Karolina Villagrana: “We Must Communicate with the Families of the DPS”

CANDIDATE FOR DPS- DISTRICT 2

Newsroom El Comercio de Colorado 

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Karolina Villagrana aspires to represent District 2 on the Denver Public School (DPS)’ Board of directors. This Denver native ensures that she will bring her experience as an educator to DPS. “I plan to bring my professional experience to the DPS board. When I analyze the policies in consideration, I immediately envision whether they are possible or not. I will be sure to retain my experience as a teacher, a commitment I made while training as an educator and leader. I’m never going to lose sight of what it means to be a teacher,” she said.

According to Villagrana, the DPS directive is to reestablish communication with the students’ parents. “We need to listen to families, and we must also provide a quality education for all of our children, whether they are bilingual or not,” she said. This teacher remembers when, in the 1980s, her mother complained about the lack of attention of the school system for the needs of immigrant families. She considers that the situation has not changed since then and that is why she assures that it is necessary to build that communication bridge.

For a Quality Education

The candidate worked in the district 2 councilman’s office, which gave her an in-depth understanding of Southwest Denver. Later, she decided to work as a teacher in schools in that sector. “I remember hearing a district student say ‘sometimes I feel like I don’t deserve to go to college.’ That statement broke my heart and I wondered what led that student to talk like that. I want to make sure that all students receive the quality of education that they all deserve,” she concluded.