fellows Archives

Most of the time Students Need Services, Kindness, & Respect -Not Expulsion

Legislation | 03/2/2023

Lauren Kinney School Counselor and Stand Advocacy Fellow

High School Students With Teacher In Class Using Laptops Smiling

Today the House Education Committee heard HB23-1109, School Policies And Student Conduct. This is a bill that promotes restorative practices, ensures reduced legal system involvement, fosters fairness in a system that otherwise considers students guilty until proven innocent, and creates accountability for unregulated and untrained expulsion hearing officers. Lauren Kinney, school counselor and Stand Advocacy Fellow prepared testimony in support of HB23-1109 that was read during the hearing by government affairs director, Bri Buentello. Below are those remarks.

“My name is Lauren Kinney and I am asking you to support HB23-1109. As a high school counselor, I am forced to witness and triage the fallout of failed exclusionary discipline on practically a daily basis. The amount of time I spend responding to frustrated teachers, admin hell-bent on maintaining the status quo of zero-tolerance policies, exhausted parents, and students that are starved for connection and struggling to cope with the trauma of a pandemic.

Students need services, kindness, respect, and to be taught the Colorado Essential Skills (Empowered Individual, Communicator, Problem Solver, and Community Member). We have local and national data warning us for decades about the unintended consequences of even a single failed class or suspension on graduation rates and the likelihood of entering the criminal justice system.

We know that one suspension in ninth grade doubles the risk of failing classes and increases the risk of dropping out by 20% (Mallett, 2016).
Students that fail one or more classes during their freshman year only have a 14% likelihood of graduating on time with their peers (ASCA, 2019).

If you explore the Education Department’s Civil Rights Data Collection website, you will see that regardless of the county in Colorado, our marginalized students are disproportionately impacted by these antiquated systems. 

Our best, most obvious solution is to focus on Restorative Justice Practices focused on addressing the harm done to individual and community stakeholders while focusing heavily on the rehabilitation of the perpetrator. There is significant evidence that RJP can improve student misbehavior, minimize exclusionary discipline, reduce discipline gaps related to race and disabilities, and have a positive impact on the students’ and teachers’ perceptions of the safety and pro-social climate of the schools.

Because you all have the advantage of using your fully-formed adult brains, I urge you to consider the long-term unintended consequences of our children’s behaviors that their underdeveloped brains cannot.” 

I was Expelled – My Behavior was a Cry For Help

Legislation | 03/2/2023

Jesse Rula Stand Advocacy Fellow, Educator, Parent and Community Leader

Today the House Education Committee heard HB23-1109, School Policies And Student Conduct. This is a bill that promotes restorative practices, ensures reduced legal system involvement, fosters fairness in a system that otherwise considers students guilty until proven innocent, and creates accountability for unregulated and untrained expulsion hearing officers. Jesse Rula, educator, parent, and Stand Advocacy Fellow prepared testimony in support of HB23-1109 that was read during the hearing by state organizing director, Ivana Bejaran Rib. Below are those remarks.

“My name is Jesse Rula and I am asking for your support of HB23-1109. Reducing the number of expulsions happening to Colorado youth is something I feel very strongly about due to my own personal experience.

I was a struggling teenager and was expelled from 2 different schools. I had a lot of personal things going on and it spilled into my school life. I was never expelled for anything related to drugs or violence but overall disruptive behavior. What I wish my teachers and school staff would have known was that my behavior was a cry for help.

Being expelled didn’t help. It only left me with more time in the same unhealthy environment I was in. What I needed was for the school to see that my behavior was a symptom of something bigger but instead I was allowed to slip through the cracks. Eventually, I just quit school altogether. Being expelled and struggling to find a school that would look at me as more than the reputation that preceded me became too hard and I gave up. I ended up pregnant at 16 and a high school dropout.

Despite all that, I am a success story. I did get my life together and I managed to go to college and eventually get my master’s degree. I ended up working for the same school system that failed me because I never wanted it to happen to another student. Despite what some of our students look like now, we have no idea what potential they have in the future. Just because a student is struggling, or making bad choices now, doesn’t mean they can’t accomplish great things with the right support.

Expelling students, especially for smaller infractions, is only a temporary fix for a much larger problem. It often leads to kids just quitting all together. In the end, these young people will someday become adults and if we continue to treat them like marginalized members of society, we may pay a higher price in the end.

If someone had taken the time to see me as more than a problem to get rid of, I might have had an easier road to get to where I am now. Please, don’t allow schools to be so quick to turn our students out. Give them a chance to thrive and succeed, thank you. “

We Cannot Accept an Education System that Funnels Students out of the Classroom and Into the Criminal System

Uncategorized | 03/2/2023

Tina Carroll Stand Advocacy Fellow, Educator, Parent and Community Leader

Today the House Education Committee heard HB23-1109, School Policies And Student Conduct. This is a bill that promotes restorative practices, ensures reduced legal system involvement, fosters fairness in a system that otherwise considers students guilty until proven innocent, and creates accountability for unregulated and untrained expulsion hearing officers. Tina Carroll, educator, parent, and Stand Advocacy Fellow prepared testimony in support of HB23-1109 that was read during the hearing by parent organizer, Natalie Perez. Below are those remarks.

“Hello, my name is Tina Carroll and I have a third-grade student that attends school in Jefferson County. I am an educator who also serves as a conduct and community standards officer. As a parent, educator, and servant leader in the community, I believe HB23-1109 closely aligns and has the potential to be the change we need to see in our schools and communities. The biggest component of this bill that resonates with me is the responsibility and pertinent role of the hearing officer. It is truly unimageable that we have individuals deciding our children’s future who are not trained in trauma, conflict resolution, cultural competency and familiar with milestones in children development. Although this is not an exhaustive list, it is clear that we are allowing our students to enter into an education system at a disadvantage. If we don’t make the change now to have skillful and well-versed advocates making informed decisions for our students and their families than we are accepting a system that funnels students out of the classroom and into the juvenile and criminal legal system.  

It is no secret that racial and ethnic minorities and children with disabilities are disproportionately represented in our legal system and in our classrooms. And to continue operating in a system where hearing officers are permitted to take a more punitive approach, instead of a responsive one is disheartening and a casualty in our education system.  

Members of the house, today I ask that you vote yes on this bill and take a stand for all children in the state of Colorado and mandate that we use best practices, by making sure that all hearing officers are subject matter experts, have ongoing trainings, and adequate resources for effective life changing outcomes and behavior modifications that will keep our children in the classrooms where they belong. ”

Using Dishonest Tactics to Drive Children into Confessing Something False is Wrong

Safe and Supportive Schools and Communities | 02/3/2023

Yaeel Duarte Stand Advocacy Fellow

HB 23- 1042, Admissibility Standards For Juvenile Statements was heard by the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, January 31. Below is the prepared testimony of Yaeel Duarte. Her testimony was written in Spanish and delivered by community organizer, Vallerie Bustamante. You can read both testimonies below. Learn more about HB23-1042 and why we are supporting it.

Gracias por la oportunidad de estar aquí hoy y hablar con usted sobre por qué quiero apoyar el Proyecto de Ley HB 23-1042, para la protección de la verdad y la confianza en los interrogatorios a menores.

Mi nombre es Yaeel Duarte, vivo en la ciudad y condado de Denver soy madre de familia de 4 Este proyecto de ley está muy apegado a mi corazón precisamente porque viven conmigo 3 de mis 4 hijos. Los cuales son de edades 20,15 y 14 años de edad. En base a las estadísticas en cuanto a interrogaciones falsas por el motivo de intimidación a los menores No me puedo imaginar la impotencia de los padres de saber cómo sus hijos por temor o estrés del momento

No fueron escuchados y eso sin tomar en cuenta que muchos adolescentes y jóvenes No saben expresar y comunicarse en momentos de presión para ellos. Definitivamente que Nadie incluyendo los adultos puede pensar claro ni en las consecuencias a futuro de lo que hablar sin analizar me pueden traer.

Me encantaría ver como las leyes se capacitan lo suficiente para efectuar de manera justa tales interrogaciones. Que los jueces y oficiales puedan tener la habilidad de observar cuando un joven se ve bajo presión y que se puedan hacer las investigaciones necesarias para asegurarse de que están hablando la verdad. Por supuesto que esto sea viable para todo joven frente a un oficial sin importar raza o color.

Nuestro estado puede desarrollar ese nivel de confianza si todas las partes involucradas ponen de su parte, este es un país que practica la Justicia y la libertad y eso mismo hay que enseñar a las generaciones venideras.

Gracias por tomarse el tiempo de escucharme.

Good afternoon chair and members of the committee, my name is Vallerie Bustamante and I am community organizer with Stand for Children, today I will be reading for one of our community leaders who actually wrote her testimony in Spanish, but for the sake of time I translated and will be reading it in English.

Thank you for the opportunity in presenting my testimony and letting me tell you about why I support HB Bill 23-1042, for the protection of truth and trust in interrogation settings of minors.

My name is Yaeel Duarte, I live in the city and county of Denver, I am the mother of 4 children and I am a fellow for Stand for Children.

This bill is very close to my heart precisely because 3 of my 4 children still live with me. They are 20, 15 and 14 years old. Based on the statistics regarding false confessions when dishonest interrogations happen to intimidate minors; I cannot imagine the powerlessness parents might feel to know that their children could be in a position where an adult in power could be using dishonest tactics to drive them into confessing something false. Nobody, including adults, can think clearly about future consequences under such pressure. I would love to see the laws empowered enough to fairly carry out such interrogations, that judges and officials may have the ability to observe when a young person is under pressure and that the necessary investigations can be carried out to make sure they are speaking the truth. Of course this is viable for every young person in front of an officer regardless of race or color. Our state can develop that level of trust if all parties involved put forth their part, this is a country that practices true justice and freedom and that must be taught to our future generations.

Thank you for taking the time to listen to my testimony and I ask you to vote in favor of HB23-1042.

Legislation Would Protect Children and Prevent Wrongful Convictions

Legislation | 01/31/2023

Noah Stout An attorney who has worked on multiple wrongful conviction exonerations

At the age of 14, Lawrence Montoya was coerced into a confession that cost him more than 13 years of freedom. A cognitively impaired teenager residing in Denver, Montoya was subjected to hours of law enforcement techniques including “false evidence ploy, manipulation, minimization, threats, false promises.” Finally under immense pressure Montoya succumbed to these techniques and confessed falsely, resulting in a wrongful conviction. This tragic case is sadly just a single reminder of many of the urgency of protecting truth and trust in juvenile interrogations, and the importance of passing HB 23- 1042, Admissibility Standards For Juvenile Statements.

Currently in Colorado, law enforcement may use deception during interrogation of youth. The methods used during these interrogations can also be harmful. Juveniles may be subjected to physical and psychological pressure, such as being held in isolation, being threatened with harsher punishment, or being presented with fake evidence. These tactics can lead to false confessions and can also cause long-term psychological damage. Children are more susceptible to manipulation and more likely to provide inaccurate information and false confessions under such pressure. According to an analysis published by the Bluhm Legal Clinic at Northwestern University “There can be no doubt about it: Young people are simply more likely to be wrongfully convicted than adults.” “They are less able to weigh risks and consequences; less likely to understand their legal rights; and less likely to understand what attorneys do or how attorneys can help them.”

Colorado now has an opportunity to follow states such as Oregon, Illinois and pass safeguards for kids with HB 23- 1042, Admissibility Standards For Juvenile Statements which will:

Increase funding for interrogation training for law enforcement, and
Improve the general reliability of confessions by requiring all juvenile interrogations to be recorded, and
If law enforcement does use deceptive tactics during custodial interrogation, the judge may discern whether the resulting confession was voluntary and therefore reliable and admissible in trial.

The University of Michigan’s National Registry of Exonerations examined the prevalence of false confessions in wrongful convictions of juveniles and found “Forty percent of exonerees who were under 18 at the time of the crime falsely confessed, including 53 percent of 14- and 15-year olds, and 86 percent of the few who were 13 years old or younger. By comparison, only 7 percent of adult exonerees without reported mental disabilities falsely confessed.”

Under interrogation for two and a half hours Lawrence Montoya denied 65 times being involved in the murder that he was ultimately coerced into confessing to using deceptive tactics. This confession was used in the absence of a shred of physical evidence to convict a 14 year old child. Unjust convictions such as Lawrence Montoya’s undermines the integrity of the justice system and can be prevented by HB 23-1042. Unfortunately, we cannot give back the countless years that have been taken from wrongly convicted children such as Lawrence Montoya, but this important legislation can be a first step in building trust within the criminal justice system and preventing future unjust convictions.

https://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/sites/ca10/files/opinions/010110692520.pdf

Noah Stout, of Denver, is an attorney who has worked on multiple wrongful conviction exonerations.

Standing With You

Standing With You | 12/9/2022

Stand for Children

Stand for Children Colorado advances educational equity and racial justice in Colorado through meaningful partnerships with families, educators, schools, and policy makers. One of the ways we uphold this work is through our annual Advocacy Fellowship.

Stand Advocacy Fellows are community leaders advocating for policy solutions towards racial justice and equity in education.  With the support of Stand staff, advocacy fellows will deep dive into issues affecting Colorado communities today, co-create solutions, democratize knowledge back to their communities, work to break down barriers to power and access decision makers, and, in the process, build long lasting relationships and invaluable skills.

Learn about each fellow

Colorado State Board of Education passes inclusive social studies standards

Together with our supporters and other partners we raised our voices in favor of students learning accurate, fact-based accounts of history. Learn more here.

Celebrating Election Results

Volunteers sent 170,000 texts to Colorado voters to support education champions in this year’s election. In addition to the re-election of Governor Polis, and the election of Stand endorsed candidates in the State Legislature, we are incredibly excited about the election of Kathy Plomer and Rebecca McClelland to the State Board. View the full list of Stand Education Champions elected here.

Stand Event: Engaging Through Challenges

This October, we hosted the Center for High School Success, Teach Kindness, and Home Visit Partnerships in a free, webinar to introduce programs and strategies to support safe and supportive school environments that lead to effective student and family engagement and improved attendance.

“I am excited to continue this fellowship because Stand is dedicated to change-making for our students and communities. I am looking forward to making change through careful research, thoughtful advocacy, and strong partnerships in a state policy context. I loved working with families and the Stand for Children advocates in the past and am happy to continue that work.”

Thank you for standing for Colorado’s students, families, and educators. Whether you’ve signed a petition, emailed your lawmaker, or shared information with your family and friends, your action matters, and so does your support. Will you donate to support our work in 2023?

Every dollar raised will go towards:

Fighting to expand funding for the Ninth Grade On-Track and Expelled and At-Risk Student Services (EARSS) grant programs.
Providing families with training and resources to support their students outside of the classroom through workshops and one on one support to parents/guardians in schools we partner with.
Working to eliminate the, currently allowable, practice of lying to juveniles during interrogation.
Continued progress on early literacy outcomes for students

Meet This Year’s Stand Advocacy Fellows

Community Engagement | 12/1/2022

Stand for Children

Stand for Children Colorado Advocacy Fellows are community leaders advocating for policy solutions towards racial justice and equity in education.  With the support of Stand staff, advocacy fellows will deep dive into issues affecting Colorado communities today, co-create solutions, democratize knowledge back to their communities, work to break down barriers to power and access decision makers, and, in the process, build long lasting relationships and invaluable skills.

We are excited to introduce this year’s Fellows!

Meet Flor

What are you most excited about in this year’s fellowship?

I am most excited about learning and gaining more tools to continue advocating for proper education for our children!

What is your favorite children’s book?

Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

What do you love most about Colorado?

Diversity

Meet Yaeel

What are you most excited about in this year’s fellowship?

¿Qué es lo que más le emociona del programa de becas de este año?

Lo que mas me emociona de formar parte de stand Es el fellowship con mis compañeras quienes son personas bastante comprometidas, tienen una pasion por tracender lo habitual y van la milla extra eso para mi Es pasion por lo que hacen.

What excites me the most about being part of Stand is the fellowship with my colleagues who are very committed people, they have a passion for transcending the usual and go the extra mile, that for me is to have passion for what they do.

What is your favorite children’s book?

¿Cuál es su libro infantil favorito?

Mi libro infantil favorito se llama: La Abeja Haragana de Horacio Quiroja

My favorite children’s book is called: La Abeja Haragana by Horacio Quiroja.

What do you love most about Colorado?

¿Qué es lo que más le gusta de Colorado?

Lo que mas me gusta de Colorado Es su Naturaleza definitivamente.

What I like most about Colorado is definitely its nature.

Meet Lorelei

What are you most excited about in this year’s fellowship?

I am excited to continue this fellowship because Stand is dedicated to change making for our students and communities. I am looking forward to making change through careful research, thoughtful advocacy, and strong partnerships in a state policy context. I loved working with families and the Stand for Children advocates in the past and am happy to continue that work.

What is your favorite children’s book?

I don’t have a favorite children’s book, but I did enjoy reading the Hungry Hungry Caterpillar to my nieces and nephews. My favorite book, however, is Mountains Beyond Mountains.

What do you love most about Colorado?

I love living in Colorado for the combination of city life and outdoor activities. I can go hiking or camping on the same weekend as exploring and experiencing nightlife in the city.

Meet Theresa

What are you most excited about in this year’s fellowship?

I am excited to collaborate with STAND fellows to advance educational initiatives that support all students and educators in Colorado by way of reviewing and/or testifying before legislative committees.

What is your favorite children’s book?

“Amazing Grace” by Mary Hoffmann.

What do you love most about Colorado?

I love Colorado in the Fall with its color foliage, mountain views and beautiful weather.

Meet Tina

What are you most excited about in this year’s fellowship?

I am excited to learn, grow and implement change with my peers.

What is your favorite children’s book?

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

What do you love most about Colorado?

I love the outdoors and the ability to travel within the state and always find a newfound destination.

Meet Jesse

What are you most excited about in this year’s fellowship?

I am excited to learn more about the legislative process and the bills we are supporting.

What is your favorite children’s book?

Anything by David Wiesner or Graeme Base. I love their illustrations and unique stories

What do you love most about Colorado?

I love that there is so much you can do for free. We have so much open space for parks, splash pads, visit the mountains or go hiking.

Meet Pamela

What are you most excited about in this year’s fellowship?

I’m most excited about working with the dedicated team of people to make our schools and state more equitable.

What is your favorite children’s book?

Favorite children’s book is the Jolly Postman

What do you love most about Colorado?

What I love most about Colorado is the peace I find when I’m in the mountains.

Meet Maybelline

What are you most excited about in this year’s fellowship?

¿Qué es lo que más le emociona del programa de becas de este año?

Aprender sobre los proyectos de los cuales tiene en el programa y saber un poco más de la política y saber sobre los legisladores sobre todo saber cómo ayudar a mis hijos en sus tareas.

Learn about the projects that the program contains and learn a little more about politics and know about the legislators, about everything, especially how to help my children with their homework.

What is your favorite children’s book?

¿Cuál es su libro infantil favorito?

Me gusta mucho los libros de animales creo que aprendemos sobre la naturaleza de ellos.

I really like animal books, I think we learn about nature through them.

What do you love most about Colorado?

¿Qué es lo que más le gusta de Colorado?

Las montañas y sobre todo el clima en el invierno.

The mountains and, in particular, the weather in winter.

Meet Lauren

What are you most excited about in this year’s fellowship?

I am excited about the opportunity to connect with other change agents willing to take the risks necessary to disrupt the status quo and build a more equitable future for all students.

What is your favorite children’s book?

Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall.

What do you love most about Colorado?

My favorite thing about Colorado is experiencing the beauty of our four distinct seasons.

Meet Flor, Stand Advocacy Fellow

Community Engagement | 11/29/2022

Stand for Children

We are excited to introduce this year’s Fellows!

Meet Flor

What are you most excited about in this year’s fellowship?

I am most excited about learning and gaining more tools to continue advocating for proper education for our children!

What is your favorite children’s book?

Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

What do you love most about Colorado?

Diversity

Meet Lorelei, Stand Advocacy Fellow

Community Engagement | 11/28/2022

Stand for Children

We are excited to introduce this year’s Fellows!

Meet Lorelei

What are you most excited about in this year’s fellowship?

I am excited to continue this fellowship because STAND is dedicated to change making for our students and communities. I am looking forward to making change through careful research, thoughtful advocacy, and strong partnerships in a state policy context. I loved working with families and the STAND for Colorado advocates in the past and am happy to continue that work.

What is your favorite children’s book?

I don’t have a favorite children’s book, but I did enjoy reading the Hungry Hungry Caterpillar to my nieces and nephews. My favorite book, however, is Mountains Beyond Mountains.

What do you love most about Colorado?

I love living in Colorado for the combination of city life and outdoor activities. I can go hiking or camping on the same weekend as exploring and experiencing nightlife in the city.

Meet Theresa, Stand Advocacy Fellow

Community Engagement | 11/23/2022

Stand for Children

We are excited to introduce this year’s Fellows!

Meet Theresa

What are you most excited about in this year’s fellowship?

What is your favorite children’s book?

“Amazing Grace” by Mary Hoffmann

What do you love most about Colorado?

I love Colorado in the Fall with its color foliage, mountain views and beautiful weather.