Academy for World Leadership College Preparatory High School Begins!

Youth organizer and alumni of North High School - Julieta Quinonez applauds the New North High School with college prep for all.

Yesterday, Padres and Jovenes Unidos joined with parents, community members, North Principal JoAnn Trujillo Hays, Superintendent Michael Bennet, School Board member Lucia Guzman, and City Council representatives Judy Montero and Rick Garcia to welcome a new generation of North High School students and celebrate the redesign of North.

Community members and parents at the press conference at North

Instructional leader and Principal JoAnn Trujillo Hays.	Denver Public Schools Superintendent Michael Bennet, congratulating the community as well as Padres & Jovenes Unidos for their hard work.

Former Jovenes Unidos member and current youth organizer Julieta Quinonez, spoke about her experiences through the five year campaign to transform North High School into a school of excellence for ALL students.

“In 2002 I joined Padres and Jovenes Unidos, a student and parent led organization that works for educational equality, racial justice for youth, and immigrant rights. Along with many other Padres y Jovenes Unidos members (including Juan Evangelista, Lalo Montoya, Eva Bonilla, Monica Acosta, Victor Nevarez, Lizeth Nevarez, Lizette Quezada and many more), over 700 North students were surveyed to learn how they felt about their school. Students and parents from North then compiled and analyzed the survey results, and published a report with solutions and concrete reforms on how to improve the quality of education at North High School. Not only were we very clear in our vision of what true educational equality looks like, but we have sustained and seen the reform effort through. When we say College Prep for All we mean that ALL students, regardless of race, gender, income, immigration status, or neighborhood should be prepared to go to college and succeed. Today, five years later, I am so proud to see the fruits of our community’s hard work as we welcome students into the new North High.

Supporters of redesign - City Council Members Rick Garcia and Judy Montero at the celebration.	Champions of reform: School Board Member Lucia Guzman and and North Alumni Wally Ginn.

Today is the first day of a year of transformation and high expectations for the entire community of North High School. Padres and Jovenes Unidos will be there to support the redesign effort and to ensure that the district provides the school with all the resources North needs to truly succeed and become a true example of excellent education in Denver, because we believe that high quality education is not only about CSAP scores or statistics – education is a human right. We know that by working together with the parents, community members, students, the North High School Administration, Superintendent Michael Bennet, Chief Academic Officer Jaime Aquino and everyone in North Denver, we can and will stay true to the vision of College Prep for ALL. Thank you all for your hard work over the past five years, and welcome to the New North High!"

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Parents and students at the press conference.