As a service to our listeners, Boardhawk decided to reach out to the two school board election axes of influence — The Denver Classroom Teachers Association and Denver Families Action to learn more about their process and criteria for endorsing candidates, as well as their funding sources and strategies. We conclude this series with a conversation with Clarence Burton Jr., CEO of Denver Families Action and Denver Families for Public Schools.
Clarence Burton has been CEO of Denver Families for Public Schools (a 501c3 nonprofit) and Denver Families Action (its 501c4 arm) since 2021.
Before coming to Denver Families, Clarence was Colorado state director for Older Adults Technology Services. Prior to that, he ran or helped run political campaigns for now-Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and former State Sen. Chris Hansen.
Although Burton disputes the characterization in this interview, Denver Families formed in 2020 as a sort of counterbalance to the political might of the DCTA, with substantial financial resources, which last cycle helped build a strong ground game, usually one of DCTA’s main advantages in school board elections. In the 2023 Denver Public Schools board election, all three Denver Families Action-endorsed candidates won, and the DCTA candidates lost.
