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Denver Ranks as Fourth Best City for School Reform

A new study released this week has ranked Denver in the number four position in the “America’s Best Cities for School Reform” list. The report, which was published by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, analyzed 26 major cities throughout the United states in order to determine which ones provided the healthiest climate for school reform.

Overall, Denver received a grade of “B” for its reform-friendly environment, with none of the cities involved in the study receiving a grade of “A.” This grade was based on numerous criteria, including:

• Charter environment
• District environment
• Financial capital
• Human capital
• Municipal environment
• Quality control

“Denver is an attractive place for education entrepreneurs,” stated the report. “Reform efforts on both the city and state level resulted in an overhaul of teacher pay and evaluation, a more welcoming environment for charter schools, and a keen focus on raising student achievement.”

Denver was also recognized for the reform-friendly atmosphere of the Denver Public Schools (DPS) system as well as the reform-friendly measures implemented by leaders such as Superintendent Tom Boasberg and former Superintendent Michael Bennet. The report also gave a nod to Senator Michael Johnston, who is known for supporting reform-friendly measures in the state. The state’s “quality-conscious and well-run Colorado League of Charter Schools” was also acknowledged within the report.

“The Fordham report demonstrates that Denver has come up with the right recipe to successfully advance education reform for its kids,” said Vincent Badolato, who is the Vice President of Public Affairs at the Colorado League of Charter Schools. “We applaud Denver on its ranking and look forward to continuing to work them to advance this important issue.”

The Colorado League of Charter Schools, which is a non-profit, membership organization serving 170 charter schools throughout the state, is committed to help the charter schools achieve high levels of student performance. To accomplish this goal, the League provides information and resources to its membership schools. The League also provides technical support, public relations assistance, advocacy and more.

The top ten cities and the grades they received included:

1. New Orleans, Louisiana – B
2. Washington, DC – B
3. New York, New York – B
4. Denver, Colorado – B
5. Jacksonville, Florida – B
6. Charlotte, North Carolina – B
7. Austin, Texas – B
8. Houston, Texas – B
9. Fort Worth, Texas – B
10. San Francisco, CA - C

• Detroit, Michigan
• El Paso, Texas
• Phoenix, Arizona
• San Antonio, Texas
• Seattle, Washington

Each of these cities earned either an “F” or no grade at all.

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