Middle School
Charter Collaborative
Middle School Charter Collaborative: Sharing What Works in Denver
The best ideas in middle school teaching are already happening in our classrooms—let’s share them.
We can’t wait to see the staff from across Denver’s three middle school charters for a one-day, teacher-led conference designed to highlight real strategies that are working for students right now. No outside consultants. No generic PD. Just powerful practices from educators who understand the work.
About the Collaborative
The Middle School Charter Collaborative brings together educators from Denver’s charter middle schools for a day of meaningful connection, practical learning, and shared expertise.
Grounded in the belief that the best professional development comes from one another, this conference creates space for teachers to share what is working in their classrooms—across schools, grade levels, and content areas.
Participants will engage in campus-led sessions, content-specific collaboration, and structured reflection to walk away with strategies they can implement immediately.
What to Expect
- Learn from fellow educators from GALS Denver, Compass Academy, and The Odyssey School of Denver
- Explore practical, classroom-tested strategies across content areas
- Engage in cross-school collaboration and build professional connections
- Reflect and plan for immediate implementation in your classroom
Conference Structure
The day is designed to balance learning, movement, and collaboration:
8:00 – 8:30 AM | Breakfast, Arrival, Introductions
8:30 – 8:50 AM | Opening Welcome
8:50 – 9:35 AM | Morning Movement (45 minutes)
9:45 – 10:45 AM | Session 1
10:45 – 10:55 AM | Break
10:55 – 11:55 AM | Session 2
12:00 – 1:00 PM | Lunch
1:00 – 1:45 PM | Campus Team Collaboration
1:45 – 2:30 PM | Whole Group Share-Out
2:30 PM | Closing
Session Themes
By Content Area, Across Grade Levels and Whole-Campus Leadership
Staff from the three charter schools are encouraged to submit presentation proposals, around professional learning efforts that have been meaningful to you and to your campus. Sessions should be practical, relevant, and immediately usable. The goal is for each campus to submit a minimum of one proposal per theme, up to a maximum of nine presentations total.
Possible Topics by Theme
By Content Area
- ELA: Building strong readers and writers, increasing student discourse
- Multilingual Learners: Strategies to support language development and ensure all students can access rigorous, grade-level content across subject areas.
- Math: Conceptual understanding, differentiation, math talk
- Science: Inquiry-based learning, labs, real-world application
- Social Studies: Discussion strategies, culturally relevant curriculum
- SEL & Culture: Advisory, restorative practices, student belonging
- ESS: Transforming the provision of services to target student goals directly
Across Grade Levels
Sessions will include strategies relevant to:
- 6th grade
- 7th grade
- 8th grade
- Or adaptable across all grades
Whole-Campus Leadership
- From Data to Action: Making Data Meetings Worth Teachers’ Time
- Aligning Instruction Across Classrooms Without Losing Teacher Autonomy
- Building a strong school culture that students feel: systems that reinforce values daily
- Restorative Practices that Actually Work: Structures for Implementation (not just philosophy)
- Systems That Save Time: Running a School Without Burning People Out
This Day Is Designed For and By:
- Teachers from GALS Denver, Compass Academy, and The Odyssey School of Denver
- Instructional leaders and coaches
- Para Professionals
Why This Matters
This collaborative is about more than a single day of learning—it’s about building a network of middle level educators across Denver who are committed to sharing what works and improving outcomes for all students. It is about networking among and between the Denver middle school charter network, and growing our community and learning together.
Join Us
Be part of a day grounded in real practice, real collaboration, and real impact.
Wednesday, August 12, 2026
8:00am - 3:00pm
GALS Denver
750 Galapago Street
Denver, CO 80204