Herald
EnglEwood 3.21.13
Englewood
March 29, 2013
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A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourenglewoodnews.com
Arapahoe County, Colorado • Volume 93, Issue 6
Mistake invalidates test scores Two teachers make error in proctoring By Tom Munds
tmunds@ourcoloradonews.com Human error in administering ninthgrade state student assessment tests resulted in no-score reports for math and writing for most of Englewood High School’s freshmen. “Two teachers were proctoring the ninth-grade math and writing tests,” said
Karen Brofft, Englewood assistant school superintendent. “They were trained and prepared to administer three tests per day in a scheduled order. Somehow there was a mistake, and the mix-up in how the tests were given resulted in what is called misadministration of state tests.” The district sent a March 15 letter to the parents of all Englewood High School students explaining the issue and the state rules dictating what happened. “I read the letter and I guess I understand the problem,” Englewood resident Tanya Harrison said. “My stepdaughter is
a sophomore and this doesn’t impact her. But I am glad the district let everyone know what happened.” Brofft said the situation happened because the schedule called for students to take math test 1, writing test 1 and writing test 2 on the first day and to take writing test 2 the next day. The proctor team mistakenly had the students take math test 1, math test 2 and writing test 1 the first day. “The next day, the proctors realized their mistake and reported it to the school, who called me and I then reported it to the Colorado Department of Education,” Brofft said.
“The rules are if tests are misadministered, students could talk about the test, which would give students who were taking the test later taking an advantage. The result is the scores of all those who took the misadministered tests become a zero.” The assistant superintendent said the teachers proctoring the test felt very bad about their mistake, and she said the school took the appropriate action in the matter. However, since this is a personnel matter, she said the names of the teachers will not be released. Scores continues on Page 9
City may ban recreational pot industry Council informally votes for creation of proposal to bar retailers, clubs By Tom Munds
tmunds@ourcoloradonews.com
Rebecca Dynda directs the Clayton Elementary School choir during their performance at the March 19 Festival Choir Concert. Clayton was one of five choirs from Englewood schools taking part in the annual program. Photos by Tom Munds
Choir show combines many voices Five choruses join in Festival Choir Concert By Tom Munds
tmunds@ourcoloradonews.com Choral music replaced the sounds of sports activities in the Englewood High School fieldhouse during the March 19 Festival Choir Concert. The concert featured singers from five Englewood schools: Bishop and Clayton elementaries, Englewood Middle School, Englewood Leadership Academy and Englewood High School. “This is the second year we have done the festival choir concert in celebration of Music in Our Schools Month,” said Garlyn Saddler Bello, EHS choral director. “There are 250 voices taking part in tonight’s program. There will be a time when all the singers are on stage, plus there will be songs performed by one school’s choir as well as songs performed by special groups of singers like the Englewood Talent Company.”
A crowd packed the Englewood High School fieldhouse during the Festival Choir Concert. Choirs from five Englewood schools joined together, and also had individual performances during the program. She said preparations for the program have been under way for a while, with performers practicing their music.
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“We only had one night, March 18, to rehearse but everyone has worked hard and the rehearsal went very well,” Saddler Bello said. “I think the biggest challenge I had putting the performance together was the planning and timing so all the equipment and people were in place at the right time.” In her opening comments, the EHS choral director said the event was an opportunity to bring attention to music programs in the schools. She said the program was designed to include a wide range of songs such as the oldies pop favorite “Sixteen Tons,” the spiritual “Joy in My Heart” and the Irish folk song “Maria’s Wedding.” Choir continues on Page 9
By a 4-to-3 straw poll vote, the Englewood City Council directed staff to draft legislation that would prohibit setting up any aspect of the recreational marijuana industry in the city. The proposal would prohibit marijuana cultivation facilities, marijuana product manufacturing facilities, retail marijuana stores, marijuana bars and marijuana testing facilities anywhere in the city of Englewood. The proposed legislation would have no impact on the three medical marijuana stores located in the city. The decision came during the March 18 study session discussion about establishing rules to govern the recreational marijuana industry, which became legal with the voter passage of Amendment 64. “The governor’s Amendment 64 Implementation Task Force completed its work and sent the recommendations to the state Legislature,” Dan Brotzman, city attorney, told the council. “It appears there will be a two-tier system of state plus local rules.” The council then began talking about what local rules should be implemented. A discussion of the criminal section pointed out that local laws must agree with the Colorado Constitution, except that they can be more restrictive. Brotzman said the suggestion was to deal with possession of marijuana in vehicles or smoking it in public like similar violations of the liquor laws. The council gave consensus agreement to the suggestion and Brotzman noted it made preparing the regulations easier. Council Member Rick Gillit said many constituents in his district want no retail facilities in the city. He said Amendment 64 allows people to possess less than an ounce of marijuana for private use and it allows people to grow marijuana in their homes as long as they comply with established rules. The state constitutional provision also allows local governmental agencies to ban the recreational operations. Gillit then suggested city regulations be established prohibiting any retail marijuana operations in Englewood. Mayor Randy Penn asked for a consensus on Gillit’s proposal. Four council members, Gillit, Bob McCaslin, Linda Olson and Jill Wilson, supported the proposal, while Penn, Mayor Pro Tem Jim Woodward and Council Member Joe Jefferson opposed it. Plans are to bring the issue to the regular council meeting for a formal vote. “The people of Englewood strongly supported Amendment 64,” Jefferson said. “I Marijuana continues on Page 9