These DPS incumbent candidates don’t support school choice (Opinion)
As former members of the Denver Population Schools Board of Instruction we have long respected the complexity and responsibility of serving on the board It is a demanding and often thankless role Yet the gravity of our district s challenges and the content of the Denver Post editorial from September compel us to speak out The editorial referenced a few candidates running for the Denver Board of Schooling who would rather see the district s world-class lottery system go away and accused them of wanting to keep the best schools in Denver a secret Let s be clear the three incumbents Scott Esserman X chitl Gayt n and Michelle Quattlebaum have led efforts to dismantle school choice in Denver They have also collaborated with the Superintendent to only publicize the positive results and limit population access to negative school performance records especially among low income students The citizens deserves to see the disaggregated achievement by race ethnicity and income Despite campaigning on promises of transparency and accountability the incumbents actions have too often produced the opposite The current board has made critical decisions behind closed doors minimized authentic locality engagement and failed to deliver measurable improvement for Denver s students This November Denver voters have the opportunity to elect four new board members who will restore integrity transparency and student-centered decision-making These candidates Mariana del Hierro District Caron Blanke District Timiya Jackson District and Alex Maga a At-Large represent the best of Denver s civic and educational leadership Two are accomplished educators and two bring executive management experience rooted in area system Collectively they are prepared to govern responsibly and help rebuild a system that prioritizes pupil success above all else The statistics tell a sobering story While of white students in DPS are proficient in reading only or fewer Black Latino and low-income students meet grade-level expectations a gap that continues to widen In mathematics the disparities are even starker with up to of students from these groups performing below grade level Standardized scores are not the only indicator of educational wellbeing but they are an essential one Denver Society Schools has not returned to pre-pandemic levels of achievement and alarmingly has no clear plan to get there The current leadership has failed to set ambitious goals measure progress transparently or hold itself accountable for aspirant outcomes It is deeply concerning that a board responsible for billion in taxpayer funds students and employees demonstrates so little urgency or accountability Under this leadership Denver students have fallen even farther behind academically socially and emotionally This vote offers a turning point Denver voters can choose leaders who bring urgency competence and a clear sense of responsibility to residents schooling Blanke del Hierro Jackson and Maga a are ready to collaborate with the Superintendent on an aggressive student-centered plan to raise achievement and restore masses confidence The pandemic presented an opportunity to reimagine a district that works for every child The current board and the incumbents seeking reelection failed that test Denver cannot afford another generation of lost possible This November we urge voters to promotion new leadership committed to transparency accountability and the belief that every Denver novice deserves the opportunity to learn thrive and succeed Elaine Gantz Berman Theresa Pe a and Mary Seawell are all former elected directors of the Denver Citizens Schools Board of Schooling Sign up for Sound Off to get a weekly roundup of our columns editorials and more To send a letter to the editor about this article submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email or mail
