Proving
THE VALUE OF OUR VALUES
2020 ANNUAL REPORT
THERE'S AN OLD ADAGE,
“Adversity doesn’t build character, it reveals it.”
In a year like no other, our character as an entire community has been revealed through how we grieved, feared, persevered, pivoted, and came together. In our annual report this year, we highlight a few of the stories about how the Rocky Mountain Prep community has faced a year filled with adversity by leading with love and with our PEAK values (Perseverance, Excellence, Adventure, Kindness). As I reflect on 2020 during my last school year as CEO, I couldn’t be more proud of our team and more grateful to our families, scholars and supporters and excited for what next year brings. Thank you for being an integral part of our community! James Cryan, Rocky Mountain Prep Founder & CEO
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Perseverance
The 2019-20 school year was the fi rst year that RMP Fletcher's Autism Center was fully built out. So as the 13 teachers that comprise the Autism Center team were really hitting their stride in the winter of 2020, COVID-19 was spreading across the country. “Our whole team had to adapt each and every lesson [for remote learning] because most of our kiddos have multiple disabilities, and we needed to be creative to make sure they could access learning in the right way for them,” Ashley Peralta-Fogle, one of the Autism Center’s lead teachers shared. “The whole team was great at fl exibility and Perseverance from day one.” From getting acclimated with new technology to learning sign language to better support scholars' needs, this team has done everything they can to support the almost 30 students in our three Autism Center classrooms. “Our commitment to our kids is the biggest thing that keeps us going,” Grade Level Chair Stephanie Stiner added. “Our students are growing and learning — and they have continued to learn a ton. They are so resilient.”
“I’ve shown Perseverance because I haven't been thinking about all the bad things and thinking of positive things, like being able to go to school. I try not to think of COVID-19 because it has impacted us a lot and now we can't go outside without wearing masks. Right now if we didn't have these computers we wouldn't be able to go to school, and if we didn't go to school we couldn't get a good career. School is helping a lot.” Damian, 5th-Grade Scholar at RMP Berkeley
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Excellence
RMP Creekside family member Scott Pegues is a parent to Maya and an engaged member of the RMP community. He helps lead the RMP PEAK Group and shows Excellence by incorporating the PEAK values into this family leadership team. “When we sat down to brainstorm about the PEAK group, we realized that we as families could better connect to the school community by adopting the same values as students and staff,” Scott shared. “We worked together to build a ladder of engagement, which we tied to PEAK values. This helped guide our new behaviors. To build further alignment, we incorporated things we've seen in other parts of the school, such as fun icebreakers and activities, and a closing circle with shout-outs and feedback." “Part of Excellence to me is showing up consistently and persisting until you fi nd a path that fi ts your circumstance,” he continued. “At the most basic level, we have to convince ourselves that our presence in the room matters. It’s a consistent practice. Maya knows that if there’s a school meeting I’ll be there; if the sun rises, she’ll go to school.”
"This year my goal was to get better at reading. I got better at it this year because I showed Excellence - I read chapter books, listened to others to help me read fluently, and always try to participate and answer questions. In our monologue presentation for 'Esperanza Rising,' I helped my group find evidence from the chapter book to add to our paragraphs. I read fluently and know I am better at reading! I feel proud of myself.” Daniel, 5th-Grade Scholar at RMP Fletcher
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A
Adventure PRE-COVID PHOTOGRAPH
RMP Berkeley teacher Mary Ann Mahoney is no stranger to changing circumstances in education. She has spent 32 years as an educator -- both as a teacher and administrator -- but this year’s school building closures led Mary Ann and her Pre-K students to show exceptional Adventure in an unprecedented way. “Jumping into virtual learning had a steep learning curve,” Mary Ann shared. “I wanted to keep my Pre-K class engaged, so we went on several virtual fi eld trips, including MoMA in New York, a safari in Africa, and a trip to the Australian Zoo! I organized weekly STEM challenges for students, and we watched Tucker the caterpillar form a chrysalis and emerge a butterfl y. We often ended class watching a friend learn to ride their bike without training wheels.”
"This year, I have been showing Adventure by never giving up and trying my best when things get tough. Being brave is a big part of showing adventure for me. When I am brave and don't give up on hard tasks I am able to accomplish more things. I show adventure by trying new things that I have not done before.” Mahlet, 5th-Grade Scholar at RMP Creekside
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Kindness
As COVID-19 spread across the country and school building closures looked more and more likely, our team connected with our food partner, Revolution Foods, to make sure we were set up to support our families’ basic needs, like access to nutritious food. Since March, RMP and Revolution Foods have distributed more than 100,000 meals to children and families. We know both through family feedback and the high demand at our meal distribution sites that food insecurity remains one of the greatest challenges in our community. We are committed to supporting our families in overcoming that challenge through the duration of this pandemic. We are grateful for the incredible support of Revolution Foods, Bondadosa, and the many funders who showed incredible support and Kindness to make ongoing food distribution possible.
“Kindness means being nice and respectful to everyone, and to make friends with everyone.” Lomely, Kindergarten Scholar at RMP Southwest
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Our work to live our PEAK values as a community throughout 2020 lead to:
More than
100,000
More than
1,350
meals served
Chromebooks distributed
33
150
new staff hired to support virtual academy
virtual interviews performed during COVID
420
internet hotspots distributed
184
virtual scholar Circles
27,408,200
meeting minutes spent on Zoom
34,755 total Zoom meetings
1,927
help desk tickets resolved
889,146 participants have joined RMP Zoom meetings
1,153,313
student logins to blended learning platforms in the 2019-2020 school year RMP AR2020
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Our schools at a glance
4 campuses 1,845 scholars 81% of scholars are
Berkeley
Denver
Fletcher
economically disadvantaged
52% of scholars are
multilingual learners
13% of scholars receive special education services
128 Pre-K scholars
Southwest
Creekside
Aurora
Looking Ahead When I first got the call about enrolling at RMP, I wasn’t sure what to do. Jesse, my oldest, was only four years old at the time and I didn’t know if I was ready for him to start school. But with the encouragement of my family, I decided I would give this new school a try. Five years later, Jesse is now a fourth-grader at RMP Southwest — and I am a member of the RMP Board representing the voice of parents and families across our schools and sitting on the committee that will select the new CEO of the network. There are so many reasons that I have continued to choose RMP for my family and why I’ve stepped into leadership here. RMP has always been a place where my family feels safe, loved, and welcomed. My son has grown up at the school - he loves his teachers and his friends and I cannot imagine a place where he would be happier or learning more. As a parent, I have valued the transparency and communication from the school, and most importantly the way they support us as families. I’ll never forget how RMP has shown up for my family when we experienced losses and tragedies, something that too many of us have experienced this year. As a board member, I’m so proud of the way RMP hears
the voices of families and wants family input on the decisions we make. When I was a student in DPS, my parents didn’t have a voice in my education. It wasn’t because they didn’t want to share their ideas, it was because they weren’t offered the opportunity. My role is to be a voice not just for Jesse but for all our students and families. This pandemic has taught us what truly matters most and what we can’t give up no matter the circumstances; our health, our families, and the quality of the time we spend with each other. No matter what context we are in, whether we are in person or at home, we need to stay connected to each other. We have to keep delivering a loving, engaging education for our students. We have to keep pushing ourselves to grow and improve. So as we finish this school year, please know that we as a community are always here. In partnership,
Maureen Vázquez Parent Representative RMP Board of Directors
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Champions of RMP BOARD OF DIRECTORS Charlotte Brantley, Board Chair Former President & CEO, Clayton Early Learning Dr. Lydia M. Prado, Vice Chair Executive Director, Lifespan Local Pat Donovan, Treasurer & Business Committee Chair Managing Partner, RootED Jill Hamilton Anschutz, External Relations Committee Chair Independent Consultant Dr. Therese Zosel-Harper, Education Committee Chair Interim Senior Dean, Relay Denver Rhonda Fields State Senator, Colorado 29th District, Arapahoe County Russell Hedman Senior Associate, Hogan Lovells Jessica Thwaites, RMP Berkeley Parent Representative Managing Partner and Owner, Coda Coffee Company Chidozie Ugwumba Investment Manager, Walton Enterprises Maureen Vรกzquez, RMP Southwest Parent Representative Home Coordinator, Spanish Clinic Lee White Managing Director, Stifel Inc.
Includes all donations made between January 1, 2020 - December 31, 2020
$250,000+ Anschutz Foundation Daniels Fund Louis Calder Foundation RootED $100,000-$249,999 Rentschler Family Fund $25,000-$99,999 Anonymous (1) Charter School Growth Fund Trish & Ralph Nagel Partners Group Piton Foundation State of Colorado COVID Relief Fund Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation WEND $10,000-$24,999 Carson Foundation Christian & Jill Anschutz COVID-19 Emergency Hunger Relief Fund Denver Department of Public Health & Environment Lee & Suzanne White Morgridge Family Foundation $1,000-$9,999 Anonymous (1) Albertsons Companies Foundation Avinash Sekar Giving Fund Barton Family Foundation Benevity Community Impact Fund Charlotte M. Brantley Community First Foundation Fredrica Cryan
James Cryan & Elizabeth Coogan Gail Donovan Patrick & Marcy Donovan Foundation for Sustainable Urban Communities GENYouth Connie & Michael Gill Ted & Ruth Kassinger Carol & Gene Ludwig MidFirst Bank Judy & Bob Rawson William Regan Chidozie Ugwumba Sekar Family Giving Fund Silvia Vicente de Garcia Tom & Sharon Thwaites $500-$999 Anonymous (1) Barb & Fred Baumann BBVA Compass Kendra & Eric Black Taggart Hansen Scott & Michelle Harris Katherine & Rad Hastings Smithsonian Grants Jessica & Tim Thwaites Peter & Carol Worland UP TO $499 Anonymous (35) The Alter Family Amazon Smile Steph Bates Porter Bennett Michelle Bernstein Jess Borer The Breen Family
Claire Bresnahan & Rhys Brennan Kira Broer Sarah Buchman Caryl Buckstein Gary & Michele Carr Ivan Castro Christina Castro Howard Chang Alexandra Chavez & Trey Jefferson Sandi Cheng Eric Cipra Dena Cocetti Adrienne Day Dodson-Ellis Charitable Giving Fund Emily Dorn & Ryan Kockler Katy Driscoll Mara Durkin Cara Eng Rachel Evans Sadye Evnen John Farnam & Paul Heitzenrater Jennifer Feigert Joan Fishburn Justin Fong Adam Frank Juli Garcia-Vicente Linda & Michael Gardner Tyler Gilbert Maria Gomez Oscar Gonzalez Thomas Gougeon Sasha Green Ryan Grove Conor Hall Laura Haller & Jesska Daugherty Laura Harney
Ray & Carrie Harney, in honor of our daughter, Laura Harney Adriana Harrington Colby Hastings Vivien Hastings Tim Heck Russell Hedman Emma Hellmann & Tommy McCormac Cristina Hernandez Marcy Hill Paulina Holliday Brianna Hooper Mike & Sandy Howard James Humphrey & Kathryn O'Shea-Evans Chris Infanti Ben & Jordan Jarvis The Johnstons Lela Johnston & Brennan Gilbert Bridget & Jack Tiebout Susie & Kevin Joyce Suellen Kadis The Kadis Family Antara Kanth Indrina Kanth & Eric Chan Anna Kassinger JK & Geneva Kearns Mary Kelly Claire Kenyon Natalie Klem Denise Laney Dan & Beth Lodge-Rigal Harper Lodge Paula Lopez Crespin Danielle Lucas-Adam Leo De Luna Sarah Lynch & Kat Ling
Thomas Lynch Courtney Maher Mary Ann Mahoney Mollie Major Hannah Marck Max & Peggy Martin Izzy & Jeff Madelyn McCadden Josh McCarty & Romina Piersanti Elizabeth McDonald Nora McNeil Cary Meyers Sonya Meyers Lidiane Mocko Blair Moorhead Molly Oken Matthew Olson David Ostrowski Lizzie Pace Chris & Missy Paul Lela Payne Mari Peterson Mark & Heidi Peterson Kat & Dale Pittman Yona Porat Dr. Lydia M. Prado Alex Rawson & Anh Nguyen Greg & Taryn Rawson Jenni Reese Melissa & Andrew Revotskie Lauren Robinson Mia Rodolff Tasha Saunders Lydia Sawyer Lindsay Schultz Brady Sebo
Caitlin Vaughan Sekar & Harsha Sekar Joshua Shald Daylin Short Genie Smith Mahala & Zach Smith Kristina Bylund & John Stegman Jessica Sveen Alison Taylor Sara Taylor & Family Taylor Toll Beax Truex Kaila Twomey Rachel & Brad Van Brocklin Gabriella Visani Doni & Sheri Visani Terrence & Barbara Walton Tim White & Libby Brush Charis Whitnah Abby Worland Amy Zhu Lindsey Zink Elsa Zuniga IN KIND GIFTS Backpacks for all RMP scholars provided by VF Corporation Technology sponsorship at RMP Berkeley provided by Karla & Eric Lindgren
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Financial data 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 SCHOLARS
726
955
1,278
1,940
1,845
K-5 ENROLLMENT
582
811
1,134
1,577
1,786
PUBLIC REVENUES
5,342,678
8,256,596
11,401,405
19,566,654
25,178,479
PRIVATE GRANTS AND REVENUES
2,020,260
2,594,674
4,227,139
2,312,929
1,627,374
TOTAL REVENUES
7,362,938
10,851,270
15,628,544
21,897,583
26,805,853
PROGRAM EXPENSES
4,495,046
5,630,833
8,356,830
14,759,486
20,371,863
SUPPORT EXPENSES
4,495,046
5,630,833
4,880,404
5,453,045
4,087,848
TOTAL EXPENSES*
6,416,979
9,451,605
13,237,234
20,212,531
24,459,711
TOTAL ASSETS†
2,685,668
4,637,579
6,730,123
8,384,666
12,210,065
TOTAL LIABILITIES‡
23,642
575,888
277,122
364,613
1,543,870
TOTAL NET ASSETS
2,662,026
4,061,691
6,453,001
8,020,053
10,666,195
* Expenses do not include pension liability accruals or other capital expenses.
† Assets do not include facilities, fixtures and other capital assets.
FY19-20 EXPENSE SPLIT
$ in 000’s
2019-20 EXPENSE OVERVIEW
PEOPLE*
$17,883
BOOKS, SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT
$1,904
FACILITIES, FURNITURE & MAINTENANCE
$1,818
SERVICES & OTHER OPERATING EXPENSES
$2,853
TOTAL
$24,459
* Includes professional development, nurses, and counselors
SERVICES & OTHER OPERATING EXPENSES . . . . . . . . 12%
FACILITIES, FURNITURE & MAINTENANCE . . . 7%
BOOKS, SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT . . . . . . 8%
PEOPLE . . . . . . . . . . . 73%
‡ Liabilities do not include state pension plan liabilities and facility borrowings.
THANK YOU TO OUR TEAM AND COMMUNITY FOR LIVING OUR VALUES EVERYDAY
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Photography by: Rocky Mountain Prep team members