Building and Location

Building and Location

JDI is the First Charter School in Colorado History Created for Students with Special Needs

Welcome to the John Dewey Institute (JDI), the first charter school in Colorado created for students with special needs. In March 2019, Judy Brannberg submitted the first charter ever in Colorado history to DCSD for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (“ASD”), called John Dewey Institute.

DCSD Board Denied Students with ASD a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)

On June 4, 2019, JDI was denied by the DCSD Board of Education, (President David Ray, Ciancio-Schor, Graziano, Holtzmann, Lemieux, Leung, Vogel), during the tenure of former 2019 Superintendent Thomas Tucker, because of the following statutory non-compliance violations:

• DCSD denied JDI the opportunity to have a community meeting pursuant to C.R.S. 22-30.50-107(2).
• DCSD failed to rule by resolution on JDI for a charter school in a public hearing, as required by C.R.S. 22-30.5-107(4).
• DCSD failed to notify the Colorado Department of the denial within fifteen days after denying the the excellent charter school application with the reasons therefore and failed to meet the requirement of CRS 22-30.5-107(4).

2019 Appeal to the Colorado State Board Denied

In the Summer of 2019, John Dewey appealed the DCSD denial to the Colorado State Board of Education and was denied by a 1-6 vote on August 15, 2019, because the State Board wrongly overlooked these non-compliance violations by the DCSD BoE.

State Board Failed to Make Written Findings In Non-Compliance with § 22-30.5-108(3)(a)

Pursuant to § 22-30.5-108(3)(a), the State Board hears the appeal and makes written findings, in order to obstruct justice, cover-up and not memorialize their statutory non-compliance. In this case the State Board made no written findings which was also statutory non-compliance by the State Board of Education, who like the DCSD Board went rogue in denying JDI without following the law, C.R.S.

Appendix H - 2019 JDI Record and Appendix I - 2019  State Board JDI Appeal Briefs

On September 19, 2019, JDI appealed to Denver District Court

In September 2019, John Dewey Institute then appealed the decision in Denver District Court and was denied on February 26, 2020, because of lack of jurisdiction.

In March 2020, JDI Appealed to the Colorado Court Of Appeals

In March 2020, at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, John Dewey appealed the decision to the Colorado Court of Appeals, CASE NUMBER 2020CA0641.

On October 28, 2021, JDI Won A Unanimous 3-0 Victory at the Colorado Court Of Appeals

On October 28, 2021, the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled unquestionably and unanimously 3-0 in favor of JDI with a lengthy 25-page Opinion, that the Court had jurisdiction to proceed with the case on the grounds that 2019 DCSD Board's statutory non-compliance prevented an effective appeal to the 2019 State Board, and the 2019 DCSD and 2019 State Board wrongly overlooked these violations. JDI is the first legal case since the Colorado Charter Schools Act was enacted in 1993, to challenge and win their appeal at the Colorado Court of Appeals, which will bring sweeping charter reforms and greatly expand parental choice in the District, State, and Nation. This case will allow charter founders to have recourse when their charters are wrongly denied at the District or State Board level because of statutory non-compliance.

On December 9, 2021, the DCSD Board Filed A Petition for Writ of Certiorari with the Colorado Supreme Court

On December 9, 2021, the minority DCSD Board of Directors appealed the Brannberg and John Dewey Institute v. DCSD Certiorari Petition CASE NUMBER 2021SC885 to the Colorado Supreme Court.

On September 6, 2022, the Colorado Supreme Court Granted the Petitions For Writ Of Certiorari

On October 21, 2022, the Petitioners, the DCSD BoE and the State Board of Education filed the Petitioners’ Joint Opening Brief before the Colorado Supreme Court.

On October 21, 2022, JDI and Judy Brannberg, Pro Se filed the Answer Brief

Please see Appendix A - Intent to Submit to DCSD - 12.21.22 with 2021SC885 Respondents’ Answer Brief, pp 013-066 which specifically explains the criminal and civil statutory non-compliance violations by the previous DCSD Boards of Education.

The Rendering For This Landmark Case Will Be Handed Down In Late Spring/Summer 2023.

This case is currently in appeal before the Colorado Supreme Court Case Number 2021SC885.

Replication of Our Unique JDI Model for Students with ASD

In 2021, the CDC reported that approximately 1 in 44 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to 2018 data.

• 1 in 27 boys identified with autism
• 1 in 116 girls identified with autism

Because the demand is so great, and the highly qualified educational resources are so sparse, we have elected to replicate our school in Ridgegate, Sterling Ranch, Crystal Valley, Parker, Highlands Ranch, West Lakewood (Jeffco), and Leyden Rock (Jeffco), embedded in our STEM-focused charter, Alexandria School of Innovation (“ASI”).

Mission

John Dewey Institute ("JDI") is a PK-14 Alternative Education Inclusion Charter School serving students with Autism Spectrum Disorders ("ASD") in the Least Restrictive Environment ("LRE") by providing PK early interventions, a project-based STEAM+B focused curricula, ("Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math + Business"), concurrent enrollment courses, certificated Career and Technical Education ("CTE") research labs, pre-apprenticeship programs, and transitional programs for young people ages 18 to 21. The goal is a high school diploma paired with real life skills for use after graduation. JDI does not guarantee success – it guarantees opportunity for all students.

Vision

John Dewey Institute (JDI) will create a five-star PK-14 school with an innovative project-based curriculum designed for students on the Autism Spectrum, supported by teachers especially trained in presenting that curriculum. Our goal is a high school diploma paired with real life skills for use after graduation. JDI does not guarantee success. It guarantees opportunity for all students so that they will become self-actualized individuals, making meaningful contributions to society, while impacting moral core values to the next generation.

DCSD Failed to Pass Bond/MLO

On November 8, 2022, Douglas County voters did not pass the DCSD Bond/MLO. Therefore, DCSD cannot build new public schools at Ridgegate, Sterling Ranch, and Crystal Valley, and other locations where there is explosive new population growth and dire need of new neighborhood public schools.

 Therefore, ASI/JDI are requesting charter approvals with execution of the Notices of Claim, to build the following schools delineated in the 2022/2023 DCSD (“MCP”) and Jeffco Builds.

Name of School	Cost of School Pursuant to DCSD 22/23 MCP	MCP Page
1.     ASI Ridgegate PK-14 (High School-Middle School Property With JDI PK-14 Embedded into ASI Ridgegate	$188,628,048.00 $50,000,000.00	25
2.     ASI Sterling Ranch PK-14 (Joint Middle-High Sch Property) With JDI PK-14 Embedded into ASI Sterling Ranch	$294,731,325.00 $50,000,000.00	25
3.     ASI Crystal Valley PK-14 With JDI PK-14 Embedded into ASI Crystal Valley	$50,000,000.00 $50,000,000.00	25
4.     ASI Highlands Ranch PK-14 With JDI PK-14 Embedded into ASI Highlands Ranch	$188,628,048.00 $50,000,000.00
5.     ASI West Lakewood Jeffco PK-14 – Opening 2024 With JDI PK-14 Embedded into West Lakewood	$294,731,325.00 $50,000,000.00	7
6.     ASI Leyden Rock Jeffco PK-14 – Opening 2024 With JDI PK-14 Embedded into Leyden Rock	$294,731,325.00 $50,000,000.00	7
Total	$1,611,450,071.00

 

Notices of Claim Exercised Now for Donation of Property/Land/Building

We are exercising the following Notices of Claim and are requesting that DCSD and Jeffco donate the land/property to build the aforementioned schools from the land designated and owned by them for future school expansion in the Master Capital Plan (“MCP”) in Ridgegate, Crystal Valley, Sterling Ranch, Highlands Ranch, West Lakewood, Leyden Rock.

One Billion Dollar Claim 

Please see Appendix A – Letter of Intent to Apply to DCSD – Replication Model, which

included the November 15, 2016 Amended Notice of Claim pp 68-81, and claim for damages of $1 billion dollars from DCSD, Jeffco, and STEM which we are exercising now in these applications to build our network of schools.  Appendix V - November 15, 2016 Amended Notice of Claim

 Additional Claim for $628 Million Dollars

Please see the following DCSD - STATE Board AMENDED Notice of Claim contained in Appendix A – Letter of Intent to Apply to DCSD – Replication Model, JBCORA 02108 -JBCORA 02125, which contains an additional claim of $628 million for damages from DCSD, State Board of Education, CCRD, and STEM because of the forgery dissemination by STEM to DCSD and subsequent dissemination by DCSD to the CCRD which breached § 18-5-102 C.R.S. - Forgery/Fraudulent Misrepresentation. Both claims will be used to build our schools in DCSD, Jeffco, Colorado and throughout the Nation.

Appendix R - 10.25.19 DCSD_State Board Amended NOC

Appendix S - 10.25.19 STEM - AMENDED NOC

Appendix T - 10.25.19 JEFFCO - AMENDED NOC

Appendix U - 11.12.19 - CCRD CCRC NOC

DCSD, Jeffco, State Board of Education’s CSDSIP Insurance Policy Billed to Build ASI and JDI School Buildings

The DCSD, Jeffco, State Board of Education’s CSDSIP Insurance Policy is being billed to build ASI and JDI school buildings using the monetary totals from the DCSD Master Capital Plan for the following school campuses, each with a unique STEM Emphasis.