History of CHE

CHE was involved in two important court cases:

  • 听听听 To desegregate DPS schools (CHE worked as 鈥減laintiffs-intervenors鈥 In Keyes et al)
  • 听听听 To ensure that bilingual students (鈥淟imited English Proficient鈥 in the court鈥檚 legal language) had access to equal education

Desegregation


1969 Keyes v. School District Number One, Denver, Colorado, 303 F. Supp. 279 (District Court)

  • 听听听 DPS ordered to desegregate
  • 听听听 District Court later reverses; Tenth Circuit Court reverses
  • 听听听 Keyes et al appeals to the Supreme Court

1973 Keyes v. School Dist. No. One, 396 U.S. 1215 (Supreme Court)

  • 听听听 DPS ruled to desegregate
  • 听听听 This case was also notable because it confirmed that 鈥渉ispanics鈥 were an identifiable class for 14th amendment purposes and thus DPS could no longer argue that a school with a majority African American and Latinx population was desegregated.
  • 听听听 Overview .
  • 听听听 SCOTUS ruling (written by Justice Brennan)

1997 Keyes v. Congress of Hispanic Educators, 902 F. Supp. 1274 (District Court)

  • 听听听 Judge Matsch ends court oversight of DPS segregation
  • 听听听 Judge Matsch decides to continue court oversight of DPS regarding their programming for bilingual students, finding that CHE鈥檚 complaint that DPS has failed to comply with the Language Rights Consent Decree of August 17, 1984 deserves ongoing attention
  • 听听听 鈥淭he allegations of failure to comply with the Language Rights Consent Decree of August 17, 1984, made by plaintiff-intervenor Congress of Hispanic Educators, are removed from this civil action and will be dealt with as a separate and independent proceeding designated as Civil Action No. 95-M-2313, with its own jurisdictional base under the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974, codified in 20 U.S.C. 搂搂 1701-1721 and particularly 搂搂 1703(f) and 1708鈥 (Judge Matsch, )


Access to Equal Education for Bilingual Students


1980听 听

  • CHE filed a supplemental complaint based on the the Equal Educational Opportunities Act (1974) to argue that 鈥渓imited-English proficient鈥 students also experienced unequal education ( [DPS] to modify Language Rights Order of 1984)

1983 Keyes v. School Dist. No. 1, 576 F. Supp. 1503 (District Court)听 听

  • 听听听 CHE argues that 鈥渓imited-English proficient鈥 students must be considered as a unique class also deserving protections
  • 听听听 The court ruled that although DPS was not legally obligated to provide bilingual education, it was obligated to 鈥渢o take appropriate action to eliminate language barriers which currently prevent a great number of students from participating equally in the educational programs offered by the district鈥 and that 鈥渢he issues which have been brought before the court by the plaintiff-intervenors [CHE] are part and parcel of the mandate to establish a unitary [desegregated] school system鈥 ().
  • 听听听 In other words, CHE successfully argued that providing services to ensure that bilingual students have access to equal education is indistinguishable from desegregation
  • 听听听 Full history .

1984 Order Approving Program for Limited English Proficient Students (鈥1984 Order鈥)

  • 听听听 Court oversight of DPS鈥檚 plans to improve education for bilingual students officially begins as Consent Decree
  • 听听听 CHE continues to be plaintiff
  • 听听听 1968-1984 Court Order
  • 听听听 Ruling is titled Keyes v. School Dist. No. 1, No. C-1499 (D. Colo. Aug. 17, 1984)

1995

  • 听听听 DPS files a motion to be let out from the Court Order

1999

  • 听听听 A proposed settlement is reached
  • 听听听 The day after the proposed settlement is submitted to the court, the United States of America files a and is approved to become a 鈥淧laintiff-Intervenor鈥
  • 听听听 The United States seeks this status due to the U.S. Department of Education鈥檚 1997 findings that DPS had violated the Civil Rights Act; since DPS had not voluntarily complied with the 1984 Court Order, the Department of Education referred the case to the Department of Justice, which continues to oversee DPS today ()
  • 听听听 Judge Matsch approves to replace 1984 plan
  • 听听听
  • 听听听

2012

  • 听听听 to replace 1999 plan
  • 听听听 CHE continues as plaintiff with the Department of Justice as Plaintiff-Intervenor
  • 听听听 New plan includes: (a) and (b) provision for site visits
  • 听听听 Summary .
  • 听听听 Contemporary Chalkbeat piece .

CHE on stage

听 CHE on stage

听 Entire history .

听

听 Case: Congress of Hispanic Educators v. School District No. 1 .

History of Congress of Hispanic Educators (CHE) & Denver Public Schools (DPS)

1960s 鈫 CHE begins as a coalition of DPS teachers and community members advocating for the educational rights of bilingual/Latinx students
1983 鈫 Keyes v. School Dist. No. 1 District Court case

  • 听听听 CHE argues that 鈥渓imited-English proficient鈥 students must be considered as a unique class also deserving protections.
  • 听听听 The court rules 鈥渢he issues which have been brought before the court by the plaintiff-intervenors [CHE] are part and parcel of the mandate to establish a unitary [desegregated] school system鈥

听

History of the BUENO Center with CHE & DPS


1984 鈫 Order Approving Program for Limited English听听 Proficient Students (鈥1984 Order鈥)

  • 听听听 Court oversight of DPS鈥檚 plans to improve education for bilingual students officially begins as Court Order CHE continues as plaintiff.
  • 听听听 The BUENO Center is听 involved with the first set of training for teachers on English as a Second Language instruction mandated by the court order

1997 鈫 Keyes v. Congress of Hispanic Educators

  • Court oversight of DPS desegregation ends but the judge finds that CHE鈥檚 complaint that DPS has failed to comply with the Language Rights order of 1984 deserves ongoing attention

2012 鈫 New Consent Decree (CD) is approved

Today

  • 听听听 CHE continues to provide oversight in collaboration with the other parties, the Court Monitor and with assistance from the BUENO Center.
  • 听听听 The BUENO Center provides professional development, and grant writing assistance to obtain grant money to prepare teachers