RESPONSE TO COLORADO SPRINGS INDEPENDENT NEWSWEEKLY
March 5, 2004
The Colorado Springs Independent Newsweekly
Ms. Cara DeGette, Editor
121 E. Pikes Peak Avenue, Suite 455
Colorado Springs CO 80903
Dear Ms. DeGette:
We read with disappointment the article titled "Command Performance"
detailing District 11's decision to approve a Life Skills Center in
Colorado Springs. While we appreciate attention to school choice and
District 11 initiatives, we believe that the article failed to mention
key facts that would give your readers a more thorough understanding of
the situation:
1) While District 11 does have some schools that target at-risk
children, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of children who have
dropped out of District 11 and are not being served by the existing
programs. The Colorado Department of Education gives Colorado Springs a
graduation rate of only 67% and says more than 4,000 students have
dropped out over just the past 4 years.
2) The members of the charter school board, a police chief, newspaper
publisher, economic development officer, community college president,
and local library director are interested in finding a way to help those
at-risk children not being served and help them find a path toward
success and gainful employment.
3) The Life Skills Center program has proven to be the most successful
dropout program in the country graduating approximately 3,500 students
in four years and being on pace to graduate 1,000 more students every
six months having met all state requirements. All of these graduates
were once drop-outs who were on a path to failure but who now have
diplomas and a job.
4) It is this success that has led the Ohio Board of Education to renew
the contract of each and every Life Skills Center that has come up for
renewal and has led several other states to approve the Life Skills
Center model.
We applaud the charter board and District 11 for taking additional
measures to help these young people that need it the most and continue
to make a difference and we invite you to the Life Skills Center of
Denver to experience first hand the difference such a program can make
in the lives of young people.
With best regards,
Mark F. Thimmig
President and CEO