Bill Kurtz, CEO of DSST Public Schools, second from left, was awarded the Broad Prize for Public Charter Schools. Standing with him to the far right is Nina Rees, president of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
AUSTIN, Tex. - A Denver charter management organization was chosen Monday as the recipient of this year’s Broad Prize for Public Charter Schools.
The announcement was made at the annual National Alliance For Public Charter Schools conference.
DSST Public Schools serves 5,330 students in Denver, Colorado. For 10 consecutive years all students have been accepted to four-year colleges or universities, according to a press release from the National Alliance For Public Charter Schools. In 2017, its schools achieved the highest SAT results in the state for low-income, black and white students, the press release also stated.
Denver School of Science and Technology joined two other finalists, Achievement First and Uncommon Schools, competing for the prize.
Bill Kurtz, CEO of DSST Public Schools, said his organization stands on the shoulders of the other two finalists, which are known for sharing curriculum and teacher resources with other schools.
"Their unwavering commitment open-source sharing and best practices has set the standard for all of us, and created one of the most important attributes of the charter school movement," he said. "We work together as a movement on behalf of all of our nation's kids."
He told RedefinED that he was most proud of the schools' students and their incredible commitment to getting a world-class education.
DSST recently drew attention from the Century Foundation for being "diverse by design," meaning it works to draw students from a wide range of backgrounds.
Previous winners of The Broad Prize for Public Charter Schools include Success Academy in 2017, IDEA Public schools in 2016, Noble Network of Charter Schools in 2015 and KIPP schools in 2014.
The recipients of the $250,000 prize must use it for college readiness efforts, according to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. Kurtz said he will use the money to ensure that all students go to a four-year college and graduate.
Increasingly, charter school organizations devoted to helping low-income students reach college have turned their attention to college completion, where students from disadvantaged backgrounds face far more hurdles than their peers.
At the conference Monday, Kurtz said it was critical for everyone to renew their commitment to end the education inequities that affect many students.
