Meet the new Denver Public Schools director of Latino student success

A year ago we told you how a new report found segregation was pervasive in Denver Public Schools - 50 years after the US Supreme Court ordered DPS to desegregate.

DPS is charging a new leader with developing solutions to this challenge, and with championing Latino student success.

Craig Peña and his sister Theresa were among the original plaintiffs in the Keyes case, where Denver became the first urban school district outside the south ordered to desegregate.

"This is just so disheartening seeing where we're at," Peña told us in July 2023.

The "La Raza" report commissioned by the Latino Education Coalition found that half of all Latino students in the district today are attending schools segregated by poverty.

And that students in schools segregated by race and poverty also had lower achievement.

Dr. Patricia Hurrieta was hired by DPS to act on the recommendations suggested by the coalition.

"Which recommendations are most important to surface quickly and to jump on and then which recommendations maybe we need to wait just a little bit so that we can prioritize especially student achievement and family engagement," said Hurrieta.

Over the next six months, Dr. Hurrieta will develop a plan to improve Latino student outcomes. The intent is for it to be implemented over three years, to ensure solutions stick.

"I think we start with our data, so we know where it's going super well, and we can figure out what strategies are really working well for our Latine students, both Spanish speakers, native English speakers and the simultaneous bilinguals that are learning both languages at the same time," she said.

The DPS Seal of Biliteracy is a credential given to students who've attained proficiency in two languages. Last school year more than 1,000 of the district's 5,000 graduates received the seal. It's the type of success Dr. Hurrieta wants to expand upon.

"I knew both languages. I have no idea which one I learned first. I really, truly learned them both at the same time," Hurrieta said, adding, "I am a product of DPS. My experience in DPS is more than 50 years."

And over those decades as a student, teacher and principal, Hurrieta says she's attuned to what excellence looks like, and how it should be accessible to every student.

"While we don't have control over where people live and they live where they can, what we do have control over is the neighborhood school. And so what we want to do is ensure that there is a high quality education program in every single one of our neighborhood schools," she added.

Hurrieta says her office will put out regular updates so families can track the progress of work for "La Raza".

Learn more at https://www.Dpsk12.Org/page/la-raza