We are living through extraordinary and probably unprecedented moments in the history of Denver Public Schools. Superintendent Alex Marrero, who has led the district for almost exactly five years, clearly wants out. He has applied for at least two other urban superintendencies, and is still under consideration in Florida’s Miami-Dade.
A letter Marrero wrote to board president Xóchitl Gaytán earlier this month came to light yesterday in a story by Chalkbeat. The letter seems to be Marrero attempting to pave the way for getting out of his contract and receiving a full year’s salary – $346,529 – and various fringe benefits as he walks.
The ostensible reason is that members of the school board are violating the contractually agreed-to dictates of policy governance, the framework under which the district operates. This is a self-interested power-play that doesn’t take into consideration the best interests of Denver’s children.
In this episode, co-host Alan Gottlieb analyzes Marrero’s letter and his employment contract with former Denver school board member Theresa Peña, a tireless advocate for Denver’s most vulnerable children. How the letter and contract’s language paly off each other seem ot indicate that Marrero intends to walk away from the district with a big payout, perhaps as soon as early July.
