Denver successes — and potential pitfalls

Just a few years ago, Denver Public Schools was making national news for having one of the worst dropout rates in the country.

On Tuesday, school officials had something to celebrate.

According to newly released statistics from the Colorado Department of Education, DPS has seen a 42 percent drop in its dropout rate in the last five years, Denver's 9News reports.

Successes like these are nice to see, but they can also present a hazard: It has taken a tremendous effort on the part of community members, educators, administrators, students, parents, and political leaders to help Denver improve its marks. But those efforts must continue. 

Denver is still failing to graduate thousands of students each year. It's good to highlight improvement, but we should not allow a false sense of success to develop. The epidemic continues. The fight must go on.