E
E IDE AV U S NG & IO P AT E C E DU
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A comprehensive overview of education in the Pikes Peak region
2019
EDUCATION Below the Surface YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH CAMPAIGN GROWS
STEM
INNOVATION IN LEARNING
& MUCH, MUCH MORE!
A Gazette A Gazette Media Media Special SpecialSection Section I I January July 15,27, 2018 2019
INNOVATIVE
RELEVANT
PERSONALIZED
SSAE provides a rigorous, innovative learning environment that prepares students for their lives beyond high school. Our flexible and innovative model builds student resiliency, time management, self-advocacy and problem solving skills through a rigorous curriculum and project based learning model. Additionally, we foster an educational environment where students take ownership of their academic journey and develop their own learning pathways. These are the key success indicators businesses and colleges are seeking.
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Contents Welcome //
THE GAZETTE SPOTLIGHT ............................................ 4
Charter Schools //
THE GAZETTE SPOTLIGHT ............................................ 6
Homeschooling //
THE GAZETTE SPOTLIGHT ............................................. 7
Adults Going Back to College //
THE GAZETTE SPOTLIGHT .................................. 8-10
El Paso County School List //
THE GAZETTE SPOTLIGHT ............................... 12-13
Look
what 's inside!
Technology in Schools //
THE GAZETTE SPOTLIGHT ......................................... 14
STEM //
THE GAZETTE SPOTLIGHT ............................... 15-16
College Debt //
THE GAZETTE SPOTLIGHT ......................................... 18
Below the Surface //
THE GAZETTE SPOTLIGHT .............................. 19-22
2019
EDUCATION JANUARY 27, 2019
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2019 EDUCATION
Welcome
Choosing the right school is one of the most important decisions a parent or prospective student can make in life, which is why we are so thrilled to bring you this 2019 Education Guide covering the Pikes Peak region and beyond. Listing over 200 schools and higher education options, this year's guide covers everything from addressing student mental health to emerging education trends and online homeschooling programs. Simplify your search, explore different pathways of education and discover the best fit for your future!
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2019 EDUCATION
THE GAZETTE SPOTLIGHT
// Charter Schools
Charter schools tailored to students' needs Robin Intemann, Special to The Gazette
“Colorado is a charter-friendly state, there are all sorts of choices for parents to figure out what is best for their child.”
A charter school doesn’t necessarily offer a one-size-fits-all option when it comes to education, but there are plenty of charter choices that make it easier to tailor to a student’s needs.
The Pikes Peak region boasts more than two dozen charter schools and several with multiple locations. These educational facilities typically offer smaller class size, require school uniforms, emphasize core curriculum with some specializing on college prep, the arts, the sciences and vocational training. By law, these public schools do not charge tuition; they receive per pupil revenue from the state. The schools are often started by parents, teachers and community organizations. Some schools are part of a specific school district, while others are members of the Colorado Charter School Institute, an independent authorizing entity. Katherine Brophy was among the founders of the Thomas MacLaren School, where she is now director of communications. Two of her children are enrolled in the school and four are alumni.
“We looked at options and what we saw wasn’t what we were looking for for our own children,” she said. Initial conversations with other parents began in early 2007. The group was issued a charter in 2008 and opened its doors to 77 students in the fall of 2009 for grades six through nine. Today, the school has 825 students in grades K through 12. Charter schools are self-governed in that they have their own board of directors. “More importantly,” Brophy noted, “charter schools oftentimes have a mission or vision more focused on a certain pedagogy or curriculum.”
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This is in contrast, she explained, to the more broad approach taken in traditional public schools.
For example, MacLaren offers a classical, liberal arts education and students do wear uniforms. “This structured approach allows the school to create a culture that’s all its own,” Brophy said. She added that this is true of many charter schools.
Tuition and exclusive admission are among the misperceptions regarding charter schools, cited Brophy. “We do not pick and choose our students,” she explained. “We do, in the upper grades (7 through 12) have a diagnostic test to help place a child in the correct grade, since our curriculum is sequential.” According to the Colorado Department of Education, “Charter students also outperform peers in district-run schools on state tests.”
CDE and the Colorado League of Charter Schools provide numerous resources for parents and charter school administrators. Such schools are mandated by law to be held to the same accountability standards, academically and financially, as their traditional counterparts.
“Colorado is a charter-friendly state,” Brophy said. “There are all sorts of choices for parents to figure out what is best for their child.”
The Colorado League of Charter Schools notes, “Charter school programs and academic designs are as diverse as the students they enroll. Some charters implement longer school days, while others implement curricula specifically designed for at-risk students, gifted children, pregnant/parenting teens, juvenile offenders and more.”
THE GAZETTE SPOTLIGHT
// Home Schooling
2019 EDUCATION
Homeschooling fills a family's need for choice Home may be first place everyone learns, but many parents and guardians also want it to remain the foremost place for continuing their children’s primary and secondary education. Robin Intemann, Special to The Gazette
A spin on homeschooling is found in the Pikes Peak Online School for grades K through 12. This tuition-free, online public school serves 300 students in Colorado Springs and 700 statewide. Laura Gregory has been a social studies teacher for about four years for PPOS.
“ A lot of our families and students consider themselves homeschoolers because there is no brick and mortar."
“A lot of our families and students consider themselves homeschoolers because there is no brick and mortar,” she said.
The reasons for homeschooling are as varied as the families who pursue that route: Religious beliefs, health issues, education ideologies and influence, among others, are often the driving forces.
The law states, “that home school programs must include, but are not limited to, the subjects of communication skills of reading, writing, and speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, science, and regular courses of instruction in the constitution of the United States. The selection of curriculum is at the discretion of the parent who is overseeing the home schooling program. The state cannot offer any guidance in this area, and encourages contacting the district that received the written notification if there are further questions.”
Home may be first place everyone learns, but many parents and guardians also want it to remain the foremost place for continuing their children’s primary and secondary education.
Carol Tippie, staff assistant in the Colorado Springs School District 11 Homeschool Office, said the explanations vary from family to family. “Usually they’re just eager to teach their children themselves.”
The Colorado Department of Education also includes numerous resources on its websites to assist families.
Whatever the motivation, homeschool is not simply about handing a child a book to read or a math problem to solve. Colorado law requires a 14-day advance notice of intent submitted to the family’s residential school district, 172 contact days with a minimum of four hours per day, maintaining records to include attendance, test and evaluation results, along with immunization records. This information must be available to the school district upon request. Notices must be filed with the appropriate school district annually. Tippie has been in the D11 office for 22 years. She says the number of homeschoolers average is between 600 and 800 each year. She said, until about 10 years ago, the district offered enrichment programs for homeschoolers. “There are more community resources on the internet now,” she added. “I know some districts do have enrichment programs.”
The Home School Academy, through Academy District 20, for example, offers enrichment curriculum to supplement the homeschool experience.
In addition to information available about enrichment and assistance provided by area school districts, the Pikes Peak Library District hosts the Homeschool Hub on its website. Among the topics addressed are how to get started, state law, extracurricular activities, support groups and materials. The library sponsors writing competitions open to all fourth and fifth graders in the Pikes Peak region. The upcoming Homeschool Science Fair is scheduled for Feb. 15, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Library 21c. Spelling bees, history bees, group field trips, clubs, band and sports are other opportunities available in the community for homeschoolers.
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2019 EDUCATION
THE GAZETTE SPOTLIGHT
// Adults Going Back to College
Adults returning to education is trending
About 8 percent of University Colorado at Colorado Springs students have a military background, and most use the GI Bill to finance tuition. Carol McGraw, Special to The Gazette
"There are a variety of programs geared to older students."
Jerome Bernard Young joined the Army not so much to see the world, as to get free college. He served 27 years, including three tours in Iraq, and was able to get his bachelor’s degree in psychology at age 31 while still serving. Military students, like Jeromes are part of a much larger national group of older adults returning to college, or enrolling for the first time.
Young is now working on his master’s degree in public administration at UCCS, and plans to use that education to help homeless veterans through policy work. Young’s wife Marion Young is also an example of those who return to college. A former preschool teacher, she went back to school in midlife to become a nurse, he noted.
The National Center for Education Research reported a 42-percent increase in college students aged 25 to 34 between 2001 and 2015. While that apparently has declined somewhat, as has college attendance in general, there are still about 8.9 million older adults lugging their books to class. The older adult enrollment is projected to increase by about 11 percent by 2026.
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THE GAZETTE SPOTLIGHT
2019 EDUCATION
// Adults Going Back to College
(cont. from page 8)
Why are older adults going back to school?
James Link, director of enrollment services at Cornerstone University’s professional and graduate studies program, gives seven reasons on the school’s website: Early retirement (forced or otherwise); desire to start a new career; having increased finances that allow attendance without heavy loan debts; career burn out which inspires a new path or business; going back to finish a college education that they didn’t complete; need to update outdated skills through certification or continuing credits; and lastly, Link lists flexibility in getting a degree, particularly through online coursework. "At University of Colorado at Colorado Springs the average age of those obtaining a graduate certificate is 33.7 years," said Jared Verner, communications director.
There are a variety of programs geared to older students. The university satellite campus downtown makes it easy for professionals to attend right after work.
"PPCC has also been working to get more healthcare workers into the community," said Karen Kovaly, communications coordinator.
There are numerous graduate certificate programs in such things as laboratory science, teaching English as a second language, and homeland security. There is a lifelong enrichment program where adults 55 and older can audit courses at a discount. Last year the College of Business began offering a mini Master of Business Administration. The 13-week nondegree program teaches the latest in business theory and research. In another new program, UCCS and UC Health Memorial have teamed up to address the local shortage of nurses with advanced degrees. In the RN to BSN program, Memorial nurses with associate’s degrees as part of their current certification will study to get a nursing bachelor of science degree while employed.
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2019 EDUCATION
THE GAZETTE SPOTLIGHT
// Adults Going Back to College
(cont. from page 9)
The two-year college, will offer an RN to SBN program. It already has a two-year program, and this will be a separate advanced program offering two more years of study. PPCC recently purchased a new building to expand health care education.
In a newly built cybersecurity lab, some of the classes prepare students to take industry certification exams.
PPCC’s Workforce Development Division has also been working with cybersecurity firms to train their workers through non-credit courses.
Such classes are especially attractive to military, which who make up about 25 percent of the student body. (Enrollment of all students is around 19,000.)
The college has been designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense by the National Security Administration (NSA). New coursework includes a bachelor’s of Emergency Service Administration. Adults already working in fire science, criminal justice and emergency medical services who have an associate degree can enter the program and come out with a bachelor’s degree. The emergency management field has become particularly important today, Kovaly added. gazetteAD_Conder_12.20.pdf
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Academy Calvert K-8 Online Academy Academy International Elementary Academy Online Air Academy High School Antelope Trails Elementary School Aspen Valley Campus Briargate Preschool Challenger Middle School Chinook Trail Elementary School Discovery Canyon Campus Elem. School Discovery Canyon Campus High School Discovery Canyon Campus Middle School Douglass Valley Elementary School Eagleview Middle School Edith Wolford Elementary School Endeavour Elementary School Explorer Elementary School Foothills Elementary School Frontier Elementary School High Plains Elementary School Liberty High School Mountain Ridge Middle School Mountain View Elementary School Pine Creek High School Pioneer Elementary School Prairie Hills Elementary School Rampart High School Ranch Creek Elementary Rockrimmon Elementary School TCA College Pathways The Classical Academy Charter Elementary The Classical Academy High School The Classical Academy Middle School The Da Vinci Academy School Timberview Middle School Woodmen-Roberts Elementary School CALHAN RJ-1
Calhan Elementary School Calhan Middle School Calhan High School EDUCATION GUIDE
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THE GAZETTE SPOTLIGHT
CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN DIST. 12
Broadmoor Elementary School Canon Elementary School Cheyenne Mountain Elem. School Cheyenne Mtn. Junior High School Cheyenne Mountain High School Gold Camp Elementary School Pinon Valley Elementary School Skyway Park Elementary School The Vanguard School (Charter, Elementary) The Vanguard School (Charter, Middle) The Vanguard School (Charter, High) COLORADO SPRINGS DIST. 11 Academy for Advanced and Creative Learning Achieve Online Adams Elementary School Audubon Elementary School Bristol Elementary School Buena Vista Elementary School Carver Elementary School Chipeta Elementary School CIVA Charter Academy Columbia Elementary School Community Prep Charter School Coronado High School Doherty High School Edison Elementary School Freedom Elementary School Fremont Elementary School Galileo School of Math and Science Globe Charter School Grant Elementary School Henry Elementary School Holmes Middle School Howbert Elementary School Jack Swigert Aerospace Academy Jackson Elementary School Jenkins Middle School Keller Elementary School King Elementary School
Life Skills Center of Colorado Springs Madison Elementary School Mann Middle School Martinez Elementary School McAuliffe Elementary Midland Elementary School Mitchell High School Monroe Elementary School Nikola Tesla Education Opportunity Center North Middle School Odyssey Early College & Career Options Palmer High School Penrose Elementary School Queen Palmer Elementary School Rogers Elementary School Roosevelt Charter Academy Rudy Elementary School Russell Middle School Sabin Middle School Scott Elementary School Steele Elementary School Stratton Elementary School Taylor Elementary School The Bijou School Trailblazer Elementary School Twain Elementary School West Elementary School West Middle School Wilson Elementary School EDISON 54 JT
Edison Elementary School Edison Junior-Senior High School Edison Prep ELLICOTT DIST. 22 Ellicott Elementary School Ellicott Middle School Ellicott Senior High School
FOUNTAIN-FORT CARSON DIST. 8 Abrams Elementary School
// School List
Aragon Elementary School Carson Middle School Conrad Early Learning Center Eagleside Elementary School Fountain-Fort Carson High School Fountain Middle School Jordahl Elementary School Mesa Elementary School Mountainside Elementary School Patriot Elementary School Weikel Elementary School Welte Education Center HANOVER DIST. 28
Hanover Junior-Senior High School Hanover Online Academy Prairie Heights Elementary School HARRISON DIST. 2
Atlas Preparatory High School Atlas Preparatory Middle School Bricker Elementary School Carmel Middle School Career Readiness Academy Centennial Elementary School Giberson Elementary School Fox Meadow Middle School Harrison High School James Irwin Charter Elem. School James Irwin Charter High School James Irwin Charter Middle School Monterey Elementary School Mountain Vista Community School Mountain Vista Homeschool Academy Oak Creek Elementary School Otero Elementary School Panorama Middle School Pikes Peak Elementary School Sand Creek International Elementary School Sierra High School Soaring Eagles Elementary School Stratmoor Hills Elementary School Stratton Meadows Elementary School Turman Elementary School
THE GAZETTE SPOTLIGHT
Wildflower Elementary School LEWIS-PALMER DIST. 38
Bear Creek Elementary School Lewis-Palmer Combined Online Program Lewis-Palmer Elementary School Lewis-Palmer Middle School Lewis-Palmer High School Monument Charter Academy Palmer Lake Elementary School Palmer Ridge High School Prairie Winds Elementary School Ray E Kilmer Elementary School MANITOU SPRINGS DIST. 14
Manitou Springs Elementary School Manitou Springs High School Manitou Springs Middle School Manitou Springs Online Program Ute Pass Elementary School MIAMI-YODER 60 JT Miami-Yoder Elementary School Miami-Yoder Middle/High School PEYTON 23 JT
Peyton Elementary School Peyton Junior High School Peyton Online Academy Peyton Senior High School SCHOOL DIST. 49
2019 EDUCATION
// School List
Allies Banning Lewis Ranch Academy Evans International Elementary School Springs Studio for Academic Excellence Falcon Elementary School of Technology Falcon Middle School Falcon High School GOAL Academy Horizon Middle School
Meridian Ranch Elementary School Odyssey Elementary School Patriot High School Pikes Peak Early College Pikes Peak School Power Technical Early College Expeditionary Learning Remington Elementary School Ridgeview Elementary School Rocky Mountain Classical Academy Sand Creek High School Skyview Middle School Springs Ranch Elementary School Stetson Elementary School Vista Ridge High School Woodmen Hills Elementary School WIDEFIELD DIST. 3 D3 My Way Discovery High School French Elementary School Janitell Junior High School James Madison Charter Academy School Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School Mesa Ridge High School Pinello Elementary School Sproul Junior High School Sunrise Elementary School Talbott Steam Innovation School Venetucci Elementary School Watson Junior High School Widefield District 3 Preschool Webster Elementary School Widefield Elementary School Widefield High School
COLORADO SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF AND THE BLIND TELLER COUNTY CRIPPLE CREEKVICTOR RE-1
The Colorado Springs School Holy Apostles Preschool Holy Cross Christian Development Center & Day School Hope Montessori Academy Junior Academy New Directions Education Program Pikes Peak Academy Pikes Peak Christian School Rocky Mountain Montessori Academy St. Mary's High School St. Paul Catholic School St. Peter Catholic School Salem Lutheran School Sidewalk's End Montessori School Springs Adventist Academy The Hillsprings Learning Center Trinity Christian School The University School
Cresson Elementary Cripple Creek-Victor Middle-Senior High School WOODLAND PARK RE-2 *(Teller County)
Columbine Elementary School Gateway Elementary School Summit Elementary School Woodland Park Middle School Woodland Park High School Woodland Park Online Program ONLINE
Colorado Connections Academy Colorado Preparatory Academy Destinations Career Academy of Colorado Pikes Peak Online School STATE-AUTHORIZED CHARTER SCHOOLS
Colorado Military Academy Colorado Springs Charter Academy Colorado Springs Early Colleges Frontier Charter Academy Global Village Academy Colorado Springs James Irwin Charter Academy Launch High School Monarch Classical School of the Arts Mountain Song Community School Thomas MacLaren State Charter School PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Born to the Golden Mtn. Montessori Colorado Springs Christian Schools Cornerstone Baptist Academy Corpus Christi School Divine Redeemer Catholic School Evangelical Christian Academy Evangelical Christian Academy Secondary Fountain Valley School of Colorado Giving Tree Montessori School Griffith Centers for Children
COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES
Colorado College College America Colorado Springs Colorado Christian University College of Adult and Graduate Studies Colorado Technical University of Colorado Springs Colorado Technical University Online IntelliTec College National American University Colorado Springs National American University of Colorado Springs South Nazarene Bible College Pikes Peak Community College Pima Medical Institute Regis University Remington College Colorado Springs Campus United States Air Force Academy University of Colorado at Colorado Springs University of Phoenix Southern Campus
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2019 EDUCATION
THE GAZETTE SPOTLIGHT
// Technology in Schools
Why classrooms are starting to resemble arcades
"Let's figure out a way to support a way to deliver the best teaching, and allow the learning guardian to get back to art of teaching."
WALLINGFORD, CONN. — IT'S 1 O'CLOCK ON A WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
The Associated Press
IN WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT, AND ABOUT 20 CHILDREN ARE WATCHING A SCREEN AT THE FRONT OF THE ROOM AS THEY TAKE TURNS NAVIGATING CHALLENGES AND COLLECTING VIRTUAL CURRENCY TO UNLOCK POWERS, OUTFITS AND PETS FOR THEIR CHARACTERS.
The game they're playing has some similarities to the online battle game "Fortnite." But the kids aren't fighting one another — they're racking up points for participation and good behavior in their classroom at Dag Hammarskjold Middle School, where their teacher is presenting a home economics lesson with help from Classcraft, a fantasy-themed educational program.
Technology-inspired gamification in the classroom
LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION
"It's actually a lot of fun," said 13-year-old Caiden McManus. "The pets — that's my favorite thing to do. To train the pets, you gain as many gold pieces as possible so you can get the new outfits and stuff." Peek inside your average classroom these days, and you're likely to see teachers using apps, websites and software that borrow elements from video games to connect with students living technology-infused lives. By all accounts, they're fun to use, and studies have found that some can be effective. But there is also skepticism about how often students who use them are better educated, or just better entertained.
Dag Hammarskjold consumer sciences teacher Gianna Gurga said she had been looking for a way to get more out of her students. Students have been more motivated and performed better in her classes since she began using Classcraft in spring 2017, she said, and she has signed up a handful of other teachers in the school. "My kids are so addicted to it in the best way possible," Gurga said.
In one session, the classroom filled with suspenseful music as Gurga began rapid-fire questioning. With each correct answer, chosen from multiple choices on the screen, students gained points that could be used for avatar upgrades, privileges like listening to music in class, and a competition against other classrooms. The available characters — warriors, mages and healers — each have different powers and must collaborate to succeed. Points are awarded for class participation as well as good behavior, but the kids can also be penalized, as was the case for one of Gurga's seventh-graders who told a classmate to "shut up." A middle school in New York City, Quest to Learn, was the first public school to fully embrace game-based learning when it opened nearly a decade ago. The Manhattan school, developed by game theorists with the Institute of Play, has been closely followed since by researchers hoping for hard evidence of results from technology-inspired gamification. EDUCATION GUIDE
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THE GAZETTE SPOTLIGHT
2019 EDUCATION
// STEM
STEM Innovation in learning
By: Carol McGraw, Special to The Gazette
Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor. As early as the 17th century, that rhyme inspired children to ponder their future professions. TODAY THE INSPIRATION IS A SIMPLE ACRONYM: STEM.
Science, technology, engineering and math have become a necessary part of a student’s education and future job possibilities.
STEM studies began appearing in academia 20 years ago as the computer age took off, explains Rob Fredell, president and CEO of the Challenger Learning Center, where students learn STEM concepts. He notes that in the past half-dozen years, STEM has become a buzzword for innovation, economic growth and path to more plentiful and better-paying jobs. STEM skills aren’t just for students who want
careers in computer technology, architecture, engineering and nursing. Workers as diverse as farmers, restaurant owners, teachers and coffee baristas can benefit from STEM skills.
“STEM is now as important as speaking the King’s English,” Fredell says. Every STEM job in the future will depend on computer literacy and programming skills.” But at the same time, non-technical workers will need STEM-style critical thinking, problem solving, communications and teamwork skills for successful careers. STEM skills can be applied to any discipline: breaking problems down into the smallest parts to find answers. “It’s like the old maxim that you eat an elephant one bite at a time,” Fredell says.
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2019 EDUCATION
THE GAZETTE SPOTLIGHT
// STEM
Free Public High School Online or face-to-face, you choose!
CHANGE YOUR WORLD
Two students explore an aerodynamic model in class.
STEM
done right is not merely memorizing endless facts as did classes of yore. Now it is important to show how such information translates to daily lives. “Children become much better students when they understand that,” Fredell says. These days a host of fun and innovative programs have been created in schools, and special programs have been created to inspire kids to embrace STEM activities and learn critical thinking.
www.goalac.org
One of the most popular is using Legos to develop, design, build and code robots to perform tasks and compete in tournaments. Another popular project is to make up a computer game and then create software for it. Such projects also perfect a student’s skills in not only critical thinking, but collaboration, organization, prioritizing work, and communicating to successfully get things done. Those are all characteristics that employers like in an employee.
EDUCATION GUIDE
Challenger Learning Center in Colorado Springs provides STEM-focused workshops and programs for more than 21,000 students yearly. It also has STEM boot camps for teachers who, in turn, work with another 20,000 students locally in their own classrooms
Challenger’s signature program is called Space Simulation. The Space Mission simulated control room was designed after the one at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. Also, there is an orbiting space station modeled after the lab on the International Space Station. During space missions to the moon, comets and Mars, teams of students work together as scientists and engineers to solve real-world problems. 16
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Teaching STEM skills should start at an early age. Kindergarten is not too early. By fourth grade students usually know what they don’t want to know, and by eighth grade it’s usually too late, to change opinion, Fredell says. "Young children are usually more open to STEM than middle and high school students because they have less risk aversion," explains David Khaliqi, executive director of Pre-College Success and the Center for Stem Education at University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. “Our mission is to create 'persistent problem solvers,' Khaliqi says. Learning the knack of 'persistent problem solving' breaks down those barriers where kids try something once, such as a math problem, and give up, thinking they aren’t good at it. Part of the education is incorporating art and creativity in context of innovative designs.
The Center for STEM Education is partnering with Lockheed Martin to provide a STEM on Wheels workshop for students aged four to thirteen, in underserved schools.
Students from low-income areas often do not have access to resources such as robot-making programs that inspire them to study STEM subjects, Khaliqi explains. The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs center also has a twoweek program on campus for high school sophomores to study engineering.
An indispensable outcome of STEM, Khaliqi says, is giving students the confidence to be innovative and try new things.
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2019 EDUCATION
THE GAZETTE SPOTLIGHT
// College
Families fight over college debt
A HIGH SCHOOL
The Wall Street Journal
for the
Students sometimes sign up for federal loans in their name because they can get lower rates, with the expectation that their parents will actually make the payments.
Tinkerers
CONFLICT OVER COLLEGE DEBT IS INTENSIFYING AMONG AMERICAN FAMILIES.
Dreamers
Last year 25-year-old Chris Gannon realized he couldn’t afford the $500-a-month payments on his student loans on his own. The University of Michigan graduate asked his parents for help.
Innovators
But his parents were facing their own financial pressures, including trying to save for retirement. “He, being so young, looks at us sometimes like, ‘Well, you must not have made the best decisions. You should be in a better position than you are,’” says his mother, Mary Read, a chiropractor outside of Ann Arbor, Mich. “And I’m like, ‘Well, yeah, wait till you’re 63’ … we did the best we could.” Conflict over college debt is intensifying among American families, say financial advisers, loan officers and school counselors. Tuition increases have outpaced household incomes just as parents are facing a battery of other financial obligations, including supporting their own parents, saving for retirement, health-care costs, and sometimes their adult children’s living expenses. The consequence: tears, recriminations and blame.
Part of the tension stems from the difference between who is legally obligated to repay student loans, and who each member of the family believes is actually responsible for it. Other times, parents borrow in their own name through the federal “Parent Plus” program, under which they can borrow larger amounts than their children. In that arrangement, parents are legally responsible for the debt even if they expect their children to make the payments.
The problem often comes when financial circumstances change and one party can’t — or won’t — make the payments, or says they never promised to in the first place.
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“I’ve had parents say ‘I’m going to take out the Parent Plus loan but [my son or daughter] is going to pay it back,’” said John Falleroni, senior associate director of financial aid at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. “They ask, ‘What can I do to legally ensure that they pay it back?’ I tell them, ‘I would only hope that you raised your kids to be responsible.’ ” The generation of parents who now have college-aged children started their families three years later than their own parents, government data indicate, leaving them less time after their kids leave home to prepare for retirement.
THE GAZETTE SPOTLIGHT // Below the Surface
2019 EDUCATION
YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH CAMPAIGN GROWS Springs-based confident text crisis expands statewide By: Debbie Kelly
“MY LIFE IS FULL OF PRESSURE AND EXPECTATIONS. SOMETIMES EMPTINESS LIES JUST BELOW THE SURFACE.” “PARENTS CARE ABOUT ALL THE WRONG THINGS. SOMETIMES HURT LIES JUST BELOW THE SURFACE.” A high school hallway displaying the "Below the Surface" wall messaging.
2
NO.
“MOST INNOVATIVE SCHOOLS”
“MY GOOD GRADES ARE NEVER QUITE GOOD ENOUGH. SOMETIMES ANXIETY LIES JUST BELOW THE SURFACE.”
POSTERS
with these and other messages are part of a new push to combat teen suicide and help adolescents deal with mental health issues are being displayed in schools across the Pikes Peak region.
“Our intent is to reflect how a kid might be feeling so that when they’re in their own head and worried about how they’re going to get through something, they see a message that seems true and authentic and will take the next step.”
– U.S. News & World Report, 2019
Kirk Woundy, spokesman for the Colorado Springs Office of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
NOW, THE HOMEGROWN CAMPAIGN IS GOING STATEWIDE. Created last school year by NAMI—Colorado Springs in response to a record-high number of teen suicides in El Paso County in 2015 and 2016, the Below the Surface campaign steers kids dealing with bullying, peer pressure, troubled home situations, depression, anxiety, LGBTQ issues and other problems to a free, confidential text crisis line.
SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, 24 HOURS A DAY, TEENS CAN TEXT "TALK" to 38255 and connect with a trained
www.coloradocollege.edu
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professional or peer who has experienced something similar to what the caller is going through. Teens can remain anonymous throughout the conversation. (story cont. on page 20) JANUARY 27, 2019
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Teams of students from different schools helped develop the messaging, which along with posters includes stickers and business-card-size messages. Design Rangers of Colorado Springs handled the design.
SOMETIMES SADNESS
(cont. from page 19)
NAMI—Colorado Springs received a $50,000 grant from the Colorado Springs Health Foundation and raised an additional $25,000 in matching funds lies just below the surface. to activate the campaign.
“There were misconceptions, such as there isn’t a real person at the other end, or this isn’t going to help me,” Woundy said.
Find out more: need2text.com SOMETIMES Get involved: text@namicos.org SADNESS
lies just below the surface.
Text TALK 38255 NAMI-Colorado Springs also did presentations at schoolsto about how the line a text support line works and why students might want to use it.
“It’s meant to serve as an upstream approach to dealing with mental health issues, as much as it is a life preserver for when things are looking really fraught,” Woundy said.
SOMETIMES ANXIETY lies just below the surface.
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EDUCATION GUIDE
a text support line
of pressure and expectations
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JANUARY 27, 2019
about all the wrong things
SOMETIMES SOMETIMES EMPTINESS ANXIETY lies just below the surface.
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Need help? Text TALK to 38255
Need help? Text TALK to 38255
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Text TALK to 38255
a text support line
PARENTS CARE
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A personal, confidential text support line.
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"All of the teachers are nice, kind, and caring. The kids here are very nice and friendly too. POSTERS Everyone is like a big, loving family." The “Below the Rylie Stolpp, 5th grade messaging is de Gateway Elementary School that may be hun bathrooms and/o Woodland Park School District 719.686.2000 www.wpsdk12.org and gyms. The t Sometimes rejection lies just below the surface. rived directly fro Business card-sized “mini-cards” feature a portionPanel. The seve of the messaging from the posters. Trusted customized for a
a country that doesn’t want us MINI-CARDS
(cont. from page 20
40 schools are now promoting the text line, with more in the works.
A
grant from El Paso County Public Health is paying for outreach to rural Eastern Plains schools.
Text line usage tripled in the spring near two pilot schools, Atlas Preparatory Academy in Harrison School District 2 and Manitou Springs High School in Manitou Springs School District 14. Posters hang in discreet places at Atlas Prep, said Executive Director Brittney Stroh, where students can read them less obviously and not be judged by their peers.
Among the benefits, “It started to address some
issues — sexuality, depression, personal academic performance, immigrant status — that perhaps students don’t feel they can talk about with their parents,” Stroh said.
“The texting gives them an outlet.” Students in a focus group at Atlas Prep said they appreciated the opportunity to have their voices heard and provide input into the program. “There was an empowerment component,” Stroh said. “Teenagers aren’t necessarily actively involved in the design, implementation or giving feedback.” "The campaign caught the attention of the Colorado Department of Human Services be-
What your children believe is just as important as what they know.
cause youth advisers were able to say what they wanted and needed," said Cristen Bates, director of strategy, policy and communications in the department’s Office of Behavioral Health.
“Working with people who represent the audience you’re targeting can transform a BTS campaign,” she said. The idea, “comes from the understanding for these young people that there’s one way you present to the public, but just below the surface, they’re battling a lot of serious challenges,” Bates said.
“This campaign represents that feeling that’s unique to younger people.”
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“The Way of the Lord is my Fortress for Life” JANUARY 27, 2019
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2019 EDUCATION
THE GAZETTE SPOTLIGHT
// Below the Surface
(cont. from page 21)
Last month, after paying NAMIColorado Springs a $15,000 one-time licensing fee, the state’s Human Services department expanded the campaign statewide.
“There’s some early evidence that youth are really responding well to the program and engaging in connecting with the services,” she said.
Ads promoting the text line are appearing on Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube, featuring students telling real stories of how suicide has impacted their lives. A website, www.belowthesurfaceco. com, also explains the program. Schools can obtain the posters, stickers and notecards for free.
Users can “chat” via text about suicidal thoughts, substance abuse, general mental health well-being, anxiety and depression, or they can ask for assistance in helping a friend or family member experiencing such issues.
Already, the effort is producing results, Bates said.
"There’s been a 72 - percent increase in text outreach to the crisis line, she said, in comparing last month to October of last year." The statewide text line has been operational since early 2016, but had been slow to catch on before the Below the Surface campaign, she said.
Of those using the text line, about 40 percent are under age 21, which tells Bates the messaging is reaching the target audience.
Texting is the No. 1 way teens prefer to communicate, according to a study by Common Sense Research, thus the reason for the texting crisis line.
“This is an extra layer in a system of supports for students,” said Atlas Prep’s Stroh. “I think it’s a good entry point for schools to talk about and provide support for mental health. It’s not necessarily going to solve large problems, but for students who aren’t ready to speak, this is a method they are more comfortable with.”
In El Paso County, family stress has been identified as a top concern among teens using the line, with “educational performance often stated as the primary reason for the familial conflict,” according to a report from the August/September usage period. Teens are struggling with how to “fix” a low mood.
“One of the reasons this came out of El Paso County and was so powerful was the numbers of suicides in schools.”
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Most users have known someone who has committed suicide, which remains a concern statewide, as Colorado continues to rank among the top states in the nation for suicide.
Healthy Kids Colorado data show that 14 percent of Colorado youths admit to having made a suicide plan in the last year, and 8 percent attempted suicide at least once in the last year. “One of the reasons this came out of El Paso County and was so powerful, was the number of suicides in schools,” Bates said.
“Losing a person at that young age really rocks the community.” The text line is managed by Colorado Crisis Services, founded in 2014 in response to the Aurora Theater shooting through the state initiative, Strengthening Colorado’s Mental Health System: A Plan to Safeguard All Coloradans. For those who don’t want to text, a tollfree number, 1-844-493-TALK , is available for anyone in crisis or anyone dealing with a crisis to speak with a professional.
Online chat services are available from 4 p.m. to midnight daily at coloradocrisisservices.org.
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