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Anna Ellis shares her journey of empowering college success at DSST

Meet Anna Ellis (pictured - bottom right), the newest Manager of College Success at DSST: Conservatory Green High School in northeast Denver. In her role, Anna wears many hats, including teaching college seminar courses, managing scholarship programs and supporting athletic recruitment. 

Anna's love for college success was kindled during her undergraduate years at Dartmouth College. Following her graduation from Dartmouth in 2019, Anna made a significant move to Colorado Springs, where taught high school science at a Title I public charter school and also collaborated with the postsecondary team. Anna's journey continued as she ventured to rural Hawaii, where she took on the role of advising students through the highly competitive Questbridge Scholarship process.

These diverse experiences unveiled the glaring disparities in college access. Anna yearned for a role in a college success program equipped with robust systems to bridge gaps for historically underserved students.

In March 2023, made the difficult decision to leave Hawaii and join the DSST college success team. Driving her decision was Anna’s understanding of DSST as a remarkable institution, deeply committed to postsecondary success. Packed with excitement and determination, she boarded a flight to Denver, eager for the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead.

Now, having spent over two months in her new role, Anna couldn't be happier to call DSST: Conservatory Green High School her new home. DSST's strength lies in its robust systems. The institution fosters a college-going culture from sixth grade onwards, with students taking college and career seminar courses as soon as they enter high school. Developing a concept of postsecondary fit for each student is a priority at all grade levels.

DSST: Conservatory Green High School encourages students to reach for their highest aspirations. With a wealth of AP course offerings and a strong emphasis on SAT preparation, DSST removes barriers to accessing elite institutions. This year, Anna has over 10 students completing Questbridge applications, and their dedication, intellectual merit and academic grit are truly outstanding. She eagerly anticipates their journey and is committed to supporting them every step of the way.

Anna Ellis considers herself fortunate to be part of the DSST: Conservatory Green community. In addition to her work, she's pursuing her own PhD in educational leadership from University of Denver. Her hope is that together, they can continue to grow and create powerful educational systems in northeast Denver.

DSST schools shine in 2023 Denver School Performance Framework results

In the realm of education, the quest for excellence and equity is a journey that is both challenging and rewarding. Recently, Colorado unveiled its preliminary 2023 School Performance Framework (SPF) results, and the news is nothing short of impressive for DSST.

DSST operates six of the top 10 high schools and six of the top 13 middle schools in Denver, with DSST: Cedar High School being the number one high school in all of Denver. These rankings underscore DSST's commitment to academic excellence and our ability to deliver it consistently across multiple schools.

What's even more remarkable is that DSST operates all of the top five high schools and six of the top eight middle schools in Denver, serving a predominantly low-income student population. Over half of the students in our schools are eligible for free or reduced lunch, emphasizing our dedication to offering excellent educational opportunities to everyone regardless of circumstance.

Here is another way to understand our impact across Denver:

CEO of DSST to leave after current school year

The man who founded the DSST charter school network announced Friday that he's leaving DSST at the end of the current school.

Bill Kurtz started DSST Public Schools with a founding team of 13 staff members at Montview High School in 2003. He said he plans to leave in June to allow for plenty of time for a "well-thought-out" succession plan.

Check out the full story here.

All DSST high schools with graduating classes ranked among top 50 in Colorado

The U.S. News and World Report has released its list for the top high schools in Colorado. According to the report, U.S. News analyzed 24,980 public high schools across the U.S.

Back to School: DSST schools celebrating 20th anniversary

Denver 7 helped welcome DSST students back to school for the 2023-24 school year and the 20th anniversary! 

Check out the full story here.

DSST's annual Infusion event sparks inspiration, honors staff ahead of 2023-24 school year

On Monday, Aug. 7 DSST hosted the annual Infusion event to kick off the 2023-24 school year with some celebrations, laughs and lots of inspiration.

We honored dozens of teachers and staff who have been with DSST for more than five, 10 and 15 years as well as our alumni who now work at DSST. 

Part of the day also included Flower Person awards, which celebrate staff members who go above and beyond to spread joy and happiness wherever they go, while also exemplifying DSST's core values.

As part of the awards, staff members from each school put together a video about why they chose each winner. You can watch the middle school videos here and the high school videos here.

We are so excited to start the 23-24 school year and we know the energy, inspiration and relationships that started at Infusion will carry on throughout the year!

Click here to see all the photos from the event! 

Byers charter school changed its name to distance itself from namesake tied to the Sand Creek Massacre

Denver's 9 News did a story on the decision to change DSST: Byers to DSST: Cedar. 

Check out the full 9 news story here.

DSST school nixes namesake William Byers, Denver newspaper founder who defended Sand Creek Massacre

The Denver-based DSST charter school network is changing the name of another of its schools in a move that distances the schools from a prominent, long-deceased Denverite who held racist views.

DSST: Byers Middle and High schools will no longer bear the name of William Byers, founder of the now-closed Rocky Mountain News and a defender of the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre, in which U.S. soldiers attacked a peaceful camp of Cheyenne and Arapaho people on Colorado’s Eastern Plains. The schools will now be called DSST: Cedar Middle and High schools.

DSST: Byers Middle School to change name because of connections to Sand Creek Massacre

A school in Denver announced Thursday plans to change its name because of its connection to the Sand Creek Massacre.

DSST: Byers Middle School was named for William Byers, one of Denver's earliest boosters, according to a historical article on the Denver Public Library's website. He was also the founder of the Rocky Mountain News newspaper.

Popular NE Denver Youth Leadership Program Faces Uncertain Future

A small business owner has called the police because a homeless person set up a tent in front of his store and won’t leave. When the young officers arrive on the scene, they know they need to treat everyone with respect while defusing the tense situation.

“I thought it was going to be easy, but when I was supposed to react, my mind went blank,” says Nahom Amanuel. But Amanuel is not a police officer—he’s a rising sophomore at DSST: Green Valley Ranch. And the situation wasn’t real—it was part of an immersive video simulation at the Denver Police Academy.