Commentary
Once lost, credibility is hard to regain. When people no longer trust you, then every move you make will be scrutinized and criticized, and your motives will be called into question.
As criticism of the board has mounted since the March East High School shootings, and calls for mass resignations have gathered steam, Auon’tai Anderson has intensified his allegations that much of the criticism of him is race-based. That is only partly true.
From Fidel “Butch” Montoya: There is a growing movement to change this board. I initially opposed such a dramatic move, but it is becoming clear that the board and superintendent do not have the leadership skills to lead DPS during one of the dangerous and critical periods in its history.
Collectively, board members and the superintendent spent 20 minutes Monday discussing school safety.
Monday’s Denver school board meeting offered an almost perfect microcosm of the board’s operational ineptitude over the past 16 months: struggling to get out of its own way, and then making terrible decisions when it finally does.
The recent proposal from DPS Superintendent Alex Marrero to revoke the district’s partnership with the Beacon Innovation Zone breaks my heart. It is deeply troubling to me that a leader like Alex Magaña, who is leading on equitable education, is being penalized for all of his hard work.
The current Denver Public Schools Board of Education has failed in its oversight responsibilities and has demonstrated an inability to lead and manage effectively. We are among a group of DPS parents that has banded together and launched a petition drive to demand that all seven members resign immediately.
As Wednesday’s shooting of two administrators at East High School demonstrates in the starkest possible terms, the decision by the Denver Board of Education to remove school resource officers from high schools in 2021 was a grave mistake, and one with tragic consequences. Not surprisingly, no one involved is acknowledging this, at least not publicly.
Why does DPS want to put an end to an organization that is showing promise? Power and control seem to be the answer.
The school board might close three severely under-enrolled schools, and members are getting along, but they continue a drive toward less transparency.
Engaging parents in the absenteeism conversation
We knew the methods we were using to deal with poor attendance weren’t working. We theorized that part of the solution might not look linear. We had to put ourselves in the shoes of our parents and ask ourselves new questions. Why, on the hardest days and in the hardest situations, might I move mountains to get my student to school? And when might I not?