Get Boardhawk in your inbox

Enter your email address to subscribe and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Boardhawk

Podcast season 2, episode 14: DPS board member Marlene De La Rosa on cellphone ban policy, contentious board votes

By / / Leave a Comment

Marlene De La Rosa was elected to the Denver school board in November 2023, representing North Denver. She recently led the effort to develop a policy for the use of smartphones in Denver schools. We asked de la Rosa on to discuss that policy as well as how her perspective about the district has shifted since she first joined the board. De La Rosa worked  in the federal immigration court system for more than 30 years. We invited De La Rosa on to discuss the cellphone policy as well her views on current board dynamics. We also asked her about some votes she has taken that have upset some of her original supporters, most notably a contract extension for Superintendent Alex Marrero and the censure of fellow board member John Youngquist.

Podcast season 2, episode 14: DPS board member Marlene De La Rosa on cellphone ban policy, contentious board votes Read More »

A headshot of a man with blond hair wearing a light blue checkered shirt and dark-colored blazer.

Podcast season 2 episode 13: Pat Donovan on the state of achievement, choice in DPS. Now, with video option!

By / / Leave a Comment

You can now listen and/or watch us on YouTube, also embedded in this article!

Our guest for this episode is Pat Donovan, who has been a leading Denver public-education advocate for many years.  He led the advocacy and funding organization RootED, held a top leadership position at its successor, Denver Families for Public Schools. He heads the board of Rocky Mountain Prep, one of Denver’s largest, homegrown charter school networks. He’s also a board member at the Colorado League of Charter Schools.

Donovan has a long perspective on a variety of trends in Denver Public Schools, including how well the district is preparing students for life after high school and the narrowing of school choice. We invited Pat on for a wide-ranging discussion on these and other DPS-related topics.

Podcast season 2 episode 13: Pat Donovan on the state of achievement, choice in DPS. Now, with video option! Read More »

A headshot of a man with a beard in a blue shirt.

Podcast season 2, episode 12. Dialogue across differences: A conversation with Scott Esserman

By / / Leave a Comment

Boardhawk wanted former Denver school board member Scott Esserman on the podcast because we vigorously disagreed with him on a range of Denver Public Schools issues during his tenure, and wrote about him in a harshly critical tone on several occasions. At times the tone of those criticisms might have obscured the substantive differences in policy and philosophy that underlay them. Some of those disagreements include the performance of Superintendent Alex Marrero, whether DPS is headed n the right direction, Marrero’s contract extension, and school safety.

Podcast season 2, episode 12. Dialogue across differences: A conversation with Scott Esserman Read More »

Luminary Learning Network's logo. It reads, "Empowered Leaders. Empowered Teachers. Powerful Results" in yellow text.

Podcast season 2, episode 11: Why is DPS superintendent Marrero trying to stop the expansion of Denver’s last innovation zone?

By / / Leave a Comment

A proposed expansion of the Luminary Learning Network, Denver’s lone remaining Innovation zone, is being strongly opposed by Superintendent Alex Marrero. LLN Executive Director joins us to discuss the zone, and repeated attempts to curb its autonomies. The consolidation of school control under Marrero has implications for everyone with a stake in DPS.

Podcast season 2, episode 11: Why is DPS superintendent Marrero trying to stop the expansion of Denver’s last innovation zone? Read More »

A headshot of a man with a beard wearing a dark blue suit.

Podcast season 2, episode 10: How Dr. Richard Charles, DPS’ top technologist, is thinking about AI in schools

By / / Leave a Comment

In this second installment of our occasional series on the implications for public education of artificial intelligence in classrooms and homes, we welcome Dr. Richard Charles, the chief information officer for Denver Public Schools. A mathematician by training and inclination, Dr. Charles has deep knowledge of AI,  its promises and pitfalls. This thought-provoking conversation is well worth a listen.

Podcast season 2, episode 10: How Dr. Richard Charles, DPS’ top technologist, is thinking about AI in schools Read More »

Boardhawk podcast season 2, episode 8: The state of educational opportunity in Colorado, with Nicholas Hernández and Marc Porter Magee

By / / Leave a Comment

50CAN, a national education advocacy organization, and Transform Education Now (TEN), its Colorado affiliate, recently released a report called The State of Educational Opportunity in Colorado, a survey of some 515 parents from across the state. ur guests for this podcast episode are Marc Porter Magee, the founder and CEO of 50CAN, and Nicholas Hernández, the co-founder and executive director of TEN. The Colorado report and national survey data are filled with fascinating insights that say a great deal about current attitudes toward public education, school choice, and parental engagement.

Boardhawk podcast season 2, episode 8: The state of educational opportunity in Colorado, with Nicholas Hernández and Marc Porter Magee Read More »

A wide shot of the 2026 Denver Public Schools Board of Education members.

Boardhawk podcast season 2, episode 7: The dysfunctional leadership of the Denver school board, with guest Cody Ostenson

By / / Leave a Comment

Last week Boardhawk editor Alan Gottlieb published an article about the dysfunctional leadership of the Denver School Board under President Xóchitl Gaytán. In this new podcast episode Gottlieb and co-host Alexis Menocal Harrigan delver mnore deeply into this issue, along with Cody Ostenson, Director of External Affairs for Denver Families for Public Schools. Ostenson is one of if not the closest observer of the board and Denver Public Schools. His insights into board dynamics and DPS generally are invaluable.

Boardhawk podcast season 2, episode 7: The dysfunctional leadership of the Denver school board, with guest Cody Ostenson Read More »

An illustration of a man receiving an award that reads, "Ongoing Failure." There is a spotlight on him and confetti swirling around the room, and a crowd of people looks up at him adoringly.

Boardhawk podcast season 2, episode 6: Why does the state boost the ratings of failing high schools like Denver’s Lincoln?

By / / Leave a Comment

Last week, Boardhawk published a piece by educator and education researcher Peter Huidekoper Jr. about the baffling move by the Colorado Department of Education late last year to boost the state rating of Denver’s Abraham Lincoln High School despite a longstanding and ongoing record of failure to educate most of its students to anything approaching grade level proficiency. We asked Huidekoper onto the podcast to take a deeper dive into this issue.

Boardhawk podcast season 2, episode 6: Why does the state boost the ratings of failing high schools like Denver’s Lincoln? Read More »

An illustration of the word "justice" written across Hokusai's painting, "The Great Wave off Kanagawa."

In public education, it is past time to let justice roll like water

By / / Leave a Comment

Justice-driven systems do not rely on families to escape harm. They eliminate harm at its source. They do not measure success by averages or exceptions, but by whether the most marginalized students and their families experience stability, excellence, and opportunity — where they live and where they choose to learn.

In public education, it is past time to let justice roll like water Read More »