On December 8, health care provider Kaiser Permanente sent a letter to the roughly 3,400 Denver Public Schools employees who receive its services informing then that DPS was dropping Kaiser as a provider. Our guest today is Rob Gould, president of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association. We delve deeply into this issue with Gould, whose members stand to bear the brunt of the possible consequences.
Commentary
Coach Steve Finesliver: “ It does not serve the best interests of our children or our families to extend the superintendent’s contract. And I’ll go one step further and say the same for continuing his leadership (of DPS).”
Winning The Creator Award from Ednium is such an honor. Much of the work I do is for the community and to give my ancestors and spirits the platform to be seen and heard in certain spaces feels incredible. I feel proud to represent the ones who came before me and the ones who will come after me. It’s truly honoring this journey of my life.
Educators, we need to learn and learn quickly how to guide students to use social media in socially responsive, yet innovative ways. I know this is another job on our plate. I know that we can’t solve all of society’s ills. I also know that we can’t standby.
As the Denver school board seems poised to prematurely extend Superintendent Alex Marrero’s contract, Robin Pulliam has decided, after years of silence, that the time is right to tell her story — on this podcast. She paints a troubling picture of a senior leadership team that operates like a boy’s club, where sexist comments are laughed off and women’s input is brushed aside.
While we had always been taught to be present in meetings, listen to the speaker, and demonstrate with our body language that we were actively listening, these adults — elected officials — did not reflect this learning . Not only were the silent people in the room loud with unrest, the speakers were loud with disorder. Seemingly unprepared, they stuttered, lost documents and more. While students are drilled to be prepared for public speaking, these adults weren’t.
So many across education are simultaneously watching in shock, while also asking, “How do we move forward from here when critical systems and programs are being rolled back?” The answer lies in remaining laser-focused on an elegant, age-old objective in our schools: joy. As we face historic challenges, joy in our classrooms – for our teachers and students – matters more than ever.
You won’t want to miss this pointed conversation, with its references to Superintendent Alex Marrero’s “Trumpian authoritarianism,” and its strong critiques of the school board members who have the temerity to think a premature contract extension is a good idea.
Marrero is a polarizing figure, beloved by some and disliked by others. Extending his contract before an election that could shift the board’s position on his tenure would be a brazen move to tie a new board’s hands, making it difficult/expensive to remove him
I attribute much of my success to the foundation provided to me by DPS. The leadership skills, work ethic, and emphasis on community engagement instilled in me have shaped my career and personal life in profound ways.
Daily Round-Up
Among today’s headlines:
Rico Munn Named Sole Finalist for CSU System Chancellor
Cherry Creek Assistant Superintendent Tony Poole Announces Retirement
Investigation: Local Police Aid ICE by Tapping School Cameras
The stupidity and arrogance behind DPS board’s Marrero contract extension
The five-member majority that voted for the extension displayed an arrogance that made members blissfully unaware of the idiocy of their action and the transparent dishonesty of their stated rationale.