Denver Online

Posted: February 24, 2026

I have served as Principal of Denver Online since 2014. Over the past twelve years, our team has grown the school from 125 students to 575 in 2025–26. That growth reflects families seeking a flexible, rigorous option where students are seen as individuals while still being held to high academic expectations.

Denver Online was built on a simple belief: flexibility should expand opportunity, not lower standards. Our courses are teacher-developed and aligned to Denver Public Schools’ high-quality instructional materials. Students work directly with educators who provide feedback, structure, and accountability in a human-centered online environment. Many of our students report that college coursework feels manageable because of the rigor they experience here.

Concurrent enrollment is a hallmark of our model. Students earn college credit free of charge through more than a dozen college partners, online and in person. They pursue customized pathways that may include college classes, career credentials, athletics, arts, employment, or family responsibilities. This flexibility attracts both highly driven students accelerating their goals and students navigating complex life circumstances. Both deserve access to strong academics and caring adults.

We are equally committed to whole-child support. We intentionally staff mental health services at significantly higher levels than traditional schools, partner with WellPower to provide an embedded clinical therapist, and operate a food pantry to support families. Our Advisement model ensures each student has a dedicated adult who monitors engagement, supports goal-setting, and maintains consistent communication with families.

As both a principal and a parent of a Denver Online graduate, I have seen firsthand what is possible when flexibility, rigor, and care align. Students do not all arrive with the same starting point, but they leave with confidence, postsecondary momentum, and a clearer sense of purpose.

Denver Online is not simply an online school. It is a community built to ensure students can “Do More” in their academics, community, and lives. I am proud of what we have built and deeply committed to continuing this work for every student who needs it.

Posted: March 27, 2023

Parents, please don’t enroll your child here. Most of the students at Denver Online are incapable of turning in their work on time if their lives depended on it (even in college courses). This becomes a problem because teachers require us to give each other feedback as part of our work, so I have to wait on my peers sometimes over a week past the deadline to complete assignments. The schoolwork itself is so ridiculously easy and barebones that it couldn’t possibly prepare anybody for college or real life. The academic standards are rock bottom. There is no such thing as accountability here. The teachers here are lenient with late work far beyond what is reasonable, because otherwise 80% of the students would flunk out. Most of the students couldn’t care less about their education. Participation and parental involvement are near non-existent. No one shows up to the in person events. The bottom line is that this is not a place for high achievers or anyone with a bright future. Denver Online is built for underprivileged inner-city students and no one else. Only attend if all your other options are worse.

Posted: March 27, 2023