UPDATE: This article has been updated to clarify District 5 candidate Lacy McDonald’s status.
Eight candidates and two incumbents are seeking three Denver school board seats for the November 7 election, with the at-large (city-wide) seat looming as the most competitive race.
Four candidates are running for the at-large seat after incumbent Auon’tai Anderson chose not to seek re-election. They are Paul Ballenger, Kwame Spearman, John Youngquist, and Brittni Johnson.
In the other two races, District 1 (southeast Denver) incumbent Scott Baldermann is challenged by Kimberlee Sia and District 5 (northwest Denver) incumbent Charmaine Lindsay is challenged by Marlene De La Rosa, Lacy McDonald and Adam Slutzker.
September 1was the deadline to file for the Nov. 7 election.
The seven-member board is responsible for strategic planning, student achievement, developing school policies from school choice to student discipline, budget oversight (current annual budget is $1.28 billion), conducting student and employee appeals and adopting the school calendar. The board also hires and fires the superintendent.
Five board members represent separate geographic areas, and two represent the city at-large. The other four board seats are not up until November 2025. Voters receive their ballots in the mail in mid-October. Unlike the mayoral and city council races, a candidate just needs a plurality vote to win as there is no runoff in school board elections.
While endorsements from individuals and advocacy groups are important in DPS board races and can include cash donations, the two major, counterbalancing endorsement groups in this year’s races are the Denver Classroom Teachers Association – the local teachers union – and Denver Families Action, a well-funded 501(c)(4) organization.
Both DCTA and DFA endorsements come with the likelihood of large monetary contributions as well as significant logistical help, including door-knocking and get-out-the-vote efforts.
To date, DFA has endorsed John Youngquist at-large, Kimberlee Sia in District 1, and Marlene De La Rosa in District 5. DCTA has endorsed Baldermann in District 1, but hasn’t announced endorsements in the at-large of District 5 races.
Here are summaries of each race:
AT-LARGE: The secretary of state reported last week that Spearman has the most campaign money at $36,215, but Youngquist and Ballenger also are actively raising money. Johnson, who filed late, has raised no money, did not have a campaign website and did not respond to questions. Education researcher Ulcca Hansen has dropped out of the race after failing to win the DFA endorsement. Several candidate forums are being scheduled in various locations (check with candidate websites below).
Paul Ballenger
Background and qualifications
A security consultant and U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Army reservist, Ballenger also worked as a firefighter and emergency medical technician. He holds a master’s
degree in organizational leadership from CU Boulder, is a member of the DPS Parent Safety Advocacy Group and a school volunteer with a daughter attending high school in DPS.
Top priorities
Making schools safer with added security measures is his number one goal. Creating a culture of educational excellence in all schools, community building and effective governance are other priorities.
More information
www.PaulforDPS.com
Kwame Spearman
Background and qualifications
Spearman is former CEO of Tattered Cover Bookstore. He ran for Denver mayor earlier this year. He served as an aide to former U.S. Senator Mark Udall,. He holds a B.A. from Columbia University, a J.D, from Yale Law School, nad attended Harvard Business School. He serves on the boards of the DPS Foundation and the Colorado Education Initiative.
Top priorities
Refocusing the school board on students and school success instead of “political grandstanding.” Support equity in all DPS schools – traditional, charters and innovation schools. Bolster school safety and mental health services. Expand civic and business partnerships at schools.
More information
www.KwameforDenver.com
John Youngquist
Background and qualifications
Youngquist is a former DPS principal at East High, Smedley and Newlon elementaru schools (he was Colorado Elementary School Principal of the Year). He served as chief academic officer for Aurora Public Schools, and has also been an assistant superintendent in DPS, chief operating officer for Denver Youth Program, and a teacher. He holds a B.A. from CU Boulder, and an M.A. from CU Denver.
Top priorities
Create a vision of excellence in DPS. Hire and retain top teachers and principals. Advocate for academic gains for students by shifting board priorities to “put our students at the heart of every conversation.”
More information
www.Youngquist4DPS.com
Brittni Johnson
Background and qualifications
Did not respond
Top priorities
Did not respond
More information
[email protected]
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DISTRICT 1 (Southeast Denver) Incumbent Scott Baldermann is being challenged by Kimberlee Sia, who has raised $21,245 compared to Baldermann’s $3,168 in campaign contributions, according to secretary of state reports. Four years ago, however, Baldermann won the seat after spending $330,000 of his own money, a record for Denver school board campaigns.
Scott Baldermann (Incumbent)
Qualifications and background
Elected in 2019, he is a partner in Compass Movement and Fitness in Denver. He was PTA president and volunteer at his childrens’ school and has bachelor’s and master’s
degrees from the University of Nebraska. He was recently endorsed for re-election by the Denver Classroom Teachers Association and Denver Area Labor Federation.
Top priorities
On the board, he has taken a hard line against charter schools and in curtailing school autonomy. His priorities include being a strong advocate for teachers, including pay, and opposing any waivers from collective bargaining at all schools. He wants to rethink the school funding formula to make it more equitable, particularly for smaller schools threatened for closure. He voted to restore school resource officers (armed police officers) to high schools after the shooting by a student at East High School.
More information
www.Scott4Schools.org
Kimberlee Sia
Qualifications and background
Currently an education consultant, she is the former CEO of the KIPP Colorado charter school network, former president and CEO of Colorado “I Have a Dream” Foundation,
former teacher in California and New Jersey, former teacher’s union president in Goleta, Calif. and member of various DPS school-based committees. She has been endorsed by Denver Families Action.
Top priorities
Sia wants to inform board decisions by identifying and analyzing student data on academic performance and socioeconomic needs to determine how staff and resources are allocated. She also calls for improved student safety through staff training and enhancing mental health resources. She wants to address the district’s declining enrollment by developing strategies to better manage resources and explore grants and outside funding.
More information
www.SiaforDPSstudents.com
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DISTRICT 5 (Northwest Denver) Charmaine Lindsay, who was appointed to the board last year, said at that time that she was not planning to run in 2023. She has since changed her mind, saying she is fully engaged in the issues and wants to remain on the board. She has drawn three challengers. Neither Lindsay nor her challengers has raised campaign dollars in the most recent state report.
Charmaine Lindsay (Incumbent)
Qualifications and background
An attorney specializing in family law, she was selected by the board to fill a vacancy in June 2022 and now seeks a full term. She has been a school volunteer and in addition to her law degree, has a certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution from the University of Denver.
Top priorities
She wants more attention by the district to help all students read at grade level. She has been meeting with teachers and school leaders to identify programs and schools that need more resources to raise achievement. She also wants DPS to do more to help students with emotional and mental health needs.
More information
www.LindsayforDPSK12.org
Marlene De La Rosa
Qualification and background
A retired legal court specialist for the U.S. Department of Justice Immigration Court, she has served on many boards and civic organizations, including the Hispanic Chamber‘s Education Foundation, DPS Hispanic Education Advocacy Council, DPS Parent Advisory Board and Denver Latino Commission. She has been endorsed by Denver
Families Action.
Top priorities
She seeks to change the direction of the board to focus on students, particularly efforts to close the achievement gap between students of color and white students. Related to that, she wants DPS to improve teacher diversity through recruitment, hiring and support.
More information
www.Marlenefordps.com
Lacy McDonald
Update: Lacy McDonald filed to run in District 5 but the Denver Elections Division disqualified his candidacy for not meeting the requirement that a candidate must be a registered voter for 12 consecutive months in the relevant school board district. He said he is filing an appeal based on his having lived in the district for more than a year. he said he was not aware of the voter registration requirement. If his appeal is not successful, he is expected to run as a write-in candidate.
Qualifications and background
He manages the nonprofit Outer Haven, that provides outdoor education to youth through fitness, campaign, gardening and archery. He is a U.S. Army veteran and recipient of the Bronze Star and other service medals. McDonald volunteers at Lake Middle School.
Top priorities
He pledges to develop “authentic community engagement” by meeting with parents and educators at all 38 DPS schools in District 5 to hear their concerns and ideas about
stronger community partnerships. He seeks to increase recruitment and retention of teachers of color across DPS. He wants to focus on school safety by helping individual school leaders determine what security is appropriate for their community.
More information
www.Mcdonaldfordps.com
Adam Slutzker
Qualifications and background
A real estate agent for HomeSmart Realty, he is a former elementary school teacher in Golden and formerly owned a contracting and carpentry business. He has a bachelor’s
degree from CU Boulder and master’s degree from CU Denver.
Top priorities
As one of the parents who protested the proposed closure of Columbian Elementary in Northwest Denver, he wants the district to do a better job of supporting all schools.
More information
[email protected]
