Commerce City Memorial Day Parade

I proudly walked with the Colorado Youth Mariachi Program and fellow elected leaders in CD who, like me, are dedicated to fighting for our kids’ future.

PODCAST: Education's Big Picture: with Rhonda Solis, Colorado State Board of Education

Rhonda Solis, Colorado State Board of Education Representative for the 8th Congressional District, joins us to talk about the different challenges and opportunities ahead of our students and educators. Listen to hear more about education in Colorado from a state-wide perspective.

Greeley Dream Team Annual Scholarship Dinner

Hearing from our community’s young scholars I was reminded of the power of education and community support, and filled with hope for the future.

18th Latino Advocacy Day

One of the highlights of March was the incredible opportunity to speak at the 18th Latino Advocacy Day for the "Latinas Lead by Example" event. Advocating for the empowerment of our community and educating on navigating the political landscape has always been close to my heart. Having attended this event for over a decade, it remains one of my favorites, providing a platform for voices that need to be heard and fostering leadership among Latinas.

Junior Achievement-Rocky Mountain, Inc

I had the pleasure of joining my fellow state board members for a tour of the Junior Achievement facility in Greenwood Village. Witnessing firsthand the impact of Junior Achievement-Rocky Mountain, Inc., as part of the world's largest nonprofit dedicated to preparing young people for success, was truly inspiring. The commitment of volunteers to mentor and guide students towards career readiness, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship is a testament to the power of community involvement.

2024 CASE Winter Leadership Conference

So proud to be in a room of full of people that truly care about public education! Let's celebrate education and EVERYONE that helps our students to be amazing little humans!

State Board of Education retreat. We have important work to do and it is helpful that we work well together. That doesn't mean always agreeing, it means respecting one another and knowing we have different perspectives and experiences.

We had the great opportunity to hear from Temple Grandin at our board meeting. Society has created these boxes of how people have to be and she continues to teach us boxes shouldn't exist.

Adams 12 Board Meeting with Legislators

Great picture of Adams12 school board and staff, Legislators and Sate Board of Education. We all care about public education and we are committed to work together for students.

Greeley West High School

I may never be rich enough to buy my name on or in a building, but I can work hard representing community and get there!

Caleb Flores Is CO's 2023-24 Milken Educator, GREELEY, CO—There's an all-school assembly at Greeley West High School, with Colorado Commissioner of Education Susana Córdova making a special visit to commend Greeley West's International Baccalaureate (IB) program. It seems like an ordinary day until Commissioner Córdova introduces Dr. Jane Foley, senior vice president of the Milken Educator Awards. Dr. Foley names English language arts (ELA), reading and Culturally Linguistically Diverse (CLD) teacher Caleb Flores as Colorado's sole 2023-24 Milken Educator Award recipient and presents him with a huge $25,000 check. It's the surprise of a lifetime for Flores—and a day he'll remember forever.

Visit Greeley-Evans Family Center

I had a great experience learning about Voice Visits in Greeley-Evans School District 6. They call them Voice Visits instead of Home Visits because they are used to help parents use their voice, empower them to advocate for their child, and to feel welcomed and involved. This work matters!

We even got homemade Mexican hot chocolate, and it was delicious.

I had a wonderful time visiting the Weld County Boys and Girls Club in Greeley on Friday and hearing about the new teen center that is under construction. We are so fortunate to have a community that cares so much for our kids.

Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15)

I had the honor of attending  Governor Jared Polis' Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration at the Governor's Mansion.

Did you know? The Colorado Constitution was written in three languages: English, Spanish, and German. This was due to the efforts of Casimiro Barela, a territorial legislator who was born in then-Mexico.

2024 Colorado Teacher of the Year winner announced

Jessica May, a middle school teacher at Turner Middle School in the Thompson School District, was named the 2024 Colorado Teacher of the Year today in a surprise ceremony at her school. 

May teaches family and consumer science at Turner Middle School in Berthoud and taught at Conrad Ball Middle School in Loveland last school year when she was nominated. She has taught for decades in the Thompson School District, covering all manner of subjects including math, social studies, science and language arts. 

I had the best time at McElwain Elementary in Adams 12 talking to student council and parents about being a Colorado State Board Member.

State Board of Education visitor speaks to McElwain

Rhonda Solis from the Colorado State Board of Education came to speak to McElwain students and families about what she does and being a female women of color serving on the Colorado State Board of Education. MCE Student Council members came prepared with questions to ask Ms. Solis.

This story exemplifies our ELEVATE Focus Area: 21st Century Learners. Sharing stories of students who collaborate, think critically, problem-solve and are digitally literate to thrive in today’s ever-changing world.

A traditional relay coach may tell you that the 3rd leg of a relay is reserved for the most inexperienced athlete. Well, we are not a traditional relay coach and this is certainly not the case for the relay for equitable education! This next award, Leadership of Service, Sponsored by Upstream, recognizes an individual who exemplifies servant leadership. This means that they embody the saying “nothing about us, with out us.” Rhonda Solis, served the Greeley Evans school district community powerfully for 8 years before being asked to run for the new Congressional district 8 state board of education seat. After having served her local school district families, by listening to the students and family’s needs, Rhonda decided to take her model of leadership to the state level. Without hesitation, Rhonda has continued to serve boldly by following her constituent’s leadership. Thank you Rhonda for being a powerful leader of service.

Congratulations Rhonda and thank you for all you do for Colorado’s students.  

I partnered with District 6 and the Greeley Chamber of Commerce to host a meet and greet with our new Education Commissioner, Susana Cordova. Serving our community and our kids comes first, and as a member of the State Board of Education, it’s important that we bring together important players to meet, make connections and support one another. If a school or district is struggling, the CDE has resources in place to support steps toward improvement. I was so glad that our community had an opportunity to meet with our new commissioner and make lasting connections that will support our district moving forward. This meeting was hugely successful thanks to the partnership of District 6 and many members of our community!

I used my platform as a State Board of Education Member, former D6 School Board Member, and former CASA to help raise money for Life Stories Child & Family Advocacy, an incredible organization that supports and advocates for children impacted by abuse and neglect. I would say modeling is out of my comfort zone, but when Life Stories asks you to help, I couldn’t say no. So here I am in a balloon dress, yes, that is correct - me in a balloon dress! We raised crucial funds and had a blast supporting an amazing community organization!