Celebrating Public Schools Week

Posted on 03/26/2019

The Role of Public Schools in Achieving our Unity of Purpose

Today, U.S. News & World Report named Douglas County, Colorado the healthiest community in America. This is amazing news and certainly something to celebrate.

Of course, as superintendent of the great Douglas County School District -- I also want to see Douglas County named the top school district to receive a high-quality public school education. And, that’s exactly why Douglas County School District is joining thousands of other schools and districts to celebrate the second annual Public Schools Week.

Strong public schools build the knowledge and skills young people need to succeed in the global, knowledge-based world. Public schools are providing opportunities for more than 50 million students who are learning and growing inside our school buildings—so these young people can become college ready, career ready and life ready following high school graduation.

Here in Douglas County, we have over 8,000 teachers and staff who are providing our 68,000 students, across 91 schools, with the skills they need to succeed in our ever-changing world. Our teachers, principals, counselors, support staff and others are key to helping our students succeed.

We are committed to our Unity of Purpose, which is making sure each and every one of our students leaves high school prepared for a successful future in whatever path they choose, whether that be college, military or direct entrance into the career force.

Douglas County School District offers more than 78 state-approved Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, which prepare students for life after high school, while still in high school. We also offer opportunities for students to earn college credits while still in high school, and we are expanding these options via partnerships, such as the soon-to-open Sturm Collaboration Campus, which is a joint initiative between Douglas County School District, Arapahoe Community College, Colorado State University, and the Sturm Family Foundation.

Douglas County School District offers students and families an array of specialized programs and opportunities to ensure that all students’ needs are met, and that each student is prepared for their future. These opportunities include arts and music classes, STEM courses, Expeditionary Learning programs, Leader In Me schools, as well as more traditional learning environments. We know that no two children are the same and, therefore, offer a variety of personalized learning opportunities to meet each student’s needs. We offer special education, Gifted and Talented programs, and an English Language Development team recognized as the best in the state.

We have worked hard to build a safe, supportive, and welcoming education community where all students are treated fairly and with respect. Our dedicated teachers, principals, school counselors and other school staff are committed to providing the best education possible for our students.

The amazing 91 public schools across Douglas County are raising up future leaders in our community.

We hope you will join us in our Unity of Purpose. You can make your voice heard as we create the road map for the next 3-5 years here in Douglas County School District via the creation of a new strategic plan.

DCSD Community Conversation
Thursday, March 28
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Mountain Vista High School

You can also keep up-to-date with all that is happening in our great school district by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Sincerely,

Thomas S. Tucker, Ph.D.
Superintendent
Douglas County School District