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17SEPTEMBER2014BODYOFCHRISTNEWSOverthelasttwoplusdecadesChallengesChoicesandImagesCCIcivicorganizationhaswagedwaragainstpooreducationalconditionswitnessedandexperiencedbychildrenofcolorchildrenfromlowincomefamiliesandchildrenwhotraditionallyexperiencedlimitedacademicsuccessinschool.CCIiswellknownintheAfricanAmericancommunityandservedthecommunitywithhighqualityeduca-tionalprogramsfortwenty-threeplusyears.Inthoseyearsweeducatedover4000studentstrainedover300teachersandsupportstaffinhighlyeffectiveprofessionaldevelopmentandworkedwithandrespectedthousandsofparentswhoenthusiasticallyparticipatedinmonthlyparentmeetingsandotherschoolrelatedactivities.In2004CCIreceivedthe2004GovernorsDistinguishedImprovementAwardforthemostimprovedpublicschoolinthestate.Eachyearinwhichtheschoolhadaseniorclass95ofthemgraduatedand90wentontocollegeoracertificatedtradeschool.AveryimportantfeatforCCIwasthatitgraduatedjustasmanyAfricanAmericanmalesasfemalessomethingmostschoolscannotclaim.InadditioneveryyearthatCCIhadagraduatingclassgraduatingseniorsreceivedhundredsofthousandsofdollarsinscholarshipmoniesspreadamongaverysmallclassof25to35students.SomeoftheearlierCCIgraduateshavecompletedaB.A.degreeothersareworkingonadvanceddegreesinlawbiologybusinessnursingandeducationothersjoinedthemilitaryonesuf-feredseriousinjuriesinIraqandthevastmajorityislawabidingproductivecaringindividualswhoviewfailureasasteppingstonetosuccesssomethingthatwasroutinelytaughtatCCI.CCIwasfoundedthroughfaithinGodandadeter-minationtoserveallchildrenbutespeciallythosewhoareperceivedastheleastofGodschildrenbyprovidingthemwithaqualitylearningexperiencethatwouldtransformthemfortherestoftheirlives.CCIwasnotaneighborhoodschoolstudentscamefromalloftheDenvermetropolitanschooldistrictsincludingCherryCreekAuroraAdamsJeffersonandGolden.Someofthestudentscamebecausetheywantedamoreculturallysensitivelearningenvironmentsomecamebecausetheyhadbeenkickedoutorpushedoutoftheirpreviousschoolandotherscamebecausetheywantedtobecomeapartofalearningcommunitythattrulycaredaboutthemandwheretheyandtheirparentshadasenseofbelonging.Sixty-fivestudentsfromLouisianacamein2005afterbeingdisplacedbyKatrina.MostofthesestudentscametoCCInotknowingwheretheirparentswereandwithnopaperworkattestingtotheirgradeorcredits.AchallengeforCCIwastak-ingallstudentsregardlessoftheiracademicsocialoremotionalstatusandmakingeachofthemfeelwelcomerespectedprotecteddisciplinedlovedandcapableofhighacademicachievement.WhenCCIwasabruptlyclosedunderacloudofrumorsandallegationsthataccusedtheschooladministrationnamelyDr.JonesandtheCCIBoardofhiringcriminalsandcomminglingfundsthestudentsandparentswereangrybecausetheyvaluedwhattheywerelearningatCCIandhowtheyweretreated.TheadministrationincludingtheCCIBoardandDr.Jonestheschoolsfounderandprincipalweredumbfoundedattheallegationsandrumorsbecausetheyknewtheywerenotfoundedintruth.Therumorsandallegationsrancontinu-ouslyintheDenvernewspapersandontelevisionforweeksandmonthsandsomeevenpersistsevenyearlater.HoweverinterestinglyenoughtherewasneveranyofficialchargemadebyDPStheColoradoEducationalandCulturalFacilitiesAuthoritythestateagencythatvettedCCItoreceive24Minfeder-altaxexemptbondstheinvestmentbankingfirmofD.A.DavidsonwhosepersonnelsecuredthefederaltaxexemptbondsfortheschoolthebondholdersrepresentativefromtheHamlinCapitalManagementfirmwhorepresentedthebondholdersortheStateofColorado.DPSneverofficiallychargedtheCCIBoardorDr.JoneswithanyoftheallegationseventhoughCCIsubmit-tedeightboxesfilledwithdocumentsregardingemployeehiringfinancialstatementsincludingyearlyauditsbyaCPAandpoliciesandproceduresregardingtheschoolsoperations.NoreportwaseversubmittedtotheCCIBoardorDr.Jonesregardingthestatusoftheinformationfoundintheeightboxesofdocuments.DPSalsohiredanindependentaccountantitwaslaterrevealedthathehadreceivedadisciplinaryactionfromtheStateBoardofAccountancyanarmoftheDepartmentofRegulatoryAgenciesDORAcitinghimformisrepresentinghimselfasaCPAtoreviewtheCCIbooksbutagainhisreviewrevealednoevi-denceofmalfeasancemisfeasanceorcominglingoffunds.TheDPSprocedureforhiringcharterschoolemployeeswastohavethemscreenedbyDPSbeforetheschoolcouldhirethem.AlloftheemployeeshiredbyCCIwereclearedbyDPS.Howeveranum-berofdaylaborerswerehiredbyLeonardArnoldtheprojectmanagerrecommendedbytheinvestmentbankingfirmtooverseethe24Mtaxexemptbondsrenovationprojectfortheschool.Thesedaylaborersworkedduringthesummerwhilenostudentswerepresentandschoolwasnotinsession.Thisiscom-monpracticebutCCIwasnotresponsibleforthembeinghired.ThenyoumustbeaskingWhywastheschoolclosedAsstatedearlierDPSneversubstantiatedanyoftheallegationsofwrongdoingormisconductbyCCI.TosavetheCCI501c3designationbythefederalgovernmentfromtakeoverbytheinvestmentbankertheCCIBoardandDr.Jonesfiledbank-ruptcy.Thebankruptcycasewastriedin2010inDenverDistrictCourt.Thetrialresultedinasettle-mentafterevidencewasdiscoveredthatinthetaxexemptbondtransactionsmaterialinformationhadbeenwithheldfromCCItheColoradoEducationalandCulturalFacilitiesAuthorityandthebond-holdersrepresentativepreventingeachfrommakingsounddecisionsregardingthestructureanduseoffederaltaxexemptbonds.InthesettlementwhichispublicrecordtheCCIBoardDr.CarolynJonesandtheCCIstaffwereclearedofanyandallaccusationsofmisconductmismanagementmalfeasancemis-feasanceorcominglingoffederaltaxexemptbonds.InsubsequentmonthsfollowingthesettlementmoreevidencehasbeenfoundshowingthatevenmorematerialinformationhadbeenwithheldbuttothisdatetheevidenceturnedovertotheAttorneyGeneralsOfficeofthestateofColoradohasnotbeenreviewed.FortunatelyasawomanofGodandakeeperofthefaithIhavemovedon.AsstatedearlierstudentsatCCIweretaughtthatfailureisjustasteppingstonetosuccess.WewereblessedtohaveCCIandmanymanystudentsparentsandstaffbenefitedandarestillbenefitting.Thisisablessing.ThepowerofCCIisitslastingimpactonthelivesofthestudentsthestaffparentsandfriends.CCIwasasanctuaryinthemiddleoftheeducationalwilderness.AttherecentCCIreunionandattheoneheldtwoyearsagokidsfromallwalksoflifecametogethertomingleandsharetheirliveswitheachotherandtheCCIstaff.SocialstatuscolorincomeoreducationallevelwasnotandisstillnotanissuewithmostCCIstudents.Itdoesntmat-terifyouareanerdarapperwhiteblackgayorstraightorjustplainstrangeeveryonehasvalue.ThefewwhiteandLatinostudentswhoattend-edCCIreceivedthesameloverespectandsupportasanyotherstudent.CCIdidnothaveracialfightsandthewhiteandLatinostudentscouldbethem-selvestheydidnothavetobecomehonoraryblackstobeaccepted.Thereunionstartedat200p.m.anddidnotenduntilwellpast800p.m.PeoplekeptcomingandwitheachnewgroupstoriesbothhumorousandsadweretoldbuttheonestorythatkeptgettingrepeatedwashowmuchCCIhaddoneforthemandhowtheywisheditcouldbere-startedparticularlysincemanyofthemarenowparentsandwouldliketheirchildrentoexperiencewhatCCIgavetothem.CCIhasawonderfullegacywhichisdem-onstratedinthehundredsofstudentswhohaveorarestillincollege.ManyhaveB.A.degreesandsomeeitherhaveorareworkingonadvanceddegreesinlawbusinessbiologymathematicsITandeduca-tion.Manyothershaveatradeschoolcertificatewhichallowsthemtoworkinavarietyofcareerfields.Otherareworkingnotparticularlyinfieldstheywishtostayinbutevensotheywerestillopti-misticabouttheirfuture.RemembertheyhaveallbeeninstilledwithfailureisonlyasteppingstonetosuccessWefalldownbutwegetbackup.Manyoftheteachersarestillworkinginthefieldofeducation.Theyreportedthatwhattheylearneddur-ingprofessionaldevelopmentatCCIisstillingrainedinthem.TheykeptremindingmehowmuchofaninfluenceIhavehadnotonlyontheirteachingbuthowtheyseelife.TheyaswellastheformerCCIstudentsarecommittedtochangingeducationtobecomemoreequitable.TheyareconcernedthatfewschoolsoperateonthesamelevelthatCCIdidwherestudentsstaffandparentsfeltlovedsupportedandasiftheymattered.AtCCItheyfeltasenseofbelonginganddevelopedanIcandoitattitude.IamextremelyproudofmyCCIfamilyandasItoldthestaffandourstudentsatourlastmeetingtogetherin2008NomatterwhathappensIhavefaithinGod.IhavefaiththatHedidnotbringusthisfartoleaveus.AndHehasnotdesertedus.Iseehisblessingsinthechildrenintheirdetermina-tionintheirwillingnesstogetbackup.IseeitinourteachersandtheirwillingnesstocarrywhattheyhavelearnedintoothereducationalprogramsandinourparentswhoasaresultofparentmeetingsandotherengagementswithCCIaremoreinvolvedparents.TheCCIrippleskeepmovingouttouchingCCISettingTheRecordStraightCOMMUNITYTherumorsandallegationsrancontinuouslyintheDenvernewspapersandontelevisionforweeksandmonthsandsomeevenpersistsevenyearlater.HoweverinterestinglyenoughtherewasneveranyofficialchargemadeByDr.CarolynJonesDr.CarolynJonesContinuedonPage20