ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. — On Tuesday, the Colorado State Board of Education met to finalize the removal of the Adams 14 School District's accreditation.
Adams 14 superintendent Karla Loria said the district is already working with a new management company, The New Teacher Project.
In an extensive interview, Loria talked about the challenges facing the 6,000-student district.
She questioned the state's accountability system, which she believes discriminates against students of color, non-native English speakers and students living in poverty.
Loria sat down with Denver7 anchor Nicole Brady to discuss next steps for the district. Watch the full interview below:
The state board voted to remove Adams 14 School District's accreditation and begin the process to reorganize the district on May 10.
On Tuesday, the state board approved an order that begins that process. An Organization Planning Committee will be created as the first step in the reorganization process, according to the state board. The committee will include representatives from each contiguous Adams County school district — Mapleton School District, Adams 12 Five Star Schools and Brighton School District 27J. Within 30 days of members officially being appointed, the first meeting will be held.
The committee will develop a plan, and then the community will provide feedback during public hearings, the state board said May 10. Voters in each of the affected districts will get to approve or disapprove the plan during an election, according to the state board.
The state board's order lifts the stay on the removal of Adams 14's accreditation and officially approved The New Teacher Project as the partial manager of the district.
“It is important to know that these are just the first steps in what is expected to be a long process that will allow for plenty of feedback by the community to find out if reorganization is desired,” said Board Chair Angelika Schroeder. “The ultimate goal is for all students in Adams County to have access to high quality education. We all need to come together to put a plan together that ensures the best possible outcomes for our kids.”
The district has faced issues for years, including years of underperformance. Every year since 2010, Adams 14 has received the two lowest ratings on the Department of Education's accountability scale. It's dealt with issues like low attendance rates and low test scores, as well as very high turnover of teachers, staff and administration. By law, the state board is required to intervene.
The district first came before the state board in 2017 after receiving priority improvement or turnaround ratings on the state’s school and district accountability system for six years, according to the state board.
In November 2018, the state board ordered Adams 14 to turn over full management to an external organization. The Adams 14 school board eventually chose MGT, which the state board approved in May 2019. But issues began to arise in the relationship in the summer of 2021, and ultimately, the two parted ways in early 2022
In-Depth: Colorado State Board of Education to decide fate of Adams 14 School District
