Commentary
An angry letter written by Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero to board President Carrie Olson April 22 accuses board member Joun Youngquist, a veteran educator, of seven serious violations of district protocols and procedures. The jarring letter, which seems motivated more by personal animus than facts, has caused a big stir in Denver education circles.
Youngquist spoke Tuesday with Boardhawk Editor Alan Gottlieb and columnist Alexis Menocal Harrigan about the allegations, his reaction to them, and how he and DPS carry on from here.
There’s no other way to describe the tone of Marrero’s letter than paranoid in the extreme. That board members had it in their possession for more than a week before voting to extend Marrero’s contract and yet voted to give this man an extra two years on the job provides yet further evidence that this board is breaching public trust egregiously.
Listen here to Alexis Menocal Harrigan and Alan Gottlieb discuss the contract extension the Denver school board granted Superintendent Alex Marrero Thursday, May 1.
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.
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.
Podcast Season 2, episode 17: Is Superintendent Marrero trying to exit Denver with 346K in taxpayer money?
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.