Commentary

A lot has happened since our last podcast episode June 29. Denver Public School Superintendent Alex Marrero learned he will not be a finalist for the superintendent’s job in Miami-Dade, Florida. Board President Xóchitl Gaytán sent a  letter to a media outlet in which she defends her decision not to call a special board meeting on short notice. Records received through a Colorado Open Records Act request show that Board Vice President Monica Hunter and board members John Youngquist and Amy Klein Molk wrote Gaytán asking for a special meeting to address concerns, including that Marrero might try to trigger a clause in his contract as soon as July 8 that would have allowed him to terminate that contract and collect a full year’s salary and benefits on his way out the door. The earliest possible termination of contract date came and went without any action, but there’s still a lot going on behind the scenes.

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 to indicate that Marrero intends to walk away from the district with a big payout, perhaps as soon as early July.