ATT: FELLOW TEACHERS-NEED INFO ON Aurora (Denver, Columbine: low income, school district, university)

[calimomof2]

Hi. I have applied to this school district because of the pay. I see the pay is comparable to what I earn here in Los Angeles. I have read that it a terrible district, but have not gotten the specifics on why. I realize it has low achieving schools, but this not what I want to know more about. I would like to hear from other teachers that know first hand how they treat the teachers, and if it would more than likely be a secure job since I am the sole bread winner supporting two children. Also, what are these nightmare scenarios I have heard mentioned in other threads?

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

My husband is a teacher in the Cherry Creek District. He does know that Aurora is a close-in suburban district with a large minority population and comparatively low test scores. Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) scores are very important for measuring a school's success and thus are a focus of some schools which are not doing well. Schools do vary, naturally, by location. A job there is likely to be secure because parts of the school district are on the expanding urban edge, so they are building new schools.

He doesn't hear bad things about the administration like he does the Denver Public Schools administration. We don't really hear much about the nightmare scenarios that you referred to in the schools, but some of the areas where the schools are located have problems because they have a high percentage of low income families.

I am surprised to hear that Aurora School District is paying that well. I would expect that of Cherry Creek.

[rebagirl]

My uncle worked as a school psychologist for many years within the Aurora Public Schools. Now his grandkids are going to Aurora schools. He has not said anything negative about the district at all, although he has acknowledged the fact that the area has changed--mainly more hispanics coming in. The teachers, in his opinion are no less dedicated than anywhere else. They just have a tremendous challenge in meeting the needs of a diverse population. It's difficult to "teach to the test" when the students are coming in with very little English. I teach in California, but am hoping to someday move to Colorado. I do believe that the pay is better in Aurora because it may be considered a less desirable area in which to teach, and pay is the incentive to get new teachers there. That's definitely how it is in inner-city Los Angeles. Not too many people want to teach there (not that Aurora is anywhere close to inner-city L.A., though! I actually like most of what I've seen of Aurora)

[laideeBdiamond]

Aurora is a very nice place, I would never consider it an inner city! It's one of the more diverse places, the schools are really not that bad, depends on what part of Aurora. I went to an Aurora public school, went on a top university and I felt the school system did well to prepare me.

[ladyfish]

The "Aurora horror stories" just aren't true, with the exception of a few fights breaking out (but there's been no Columbine). A lot of the situation is discomfort with the fact that there are so many minorities -- it's very diverse, esp. Central and Hinkley High Schools and surrounding areas. The teachers are all VERY dedicated and knowledgeable, and there's an IB program to boot at Hinkley and Overland (not sure if that's APS or CC). It's not someplace your traditional suburban parents would move to get their kids into position to be CEOs somewhere (which is just wrong anyway), but that's just a bias because there's not as much money floating around as at Cherry Creek, etc. -- many students succeed from APS. Many minority students succeed, many white students succeed. It's a great place to go to school, and I would think to teach as well.