraordinary
amount of expertise to our district, and it makes sense to fully utilize the talent we already have. While outside supports and consultants can be valuable in certain circumstances, those investments should always come with clear accountability,
regular reviews, measurable outcomes, and transparency so we can ensure the work is truly making a difference for students and staff. For example, the district recently entered into a four-year contract with Solution Tree. Separately, we had to purchase the books and payment for
substitute teachers required for staff training is ongoing. We should be more fully utilizing the highly capable IERC already in every building and receiving training on district initiatives such as this. It is also critical that we limit
the number of initiatives we are asking schools and staff to implement. Focusing on fewer well-chosen programs allows us to better evaluate what is working and prevents educators from being stretched so thin that it detracts from their ability to meet the needs of each and
every student. With thoughtful planning and careful stewardship of resources, we can make decisions that truly benefit both students and educators across our district. I urge the board and the interim superintendent to continue working collaboratively with educators
and the CCEA to ensure our decisions reflect fiscal responsibility, transparency, and a shared commitment to the success of every Cherry Creek student. Good evening members of the board. My name is Shar Ramadan and I'm here today because while transparency has become a
catchphrase in this district, the reality for parents remains a brick wall. First, I want to address the search for our next superintendent. We need a leader who brings an objective lens. Meaningful community involvement should not be an afterthought. It must be a mandatory standard for every highle hireer, including the current principal
search at Eagle Crest High School. Second, let's look at the glaring double standards regarding conflict of interest. We have building level staff and college students barred from positions due to family ties. Yet, at the district level, we allowed a superintendent and the head of HR to operate as a husband and wife team.
Although you've touched on the edges of these issues, there are deeper layers here that require full disclosure. We expect the board to share everything possible within the bounds of the law rather than hiding behind it. Why was Chris Smith allowed to retire instead of being released for cause? Why was the HR department allowed to expand so
exponentially under their watch? And what is being done to address the pyramid of the HR department? I've heard it referred to as a circle. How are you ensuring that the circle is truly working inward together and not out? And where do your teachers fall in this circle?
What current what is the current status of Brenda Smith's administrative leave? Given how this situation has escalated, it is difficult for the community to imagine her returning to that specific role and where is the line item audit to ensure our tax dollars are being used for students, not personal agendas.
Finally, I must address the behavior of district leadership. After a recent study session, parents attempting to ask civil questions were met with a wall, specifically from the head of communications, whose aggressive posturing and unnecessary call for security turned a calm inquiry into a defensive confrontation. When your
communications department works to stifle communication, you have failed your mission. You chose these roles as public figures, and as a community, we are strongly requesting a public forum, an opportunity to ask questions and receive actual answers. We are not asking for PR scripted responses. We are
asking for accountability. Stop placing walls between yourselves and the parents and students and thank you. Your time is up. >> Hello and good evening. My name is Caroline Clark and I'm a current senior at Arapo High School. I spent my freshman and sophomore year at Cherry
Creek High School and I was a victim of sexual harassment by my track coach. And during that time when I reported him. Nothing was done until others decided to report him, too. I was felt
unsafe. I felt scared and I didn't know what I could do because they didn't do anything about it. I think that just because one person reports someone doesn't mean that it's not true. And I don't understand why that made my
comment unvalid until others stood up. Even after he was put on leave, I, a 15-year-old little freshman, came back after a run during track practice. And
standing at the gate of the stadium was him after he was gone. No one was there to protect me. No one was there to ask if I was okay. I want accountability and I want student voices to be heard because this entire
meeting I've heard you guys say that student voices matter and students should speak out but why do when we speak out it doesn't matter and why do when we speak out our voices suddenly don't matter because you're you
put an extra emphasis on that and I really do not understand and I just have one other thing to say why is it that When all of this starts getting brought up by the news, why do you finally decide to start doing something about it? Why wasn't this
looked into earlier? What is going on? Thank you. >> Wow, that's hard to follow. Um, hi, my name is Deb Botton. I'm a 27-year resident, an active volunteer with thousands of hours in our schools. I, like many families, um, entrusted my
child's children's education to the district based upon its stellar reputation. Unfortunately, that reputation is starting to be tarnished. Per Friday's study session, this seems to be being addressed as a personnel issue instead of what I believe is a systemic cultural one. The toxic
environment that's been described develops when self-serving mismanagement, lack of transparency, nepotism, and weak oversight are allowed to take hold in an organization. Make no mistake, optics do matter. Having board seat shifting between spouses and relatives advancing within the district
reinforces a perspective of cronyism in the community. It creates an echo chamber that has stifled new objective voices and valid employee concerns. Let's be honest, without the media, the Smiths would still be in their positions and this room would be empty of parents.
This is this speaks to the failure of the district oversight. I love to hear tonight of the commitment and the focus on rebuilding a professional culture that will turn us to, as Director Hamrik states on his bio, a community, a centerpiece of our
community and a model in our state. Please also recognize that the people who created and supported this toxic environment may not be the most qualified to help lead us out of this journey. Thank you very much for your time and I appreciate you listening. >> Good evening. My name is Fiona. I'm a
mother of four boys. After years of a culture of silence that has limited parents ability to engage meaningfully in their children's education, it has become clear that this same culture has also harmed employees within the
district. That culture was on full display when a dev Denver 7 reporter was ignored, denied comment, and ultimately walked out on. Parents have experienced the same treatment for years. Our emails
go unanswered. Our public comment time was reduced from three minutes to two. Repeated requests to live stream board meetings were dismissed despite the fact that the district already has the technology to do this. Even so-called
open parent forms during schoolboard elections were anything but open. Parent submitted questions were left sitting in a box in the foyer while carefully curated questions were presented instead. When scrutiny finally arrived, leadership did not respond with
transparency or accountability. Instead, we saw avoidance. We saw retreat. We saw administrative travel suddenly suspended only after the public learned that an administrator had self-approved an overseas speaking engagement paid for
with taxpayer dollars. This is not leadership. This is not transparency. And this is not acceptable. This pattern of behavior is corruption and it must come to an end. Tonight, I am calling for the resignation of the board members
who have enabled and defended this toxic culture of silence for so long. Our district does not need damage control or closed-d dooror decision-making. We need leaders who are accountable, who welcome oversight, and who put children, not
politics or self-interest, first. our families, our staff, and most importantly, >> thank you. Your time is up. >> Kate Kate Briggs, Mary Chesley. Good evening, pre president Egan and directors of the board of education. My
name is Kate Briggs. I have four kids in the district at three different schools. I have been asked to share this message with you on behalf of several staff members who are afraid of losing their positions by coming forward. Here is what they would like you to know. In a
school district that claims to be dedicated to excellence, nepotism involving Chris and Brenda Smith should never have been permitted. Likewise, the toxic behavior attributed to Tony P and Rebecca Lopez should not be tolerated under any circumstances.
Parents will not simply go away until there is clear confidence that individuals in positions of power are being held accountable for their actions. A complacent school board that protects leadership rather than addressing misconduct will no longer go
unnoticed. meaningfully addressing and correcting those issues is what is best for teachers, students, and the long-term health of the district. Who will be responsible for leading an independent human resources investigation? We are still waiting for
a clear timeline that ensures employee voices are heard. Our current HR department knew about the Tony and Rebecca problem for years and did nothing. What will be different this time? If you don't remedy things quickly and transparently, CCSD will lose the
capacity to attract the best teacher candidates. The district's future depends on leadership making the right decisions now and demonstrating that excellence is more than just a slogan. Thank you. My name is Anne Moore and I'm a former
parents council president, past president of West and Homestead PTCOS, a retired teacher and dean, and I currently serve this district as a substitute teacher and a coach at Cherry Creek High School. Four of my children graduated from this district and eight
grandchildren are in the pipeline. Cherry Creek School District's mission to inspire every student to think, to learn, to achieve, to care has lost its academic focus. The addition of core values such as equity, growth mindset,
whole well-being, relationships, and engagement has shifted attention away from achievement and towards dealings, whether intentional or not. This shift is evident in district spending. This year, $37.7
million were directed towards these core values. Of that amount, 22 million funded a 3% salary in increase and was categorized un rather than salaries, obscuring
priorities and reducing transparency. At the same time, academic results are declining. In 2025, only 27% of Laredo middle school students met math expectations on CAMASS. Prairie Middle
School is on a state priority improvement plan, and its eighth grade ELA proficiency dropped to 14.2%. Student well-being matters, but it cannot replace strong instruction, high
expectations, and accountability. Inspiring students to think, to learn, to achieve, to care is your responsibility and it has been my life's work. My request is simple. Put the
Cherry Creek School District's mission back on the front burner and redirect the millions of dollars spent. >> Thank you. Your time is up. My name is Mary Chesley, President Agan and Superintendent Perry. I appreciate
your comments tonight promising a comprehensive audit. This is especially significant, dear, given that Dr. Perry's been on the job six days. I love this school district. I respectfully address you tonight with some tough
love. Trust in our district has been diminished. Trust is our greatest earned asset. Not expected, not demanded, and it is earned. Board members and staff, as facts unfold, you may have feelings
of misplaced trust. Work through those with integrity and excellence at every decision. As you and now an external group navigate through the operational processes, I plead with you that you refrain from labeling new concerns as
disgruntled employees. Muster the courage of the whistleblow of the whistleblowers who put their careers on the line and have endured subtle and not so subtle retaliation since. No matter the reporter or the method of reporting,
I encourage that your filter is always, "Is it true?" After a thorough investigation, is it true? As board members, you were elected to nonpartisan seats. It's not enough to say you belong to the party of kids. Not everyone who
has different opinions are ask tough questions is an adversary to our school district. Our parents and taxpayers of varying political affiliations agree on more things than they disagree. This is
evidenced by a 75- year history of incredible volunteerism and fiscal support at the ballot box. Additionally, you have the budget reductions ahead of you. District budget cuts require priorities and acknowledgement that this
is taxpayer money. Our district has been through Thank you. Your time is up. >> President Egan, that's all for tonight. >> Thank you, Mr. Koig. At this time, I call for a motion to approve the consent
agenda resolutions number 26.1.2.1 through number 26.2.7. >> So moved. Thank you. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Thank you. Roll call, please. Director Spates, >> I. >> Beacon, >> I.
>> But >> I. >> Garland. >> Ham. >> I. >> Thank you. That motion carries. Our last order of business is to announce our next regular meeting which will be held Monday, March 9th, 2026 at 7 p.m. This
is at Infinity Middle School, 21500 East Belleview Avenue in Aurora. May I have a motion to adjourn? >> So moved. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. Roll call, please. I >> Egan
>> I >> Garland >> I >> Ham >> I >> that motion carries. We are adjourned at 9:07