Hopes for Denver’s next superintendent

It has taken nothing short of a heroic effort for families and schools to get through this pandemic. And while the year has been exhausting, we’ll need to dig deep and summon the energy to engage in one of the most pivotal decision points for Denver Public Schools that we will face for the next decade or more — the selection of a new superintendent.

The superintendent of the school district holds a massively consequential role for the future of our city’s schools. The superintendent drives policy recommendations, allocates resources, and determines priorities for the district. Denver has incredible educators and families and they deserve all of our input, vetting, and work to ensure we choose a transformative leader for our district. As a former teacher, administrator, and current school leader who has worked in multiple schools across the city, I humbly offer my thoughts in the process of selecting a new superintendent of Denver Public Schools.

We need a superintendent who is a unifier and declares a hard stop to the infighting of public charter or public traditional, and unions vs reformers. It isn’t productive and doesn’t honor families or educators. It prevents our district from focusing on what’s most important — our students. Having a portfolio of school models is a strength of Denver Public Schools admired across the country. The superintendent should foster collaboration and be a bridge for educators in all schools doing great work to spread excellence and build community.

Alongside students, educators, and families, the next superintendent must also explore the question of what a great education means in this moment in time for racial justice. What will it require of Denver Public Schools as an educational system to lead our students through this urgent time in our country? Changing outdated curriculums, hiring a diverse and representative team, creating systems that support inclusion, pursuing equitable disciplinary practices, and racial bias training must be prioritized. Standing idly by is not an option, seize the opportunity to lead with anti-racist policy and adequate supporting resources that make substantive movement toward racial equity for our students.

In the next few years, a number of new schools will be opening in our district. As a founding school leader myself, I know how delicate and fragile the process of opening a new school can be; there needs to be intentional support for innovation aimed at producing the best possible outcomes for our kids. We cannot have more displaced families who need to transition from a closed or underperforming school as we’ve had to see in the past with new school openings in our district. With the return of Montbello High School, the new Robert F. Smith Steam Academy, and DSST: Elevate High School in the Far Northeast, the stakes couldn’t be higher for families that those schools open successfully. Those educators, families, and students who take the courageous step to be a part of a new and innovative school deserve our commitment to their success.

And when it comes to testing, it need not be excessive, but we should give families and educators information to know if they’re on track and to make the best possible educational decisions for their children. There should be a focus on data driven instruction that closes gaps between subgroups (racial, students with disabilities, multi-language learners, socioeconomic factors, etc.), increasing graduation rates for all students, and ensuring a world of opportunities at the end of their time in DPS. These results matter and can mean something big when it comes to college admissions, scholarships, and more for our students.

While these thoughts are informed from experiences as an educator, I am just one stakeholder of thousands whose input in this process should be taken equally into consideration. The voices of parents, students, other educators and all invested community members must be included in the dialogue. I encourage all families to take the time over the next few weeks to engage in the process closely as finalists are named and there are additional opportunities to vet the candidates thoroughly — our city’s kids need us right now and this is too important an issue to sit out.

Find an opportunity to join the Denver Public Schools superintendent search process here.