Living in a Bilingual World Where Only English Counts

Néstor Bravo • Cahn Fellow 2023

Denver County has a robust Hispanic community, constituting 29% of its population, with the majority residing on the city's southwest side. This rich and colorful Hispanic presence, which has been a part of CMS Community School’s population for the last decade, is a unique cultural asset. Despite facing multiple waves of gentrification and economic hardships, the school has remained a beacon of Hispanic culture and diversity.

In order to leverage our Community’s Heritage and Identity, we have worked on solidifying a strong bilingual model in our K-5 Elementary Academic Program while also advocating for furthering our children's opportunities to remain bilingual beyond 5th grade. Living in a Bilingual World Where Only English Counts contains the leadership efforts and strategies utilized to advocate for the Spanish Language to be a language of assessment that facilitates students showcasing their college and career readiness rather than it being just a scaffold used while children learn English.