The Montezuma-Cortez School District drew enthusiastic accolades last week from the director of accountability pathways for the Colorado Department of Education. In a Zoom presentation to the Re-1 School Board, Andy Swanson said the district has moved completely off what is called the “accountability clock.” That is a measure of student academic performance that gives schools with low performance ratings a deadline to improve. The district had been put on watch in 2023.
Swanson said this year the Re-1 district was in the top 20 percent of districts statewide regarding the percentage of points it earned over last year on the district performance framework.
District Superintendent Tom Burris told KSJD he credits factors such as lesson plans aligned to state standards, data-driven instruction, bell-to-bell instruction, and effective teaching for the change. He praised teachers and administrators, saying, “They hit it out of the park.”
"We've created two years in a row of winning," he said. "People have a taste of winning now and it tastes good."
Work on an overlook to the Cliff Palace site will obstruct a trail and thus prevent Mesa Verde National Park from holding a luminaria-lighting event this winter. Park Superintendent Kayci Cook Collins gave the news to the Montezuma County commissioners at their workshop Monday. This will be the fifth year in a row the popular event won’t be held in the park. However, a luminaria ceremony is scheduled for Dec. 6 at the Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center.
