The Denver Public Schools Podcast

Denver Public Schools

Welcome to the DPS Podcast—the official hub for all things Denver Public Schools! Tune in to hear inspiring student success stories, discover family-friendly tips and resources, and stay up-to-date on the latest district news. We’re here to make sure every DPS family has easy access to the information they need. Don't miss out—hit subscribe now and join the conversation!

  1. 5h ago

    Justin Simmons Reflects on Retirement, Purpose, and Giving Back to Denver - The DPS Marrero Moment

    What does it take to achieve greatness on and off the field? In this special episode of the Marrero Moment, Denver Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero sits down with former Denver Broncos All-Pro safety Justin Simmons for an inspiring conversation about leadership, education, resilience, family, and community impact. Justin reflects on the lessons that shaped his journey from South Florida to Boston College and ultimately the NFL. He shares how setbacks in school taught him the importance of discipline, why education became his greatest investment, and how the support of his "village" helped him overcome challenges along the way. The conversation also explores Justin's recent retirement from professional football, his commitment to serving the Denver community through the Justin Simmons Foundation, and why he believes every young person has the potential to achieve more than they ever imagined. Whether you're a student, parent, educator, athlete, or community leader, this episode offers valuable lessons about humility, perseverance, and the power of giving back. In this episode:  Justin Simmons' journey to the NFL  The importance of education and academic success  Overcoming setbacks and learning from failure  Life after football and retirement  Building strong communities through service  Advice for students and future leaders  The partnership between the Justin Simmons Foundation and Denver Public Schools Foundation Subscribe for more conversations highlighting the students, educators, leaders, and stories shaping Denver Public Schools. #DenverPublicSchools #JustinSimmons #DenverBroncos #Leadership #Education #MarreroMoment #DPSStories #StudentSuccess #CommunityImpact #Denver

    28 min

  2. May 29

    DPS SnapShots: Celebrating a Year of Success and Looking Ahead to Summer

    1. CMAS and CoAlt Family Portal Now Open Colorado Measures of Academic Success, or CMAS, score reports for the 2025–26 school year will be released online through the Colorado Department of education’s Family Portal.  On Friday, May 29: Initial student performance summaries will be accessible via the Family Portal.By June 15: Final, detailed performance results — including peer comparisons, strengths and areas for growth — will be added to the portal. And In Fall 2026: Paper reports are sent to your child’s tested school for distribution to families.For more information, we have a guide for how to look up scores online linked in our shownotes: Family Portal Guidance Folder. Next up is a story about DPS students who are graduating TWICE 2. A Diploma and a Degree - The DPS Students Who Are Graduating Twice https://youtu.be/oOEgv4CnxaU 133 DPS students in the class of 2026 received their Associate's degree in addition to a high school diploma. That's two years of college while still in high school. We are so proud of our graduates for their dedication. Head to our shownotes to watch a video about Orion Connally, a Northeast Early College graduate, explain how he did it and how others can too! 3. Our third story is about E-Bike Safety Tips from the Denver Police Department E-Bike Safety Tips from Denver Police Department As we head into summer break, the Denver Police Department would like to remind parents and students how to be safe when riding e-bikes and bicycles and avoid potential citations. Riders should always  Wear a helmet.Ride in the roadway, as it is illegal and unsafe to ride on the sidewalk.Obey traffic signs and traffic laws.Ride in the same direction as the traffic is traveling and do not cut in front of vehicles.Go the posted speed limit.Wear reflective gearEnsure front and back lights work.Be predictable and use appropriate hand signals.Secure bicycle with U-lock fastened to an immovable object.ATVs, go-carts and other off-road vehicles are prohibited from Denver’s roadways, sidewalks and parks. The Denver Police Department wishes everyone a fun and safe summer. 4. I Heart to Read with Justin Simmons and Rachel Garcia - A DPS Literacy Celebration DPS recently kicked off a new literacy initiative with a high-energy celebration focused on inspiring a love of reading among young scholars. Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero was joined by former Denver Broncos All-Pro safety Justin Simmons and Mexican Cultural Center representative Rachel Garcia for a day filled with reading, dancing and joyful learning experiences.  The initiative aims to connect students with high-quality, grade-level texts while bringing the community into classrooms to help ignite excitement and passion for reading.  Head to our shownotes to Watch the recap video: https://youtu.be/w7yTVhTmlr4  5. Tasty Food Free Summer Meal Program Tasty Food’s free summer meal program will kick off Monday, June 1! All Denver youth, ages 3-18, are welcome to stop by any participating sites to enjoy free and wholesome meals, Monday-Friday between the dates of June 1-August 21. Participating sites are linked in our shownotes ( English and Spanish). You can also visit the Tasty Food website for more information.

    4 min

  3. May 28

    DPS Stories - The Proud Story of Ken Connelly

    In this powerful episode of DPS Stories, we sit down with Ken Connelly, a middle school educator at Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy, children’s rights advocate, author, and survivor whose journey is unlike anything you’ve heard before. Ken opens up about surviving childhood abduction, growing up in poverty, dropping out of high school, discovering he was dyslexic at 37 years old, and ultimately becoming an educator dedicated to making sure no student falls through the cracks. From serving in the military to advocating for children’s rights on the national stage, Ken shares how resilience, mentorship, and education transformed his life. He also reflects on the teacher who changed everything for him, why teaching became his greatest accomplishment, and how he now works to be that same source of hope for his students every day. You’ll also meet Bishop, Ken’s beloved service dog and unofficial school mascot, whose calming presence has touched countless students. This episode is emotional, inspiring, and a reminder of the incredible impact educators can have on the lives of young people. 🎧 Listen now and hear why Ken says, “Hopefully someday someone will say, ‘I had a Mr. C.’” #DPSStories #DenverPublicSchools #Education #TeacherStory #Resilience #StudentSuccess #ChildAdvocate #MiddleSchoolTeacher #PublicEducation #InspiringStories

    44 min

  4. May 27

    DPS 101 with FACE Executive Director Dr. Adella Arredondo

    Go behind the scenes of how Denver Public Schools works in this episode of the DPS 101 Podcast. In Episode 6, host Nicole Brady sits down with Dr. Adella Arredondo, Executive Director of Family and Community Engagement, or FACE. FACE oversees a number of critical programs in DPS: from engaging families in their children's education, providing resources like food and ESL classes, fostering school accountability and academic success, and recruiting volunteers for DPS schools. 🎧 Whether you're a parent, staff member, or community member, the DPS 101 podcast is a great way to better understand how DPS operates and how decisions are made.

    27 min

  5. May 22

    What DPS Families Need to Know Right Now - DPS Snapshots with Natalie B.

    Our first story is a reminder that SchoolChoice Round 2 is still open@  1. SchoolChoice Round 2 is still open! If you missed Round 1 of SchoolChoice, changed your mind since Round 1, are new to Denver, or are an ECE-4 applicant who didn’t get matched through Colorado Universal Preschool (UPK), Round 2 is for you! Unlike Round 1, Round 2 applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis within school admission priorities, so you are encouraged to apply soon. If space is available, your student will be offered a seat; otherwise, they’ll be added to the waitlist. If you’re already on a waitlist from Round 1, there is NO need to re-apply to the same school— you’re already in line. If you have any questions, please email schoolchoice@dpsk12.org or call the Choice Hotline at 720-423-3493.  2. Redrawing Our District Equitably: School Boundary and Enrollment Zone Update All families deserve equitable access to the schools that are the best fit for their students. Denver’s changing population means that as a district, we must adapt to ensure every student has access to robust programming. The Redrawing Our District Equitably: School Boundary and Enrollment Zone Update initiative will allow us to evaluate our boundaries and zones to better balance our resources, support healthy school enrollments and address Denver’s shifting population. The  goal is to ensure every student in DPS can thrive, regardless of their zip code. The first Virtual Community Engagement session happened last night, Thursday May 21 at 5 p.m. If you missed this opportunity, you are invited to RSVP to attend the next Virtual Community Engagement session happening TODAY Friday, May 22 at 7:30 a.m. If participating in a virtual engagement session is not for you, you can also share your thoughts via the survey linked in our shownotes. That survey will remain open until June 5.  Complete the survey, open through June 5.RSVP for Community Engagement session  3. Our third story is about City and County of Denver Programming and Resources To learn more about summer programming and resources throughout the City and County of Denver, utilize the locator and connect with events and activities near you! The Youth Program Locator is linked in our shownotes.Additionally, youth ages five through 18 have free access to Denver’s recreation centers, swimming pools and cultural centers with their My Denver Card. We also have the My Denver Card linked in our shownotes for easy access.   4. Our fourth story is about the MLE DAC on May 27th Join the Multilingual Education (MLE) District Advisory Committee (DAC) on Wednesday, May 27 from 5-7 p.m., at  the Children’s Museum of Denver, located at 2121 Children's Museum Dr. All are welcome at this Year‑end MLE DAC Celebration. This celebration will also include a resource fair for multilingual students and families and the Children’s Museum is free of entry for attendees. Information will be shared about the MLE DAC events held throughout the year and the resource fair will host a variety of community organizations and resource providers. Dinner, childcare and interpretation will be available. Attendees are encouraged to pre-register via the link in our shownotes. For more information, visit the MLE website.  5. Tasty Food Free Summer Meal Program Tasty Food’s free summer meal program will kick off Monday, June 1! All Denver youth, ages 3-18, are welcome to stop by any participating sites to enjoy free and wholesome meals, Monday-Friday between the dates of June 1-August 21. Participating sites are linked in our shownotes ( English and Spanish). You can also visit the Tasty Food website for more information.  That’s all for this week!  Please remember to like and subscribe to our show. As always, thank you to the DPS External Communications team for their help editing and producing this week’s show. We’ll see you next week for the last episode of season three of DPS Snapshots.

    4 min

  6. May 21

    The Lesson Plan: Career and College Success

    In this episode of "The Lesson Plan" Dr. Samantha Haviland, DPS Executive Director of Career and College Success and Scott Burke, Director of Higher Education Learning join host Nicole Brady for a graduation season discussion on career and college preparation. Learn how college level and concurrent enrollment courses have led to a record number of DPS students receiving an associates degree while still in high school; how the district is expanding Career and Technical Education; and how DPS students can find mentors, internships and job opportunities while still in high school.

    27 min

  7. May 15

    From School Boundaries to Student Art - DPS Snapshots with Natalie B.

    Our first story is a big one: Redrawing Our District Equitably: School Boundary and Enrollment Zone Update  Redrawing Our District Equitably: School Boundary and Enrollment Zone UpdateAll families deserve equitable access to the schools that are the best fit for their students. Denver’s changing population means that DPS must adapt to ensure every student has access to robust programming. The Redrawing Our District Equitably: School Boundary and Enrollment Zone Update initiative allows for DPS to evaluate the boundaries and zones to better balance resources, support healthy school enrollments and address Denver’s shifting population. The goal is to ensure every student in DPS can thrive, regardless of their zip code. DPS is committed to making community-informed decisions, and you are highly encouraged to get involved in this conversation. At the moment, there are two ways to do that.  You can share your thoughts via the survey linked in our shownotes, which is open through June 5.You can RSVP to attend one of the Virtual Community Engagement sessions happening on :Thursday, May 21 at 5 p.m.or Friday, May 22 at 7:30 a.m.Additional engagement opportunities will be coming in fall 2026. Next up is a story about the Device Policy Sentiment Survey 2. Device Policy Sentiment Survey Closes at 5 p.m. Today The DPS Board of Education is set to vote on June 8 on a new policy regarding students having access to communication devices (such as cellphones, headphones, smart watches, etc.) during school hours.  DPS is conducting a survey to understand the DPS community's current sentiment to ensure upcoming communications about this policy clearly address concerns and questions. The Device Policy Sentiment survey (Linked in our shownotes) closes at 5 p.m. today, May 15. The questions take 5-7 minutes to answer and all responses are confidential. You can learn more about the policy on the Communication Devices Advisory Committee (CDAC) website, also linked in our shownotes.  3. Our third story is about Recognizing National Prevention Week: Anti-Vaping Resources In honor of National Prevention Week, DPS is highlighting the importance of vaping prevention. E-cigarettes remain the most common tobacco product used by students nationwide, and we are committed to providing our community with tools to combat this trend. Our goal is to help students navigate the social pressures and health risks associated with vaping. Most middle and high school students who vape want to quit. Visit the Anti-Vaping campaign page, linked in our shownotes,  to learn more about the impacts and to find resources for those who may need help quitting. By staying informed, we can work together to foster a safer, healthier environment for every learner.   4. Our fourth story is about the 2026-27 Back to School Shopping Experience  While most people are winding down for the year, the Family and Community Engagement (FACE) team is looking ahead to help students start next year ready to learn and succeed! The new 2026–27 Back-to-School Shopping Experience has been redesigned to give families a more relaxed and personalized experience at our Community Hubs. The Back-to-School Shopping Experience is a free one-stop shopping experience where students can pick out grade-level backpacks and school supplies in a welcoming and stress-free environment. All DPS families are welcome. To help families avoid long lines and have enough time to shop comfortably, visits will take place by scheduled appointment during the week of August 10–14. The first step is to Complete the interest form, linked in our shownotes. Next, a team member will contact you before August 10–14 to schedule your shopping day and time.Finally, On your scheduled day, bring your student’s ID number (lunch number) and enjoy the experience.Our fifth and final story is about Student Art On Display at Denver International Airport  5. Student Art On Display at Denver International Airport  In celebration of 150 years of Colorado history, Denver School of the Arts, Hill Campus of Arts and Sciences and Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy collaborated to create a DPS student art exhibition at Denver International Airport!  The “Mile High Expressions” exhibit forms a collective portrait of a state that is both deeply rooted in history and constantly evolving. This is more than an opportunity for students to share their work; it is a chance for them to contribute to Colorado’s story.  Travelers looking to celebrate America’s 250th and Colorado’s 150th milestones are invited to view the exhibition. The exhibition is on view now through Nov. 2, and is located on the upper level of C Concourse, Mezzanine Level 3. Head to our shownotes to watch the student artists share why this exhibition is special to them. You can also visit dpsk12.org/page/history to see how DPS plans to celebrate 150 years of Colorado statehood.   That’s all for this week!  Please remember to like and subscribe to never miss an episode. As always, thank you to the DPS External Communications team for their help editing and producing this week’s show.We’ll see you next week on DPS Snapshots.

    5 min

  8. May 13

    DPS 101 with Chief of Operations Trena Marsal

    Go behind the scenes of how Denver Public Schools works in this episode of the DPS 101 Podcast. In Episode 5, host Nicole Brady sits down with Trena, Chief of Operations for Denver Public Schools. The Office of Operations oversees more than 2,000 employees in DPS departments including Climate and Safety, Transportation, Facilities, Sustainability, Technology Services, Planning, Design & Construction and more! 🎧 Whether you're a parent, staff member, or community member, the DPS 101 podcast is a great way to better understand how DPS operates and how decisions are made.

    32 min
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About

Welcome to the DPS Podcast—the official hub for all things Denver Public Schools! Tune in to hear inspiring student success stories, discover family-friendly tips and resources, and stay up-to-date on the latest district news. We’re here to make sure every DPS family has easy access to the information they need. Don't miss out—hit subscribe now and join the conversation!

Information

  • Creator
    Denver Public Schools
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    235
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Denver Public Schools Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Denver Public Schools Podcast

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