Denver Public Schools

Also known as Denver County School District 1.

Denver Public Schools District Info

Students	County	Graduation Rate	# of Schools	Operating Budget	Source
92,331	Denver	64.80% -14.1% to CO average	199 (incl. 2 charters)	$929.5M ~ $10,067/student ~ $4.67M/school +$4,767/student to CO average	Adopted Budget 2016/2017

Denver Public Schools Superintendent

Name	When First Voted In	Salary	Contract Ends	Contact
Tom Boasberg (Registered Democrat)	Jan. 2009	$236,222 (Spring 2017)	Annual extensions	720-423-3300 superintendent@dpsk12.org

• Boasberg has no formal teaching experience or training. Closest experience is serving as an introductory English language instructor in Hong Kong for one year in the 1980s.
• Boasberg's background is largely law and telecommunications, with also having served a stint in the Clinton Administration at the same time as his childhood friend Michael Bennet.
• Boasberg is a "graduate" of The Broad Center, an offshoot of The Broad Foundation. TBF has among its grantees as pro-charter organizations and organizations that see donations from the Walton Family Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. These three organizations are among the top funders of education reform efforts.

Previous Superintendents

Michael Bennet

Bennet was appointed to DPS Superintendent in 2005, upon the recommendation of then-Mayor of Denver John Hickenlooper. Prior to his DPS Superintendency, Bennet had no background in education, either in teaching or administration. He never attended a public school, nor did his children.

Bennet's background is of being an aide to political figures, law clerking, Counsel to the U.S. Deputy Attorney General in the Clinton Administration, Managing Director for the Anschutz Investment Company, and Deputy Chief of Staff for Mayor Hickenlooper.

Bennet stepped down to be appointed to the open U.S. Senate seat in 2009, which Ken Salazar vacated to become the U.S. Secretary of the Interior in the new Obama Administration. The Bennet pick came collectively as a surprise in Colorado.

Prior to his Senate appointment, Bennet's name was floated as a possible pick for the U.S. Secretary of Education for the incoming Obama Administration, specifically citing Bennet's implementation of his teacher merit pay program.

Denver Public Schools School Board

• No compensation
• Terms are 4 years
• 2 term limit

• VERY expensive seats.

• DCTA = Denver Classroom Teachers Association (Union)

• DFER = Democrats For Education Reform; a pro-charter and pro-voucher group.

District	Name	Party	Next Election	Contact	2017 Results	2015 Results	2013 Results	2011 Results	2009 Results
1	Anne Rowe (DFER)	Democrat	2019 (Termed Out)	720-423-3210 Anne_Rowe@dpsk12.org		23.8% (61.9%) Kristi Butkovich 38%	X	30.4% (65.2%) Emily Sirota 34.70%	X
2	Rosemary Rodriguez (DFER)	Democrat	2017 (Not seeking re-election)	720-423-3210 rosemary_rodriguez@dpsk12.org		X	23.6% (61.8%) Rosario C. de Baca 37.9% 1 1 (DCTA and AFL-CIO-endorsed)	X	1.2% (50.6%) 1,2 (Andrea Merida) Ismael C. Garcia 49.30% 1 (Listed in CO Green Party) 2 (DCTA-endorsed) (Garcia DFER-endorsed)
3	Mike Johnson (DFER)	Democrat	2017	720-423-3210 mike_johnson@dpsk12.org		X	14.2% (57.1%) Meg Schomp 42.8% 1 1 (DCTA-endorsed)	X	UNOPPOSED 1 (Jeanne Kaplan) 1 (DCTA-endorsed)
4	Rachele C. Espiritu Ph.D. (Appointed May 2016)	Democrat	2017	720-423-3210 rachele_espiritu@dpsk12.org		X (Landri Taylor resigned in Feb 2016 for family reasons)	31% (65.5%) 1 (Landri Taylor) Roger Kilgore 34.4% 2 1 (DFER-endorsed) 2 (DCTA-endorsed)	X (Easely recall failed at petition)	5.6% (33.8%) 1 (Nate Easley) Vernon Jones 28.20% 2 Andrea G. Mosby 18.70% Jacqui Shumway 11.10% Alton Clark 7.90% 1 (DCTA-endorsed} 2 (DFER-endorsed)
5	Lisa Flores (DFER)	Democrat	2019	720-423-3210 lisa_flores@dpsk12.org		7% (53.5%) Michael Kiley 46.5%	X	1% (50.5%) (Arturo Jimenez) Jennifer Draper Carson 49.60% 1 1 (DFER-endorsed)	X
At-Large	Barbara O'Brien (DFER)	Democrat	2017	720-423-3210 barbara_o'brien@dpsk12.org		X	28.1% (59.3%) Michael Kiley 31.1% 1 Joan Poston 9.3% 1 (DCTA-endorsed)	X	41.9% (70.9%) 1 (Mary Seawell) Christopher Scott 29% 2 1 (DFER-endorsed) 2 (DCTA-endorsed)
At-Large	Allegra "Happy" Haynes (DFER)	Democrat	2019 (Termed Out)	720-423-3210 Happy_Haynes@dpsk12.org		0.8% (50.4%) Robert Speth 49.5% 1 1 (DCTA-endorsed)	X	47.8% (59.2%) Roger Kilgore 11.30% 1 Jacqui Shumway 10.80% Frank E. Deserino 9.70% John Daniel 8.70% 2 1 (DCTA-endorsed) 2 {Source)	X

• 2009 Note: (Andrea Merida had 3 recall attempts within a couple months. All failed to get enough signatures.)

Local Special Interest Groups

• Our Denver, Our Schools

2017 Election

Candidates

(i) = incumbent

Ward	Name	Party	Endorsement/Info	Contact	Questionnaire
District 2	Angela Cobian	Democrat	Lean DFER Employed at Leadership for Educational Equity, a Teach for America offshoot Emerge CO alum Endorsed by current seatholder Rosemary Rodriquez Colorado BlueFlower Fund Stand for Children	Website Email
District 2	Xochitl "Sochi" Gaytan	Democrat	Non-DFER Our Denver, Our Schools Denver Area Labor Federation Our Revolution Metro Denver Colorado BlueFlower Fund	Website Email
District 3	Carrie Olson	Democrat	Current DPS teacher When elected will take leave of absence to have board evaluate by-law that keeps her from keeping her classroom position Non-DFER Education Study Group Survey Our Denver, Our Schools Denver Area Labor Federation Our Revolution Metro Denver	Website Facebook Email	Education Study Group
District 3	Mike Johnson (i)	Democrat	DFER Stand for Children	Website Email
District 4	Tay Anderson	Democrat	Non-DFER Our Denver, Our Schools Our Revolution Metro Denver	Website Facebook Email
District 4	Jennifer Bacon	Democrat	Regional Director for Leadership for Ed. Equity, a TFA offshoot, DFER-lite Denver Area Labor Federation Emerge CO alum Colorado BlueFlower Fund	Website Email
District 4	Rachele Espiritu (i)	Democrat	DFER Colorado BlueFlower Fund	Website Email
At-Large	Julie Bañuelos	Democrat	Non-DFER Education Study Group Survey Our Revolution Metro Denver	Website Email	Education Study Group
At-Large	Barbara O'Brien (i)	Democrat	DFER Colorado BlueFlower Fund Stand for Children	Website Email
At-Large	Robert Speth	Democrat	Non-DFER Our Denver, Our Schools Denver Area Labor Federation	Website Email

2017 Election Issues

Seat	Candidate	School Choice (General)	Vouchers, Tax Credits, Education Savings Accounts	Charter Schools	Accountability	Transparency	School Closures
District 2	Angela Cobian Our Denver, Our Schools survey	Positive				"It is important to ensure that charter schools, like all public schools receiving taxpayer dollars are being good stewards of public funds."	Leans positive
District 2	Xochitl "Sochi" Gaytan Our Denver, Our Schools survey	Focus on neighborhood schools "We also need to support neighborhood schools and teaching as a career to truly retain options for families"		Negative "[Private corporations should play] No Role."			Negative "Closing a school disrupts the education, sense of security in our communities for every child and family who has their school taken away."
District 3	Carrie Olson
District 3	Mike Johnson (i)
District 4	Tay Anderson
District 4	Jennifer Bacon						"Yes" Clip of DPS interview April 2016
District 4	Rachele Espiritu (i)
At-Large	Julie Bañuelos
At-Large	Barbara O'Brien (i)
At-Large	Robert Speth

Campaign Finance

Seat	Name	Total Contributions	Total Expenditures	Total Cash On Hand	Total PACs	Notable Individuals
District 2	Angela Cobian
District 2	Xochitl "Sochi" Gaytan
District 3	Carrie Olson
District 3	Mike Johnson (i)
District 4	Tay Anderson
District 4	Jennifer Bacon
District 4	Rachele Espiritu (i)
At-Large	Julie Bañuelos
At-Large	Barbara O'Brien (i)
At-Large	Robert Speth