Editor’s note: This is the monthly contribution from Boardhawk columnist Alexis Menocal Harrigan.
With the debate swirling around the Denver Public Schools bond on this November’s ballot, please allow me to make the case to not throw the baby (the bond) out with the proverbial bathwater (DPS leadership).
Earlier this summer, Van Schoales wrote an op-ed in The Denver Post that split many in the Denver education community. He argued, correctly, that DPS is facing significant challenges including student safety, academic achievement, and fiscal management under current leadership. He goes on to assert that approving a billion-dollar bond would be premature without addressing these fundamental issues.
I forecast that we will see more Denver voters undervote (abstain/skip the question) than we have in years past.
While I have always respected Van, I disagree with the case he is trying to make. Short of outright corruption, we should always vote in favor of DPS bonds and mill levies, especially when those ballot initiatives do not increase taxes, as has been the case the last several election cycles.
We still have buildings in need of desperate upgrades. I write this as a DPS parent whose kids attend one of the many DPS schools without air conditioning.
There are critical improvements and updates throughout the bond package that address important issues such as safety, access to technology, welcoming schools, and building quality learning environments. If this bond fails, kids like mine will continue suffering through hot classrooms in August, September and May or miss more school for heat days as they have in recent years.
If this fails, it means kids will not have access to the technology needed to create differentiated learning, and that will help prepare students for the jobs of the future. If this bond fails, students with disabilities will not always feel welcomed in all school buildings.
We should not allow students to suffer because we have lost confidence in the leaders we elected or whom they have put in charge.
I am not alone in my support of the DPS-proposed bond.
A recent study by Keating Research and Denver Families for Public Schools found a majority of Denver voters show strong support for the nearly $1 billion initiative. Denver voters consistently support DPS bond issues, and this year is no exception.
What is different, as Van articulated in his piece, is the palpable dissatisfaction with the current DPS leadership. According to the survey, nearly half of respondents view the DPS board unfavorably, a sentiment that has been felt in the Denver education community for several years now. A substantial portion of respondents expressed unfamiliarity with Superintendent Alex Marrero, while those familiar were more likely than not to hold negative perceptions.
Politics and Leadership
While the poll did not survey voters on the Community Planning and Advisory Committee (CPAC), the community group responsible for coming up with the recommended bond package, I would venture to guess that its six co-chairs, while at present not as well known as current board members, have high favorability and will present a stronger case to Denver voters than the DPS board.
The current co-chairs represent some of Denver’s strongest leaders with a diverse set of backgrounds and experiences leading major local initiatives or organizations. They are; Albus Brooks, Mike Ferrufino, Kourtny Garrett, James Mejia, Simone D. Ross, and Mary Seawell. These individuals have strong political capital with a broad swath of Denver’s Black, Latino, business, and education communities.
If I were advising the campaign for the bond, I would recommend keeping the school board behind the scenes and putting the CPAC co-chairs front and center, along with Marrero. This would allow Marrero to tie himself to some of Denver’s most respected civic leaders, and also an initiative Denver voters already strongly support.
This would also allow him to spend more time with the co-chairs learning about their leadership styles. We can only hope that he will be willing to ask for and be open-minded to hearing their recommendations on education matters more broadly.
Marrero has a chance to use this bond to introduce himself to Denver residents who do not know him, and turn around his public persona for those who do. He can start showcasing a new side to his leadership not tied to the board. He can and has made tough calls and done things that are good for kids, but maybe not popular with adults.
We have been demanding a change of Marrero and the DPS leadership, and instead of showing up with disdain (which I have been known to do), why not give him a chance to turn the corner?
Be part of accountability and oversight
We can’t ignore the fact that if the bond passes this fall, the board and DPS leadership will be responsible for overseeing the largest DPS bond package in history. This is why it is important that we as community members don’t stop at the election, but continue to pay attention to and testify at board meetings, get involved in the Bond Oversight Committee, and shed light on issues or decisions being made that are not in the interest of our students.
This bond is also an infusion of millions of dollars to Denver and the local counties surrounding it, with new jobs on construction and maintenance projects. Many people not in the procurement, construction, or business development side of education are likely not paying attention to this. If, however, you care about how your public dollars are spent, you should know how the jobs are bid, how contracts are awarded, and how many of the people working those jobs or who own those companies look like the students in our school buildings.
Too often the people advocating in rooms around procurement are operating out of self-interest. This next bond is a chance for more members of the public to step up and pay attention to how DPS does business when a billion dollars is being spent over the next several years.
This election season is going to be a wild one for many reasons, starting with the presidential candidates at the top of the ballot. While we have two men who shouldn’t drive let alone run a country competing for the presidency, let’s rise above the fray and show up to support our students by voting for the bond this November.
We can continue holding our leadership accountable during this time, but our students shouldn’t suffer because of the poor decisions of adults.
