Aurora Public Schools
From IFRR
Same as Adams-Arapahoe School District 28J.
Contents
Aurora Public Schools District Info
| Students | County | Graduation Rate | # of Schools | Operating Budget | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 34,942 | Adams Arapahoe |
65% -13.9% to CO average |
61 | $368M ~ $10,531/student ~ $6.03M/school +$5,231/student to CO average |
Adopted Budget 2016/2017 |
Aurora Public Schools Superintendent
| Name | When First Voted In | Salary | Contract Ends | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demetri "Rico" Munn (Registered Democrat) |
May 2013 | $226,433 | (Cannot confirm) | 303-365-7800 supt@aps.k12.co.us |
Aurora Public Schools School Board
- No compensation
- Terms are 4 years
- 2 term limit
| District | Name | Party | Next Election | Contact | 2017 Results |
2015 Results |
2013 Results |
2011 Results |
2009 Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-Large | Monica Colbert | Republican | 2019 | 720-937-2063 mrcolbert@aps.k12.co.us |
Won with 16.2% | X | |||
| At-Large | Amber Drevon | (Cannot Confirm) | 2017 | 303-201-8207 adrevon@aps.k12.co.us |
X | Won with 19.5% | |||
| At-Large | Dan Jorgensen | Democrat | 2019 | 303-345-8981 ddjorgensen@aps.k12.co.us |
Won with 17.6% | X | |||
| At-Large | Eric Nelson (Censured) |
Democrat | 2017 | 720-422-9101 ENelson@aps.k12.co.us |
X | Won with 20.6% | |||
| At-Large | JulieMarie Shepherd | Republican | 2017 | 720-608-0350 jshepherd@aps.k12.co.us |
X | Won with 22.5% | |||
| At-Large | Beulah "Cathy" Wildman | Republican | 2019 | 303-884-6095 cwildman@aps.k12.co.us |
Won with 17.2% | X | |||
| At-Large | Barbara Yamrick | Democrat | 2017 | 303-745-3066 byamrick@aps.k12.co.us |
X | Won with 18.9% |
- Eric Nelson was censured due to lying about his education and military background.
- Beulah "Cathy" Wildman Board Director Cathy Wildman has come under fire for what some referred to as racist comments she made while discussing undocumented immigration at a May 16 (,2017) meeting.
Local Special Interest Groups
2017 Election
Candidates
On November 7th, 2017, there are 4 seats are up for vote. 2 Dem seats, 1 Unaffiliated, and 1 Republican. Only 1 incumbent is running (Barbara Yamrick), the other 3 seats are wide open. All are elected At-Large from a single candidate pool. A total of 9 candidates are running for 4 seats.
| Ward | Name | Party | Endorsements/Info | Contact | Questionnaires |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-Large | Kyla Armstrong-Romero | Democrat | Member: Arapahoe Young Democrats, Our Revolution Metro Denver Our Revolution Metro Denver Colorado Black Women for Political Action Endorsed by State Reps. Janet Buckner, Paul Rosenthal, and Joe Salazar Colorado BlueFlower Fund Aurora's A Team Aurora Sentinel Planned Parenthood Votes Colorado Reproductive Rights, Health and Education Candidate |
Current Website Previous Website Online Contact Form |
Colorado Black Women for Political Action A+ Colorado RISE Colorado |
| At-Large | Jane Barber | Democrat | Previously on board 2005-2013 | Colorado Black Women for Political Action A+ Colorado RISE Colorado | |
| At-Large | Kevin Cox | Democrat | Previously Aurora City Council Ward III candidate Our Revolution Metro Denver Denver Area Labor Federation Aurora's A Team Aurora Police Association APWU Local 6315 Arapahoe County Commissioner - Bill Holen State Representative Joe Salazar Aurora Sentinel Planned Parenthood Votes Colorado Reproductive Rights, Health and Education Candidate |
Current Website Previous Website |
RISE Colorado |
| At-Large | Debbie Gerkin | Democrat | Our Revolution Metro Denver Denver Area Labor Federation Aurora's A Team Aurora Police Department State Representative Joe Salazar Aurora Sentinel |
Current Website Previous Website |
Colorado Black Women for Political Action RISE Colorado |
| At-Large | Marques Ivey | Democrat | Our Revolution Metro Denver Aurora's A Team State Representative Joe Salazar Aurora Sentinel Planned Parenthood Votes Colorado Reproductive Rights, Health and Education Candidate |
Current Website Previous Website |
Colorado Black Women for Political Action (Incorrect name in URL) A+ Colorado RISE Colorado |
| At-Large | Miguel Lovato | Democrat | State Sen. Rhonda Fields Current APS Board member Dan Jorgensen Listed as Staff at Daniels Fund, that also deals with K-12 Education Reform "Emphasis is on charter schools" Sits on Board of Directors at an Aurora-based charter school Donated $50 to DFER (9/18/17) Planned Parenthood Votes Colorado Reproductive Rights, Health and Education Candidate |
Website |
Colorado Black Women for Political Action (Incorrect name in URL) A+ Colorado RISE Colorado |
| At-Large | Gail Pough | Democrat | Mentor at Together Colorado State Sen. Rhonda Fields Colorado BlueFlower Fund Planned Parenthood Votes Colorado Reproductive Rights, Health and Education Candidate |
Website |
Colorado Black Women for Political Action (Incorrect name in URL) A+ Colorado RISE Colorado |
| At-Large | Lea Steed | Democrat | Outreach Coordinator for Great Education Colorado State Sen. Rhonda Fields Colorado BlueFlower Fund |
Colorado Black Women for Political Action A+ Colorado RISE Colorado | |
| At-Large | Barbara Yamrick (i) | Democrat |
2017 Campaign Issues
Sources: RISE Questionnaire and Chalkbeat Survey
DSST is a charter school system within Denver Public Schools. It is referenced a couple times in answers below.
| Candidate | Top 3 Issues | Charter Schools/Vouchers | Budget Constraints/Funding | Academic Achievement & Proficiency | Teachers | Accountability/Transparency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyla Armstrong-Romero | Quality is #1 priority (performance). Budget shortfall. Board responsibility for program evaluation including private contracts. Transparency and communication about budget cuts. |
Charters don't make education accessible to all students, but is aware of Denver families that speak highly of DSST model. Board must hold them accountable to same or very similar standards. |
Cuts shouldn't impact overall service delivery a/o access to education for ALL students. | Problems due to student issues (e.g. housing, transportation; school (resources, facilities, teacher t/o). Focus on programs to strategize improvement and student growth - no uniform fix so identify issues impacting low performing schools individually. Important to bring families/teachers/students into plan for improvement and give them step. Need to support all students and families. |
Build a mentor/partnership for educators & administrators to support student learning. Listen to teachers about what's working. | Very important. Slowly improving A&T w/ the community. |
| Jan Barber | "Transparency: board, superintendent, community Charters - especially for profit Teachers - let them teach, not prepare for test & don't evaluate on the basis of scores |
Concerned about trend toward privatization (and for-profit charters). Critical of process used to bring DSST into the district. Biyearly financial reviews of charters needed. Neighborhood schools are the foundation of school system. |
No funding cuts with direct student impact. Look at top heavy programs (& admin. Costs) |
Low performing schools need more mentoring from successful and retired teachers. Give new programs a chance. |
More support for teachers. Let them teach not just prepare for tests. | Meetings are well publicized. |
| Kevin Cox | Stop encroachment of charters Budgets Exposure to trade professions |
"Opposed - taking $ from tradiditonal schools. Focus on building (traditional) public schools up - don't divert student funding to charters. Hold them to exact same standards (no waivers; don't drop underperforming students). |
"Charter funding is creating budget crisis. Need to fund system properly. Spend $ intelligently so needed programs started, others expanded. Budget cuts won't stop district flight or improve learning conditions" |
"Expose kids to alternative career paths (e.g., trades)" "Low performance partly due to flight to charters & Cherry Creek schools" |
Bring talented teachers - pay competitive wages | "Hold people overseeing schools accountable. Board members should disclose $ they received from pro-charter organizations." |
| Debbie Gerkin | Achievement (student, retain high quality teachers, prepare for post HS success) Equity - need culturally responsive classrooms, prioritize classrooms in budget decisions Community - bring all voices to the table, open community dialogue |
Charters don't offer a clear advantage for students, but there are some good ones (DSST e.g.). Charters pull $ from traditional schools while there have been huge budget cuts. Lack transparency, accountability, receive wavers. Need to carefully scrutinize proposals, require transparency. |
Don't cut teaching/support staff or increase class size. We must look for ways to be more efficient [rather than cutting the budget]. |
Apply best practices for attendance & instruction, match teaching to needs. Use ongoing assessment. Match students with teaching methods. Need equitable learning opportunities. |
Need to retain teachers, hire more diverse group. Provide professional development opportunities. | Needed for board agendas/minutes, financial info - it's available but could be easier to find. Community members should know how tax dollars are spent (using an APS tool). |
| Marques Ivey | Diversity Funding cuts - not at the expense of teachers. Reduce amount of tests so teachers can teach the subject, not for the test. |
Charters not sound strategy - give traditional, pilot & innovation schools resources to succeed. Charters pull per-pupil funding from traditional schools. Has concerns about the process used to approve DSST. |
Find ways to fund programs that have been cut (such as extracurricular programs). "...transferring some [administrative] salaries from the general fund to the bond fund." Look for operational inefficiencies. |
If accountability clock is running out, getting innovation status preferred over Charters, management change & district reorg. Need to better meet needs of students. Improvement plans need to be school by school. |
More professional training. | Need transparency in operations of board, town hall meetings, include stakeholders in discussions. |
| Miguel Lovato | Student achievement "single most pressing issue" Concerned about state intervention due to low proficiency. |
Supports rights of students to choose best school. Has concerns about how DSST was brought into the district. Need a clear application process. Board needs a charter school strategy |
Engage constituent groups before making cuts. Keep cuts away from classroom. Explore school level budgeting. |
Board needs to figure out what's working and replicate. | ?? | Push for greater A & T to students, parents & community. Board needs to hold district leaders accountable. |
| Gail Pough | Student achievement / school quality Equal access to quality schools, equity Greater responsiveness to diverse community |
Needs clear/consistent way to approve charters. Parents have been seeking out better educational options for their kids. "...schools in our neighborhoods are failing our Black and Brown students." Board must hold charters to high contract approval standards. Concerned about online charter schools. |
State level funding a problem and knows of schools receiving less funding this year. Supports future mill levy measures. |
Don't just communicate with community/families in English. Eliminate inequities due to geography. Use data to drive instruction; implement alternative school models to ensure students have good choices. |
Wrong to reduce healthcare plans for teachers. | Agree more A&T needed - budgets are moral documents and show what our true priorities are. |
| Lea Steed | Achievement gap/Graduation rates Quality education Parents as partners & community involvement Classroom funding |
DSST is an option that best suits some kids. School board should have same measure of influence/authority as managing other schools. |
Given CO's tax laws (root cause of education funding problems), cuts needs to be made equitably. | Use equitable and innovative strategies - fund tutoring, school readiness, lower student:teacher ratio | ?? | Accountability is a virtue. Board responsible to parents to keep them informed about issues. |
| Barbara Yamrick (i) | N/A | Voted against the June 2017 DSST measure | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Campaign Finance
NOTE: Donations are not necessarily as they seem. Special interests are very aware that they are being watched far more now than in previous years. Consider in conjunction with the Campaign Issues and Independent Expenditure Committee Activity subsections.
| Name | Total Contributions | Total Expenditures | Total Cash On Hand | Total IECs/PACs (See Subsection Below Table) |
Notable Individuals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyla Armstrong-Romero TRACER (Has taken out $944.53 in loans) |
$6,365.55 | $3,019.81 | $4,290.27 | $20,811.11 (When total is divided by 4, due to 4 being boosted together) |
Public Education Committee (Small Donor Committee for Colorado Education Association) - $4,073.30 (including in-kind polling) Halisi Vinson For CBWPA (Colorado Black Women for Political Action) - $162 Democrats for Education Reform (See note below) - $100 (NOTE: The address used is the personal address of Rachel Gordon, rather than DFER's official Sherman St. address as it normally does in donations) Blueflower Fund (for Democratic pro-choice candidates) - $75 State Rep. Janet Buckner - $50 Halisi Vinson (Exec. Dir. of Rocky Mountain Employee Ownership Center) - $50 Kevin Cox (fellow APS candidate) - $40 Nicole Johnston (current Aurora City Council Ward 2 candidate) - $25 State Rep. Paul Rosenthal - $15 |
| Jane Barber TRACER |
$150.00 | $988.10 | ($838.10) (Debt) |
Thomas Tobiasson (Aurora City Council At-Large candidate) - $25 | |
| Kevin Cox TRACER |
$2,418.93 | $2,389.32 | $29.61 | $20,811.11 (When total is divided by 4, due to 4 being boosted together) |
Public Education Committee (Small Donor Committee for Colorado Education Association) - $1,125 Kevin Cox (self) - $245 "Anonymous" - $139.93 (7 separate donations of $19.99) Debi Hunter-Holen (current Aurora City Council Ward 3 candidate) - $100 David Aarestad (Dem. primary candidate for CD 6) - $40 Levi Tilleman-Dick (Dem. primary candidate for CD 6) - $40 Nicole Johnston (current Aurora City Council Ward 2 candidate) - $30 Jason Legg (Strengthening Democracy Colorado) - $25 Kristin Mallory-Westerberg (Aurora Residents for Transparency) - $25 Kyla Armstrong-Romero (fellow APS candidate) - $20 |
| Debbie Gerkin TRACER |
$7,745.43 | $2,350.24 | $5,405.19 | $20,811.11 (When total is divided by 4, due to 4 being boosted together) |
Public Education Committee (Small Donor Committee for Colorado Education Association) - $4,073.30 (including in-kind polling) Debbie Gerkin (self) - $922.13 DBA JRP Financial Services (Help us identify this) - $500 Ginger Hostetler (Office Administrator at Right Management) - $250 Democrats for Education Reform Small Donor Committee - $100 State Rep. Janet Buckner - $50 |
| Marques Ivey TRACER (Has taken out $850 in loans) |
$4,965.30 | $2,791.84 | $3,023.46 | $20,811.11 (When total is divided by 4, due to 4 being boosted together) |
Public Education Committee (Small Donor Committee for Colorado Education Association) - $4,073.30 (including in-kind polling) State Rep. Janet Buckner - $50 Kyla Armstrong-Romero (fellow APS candidate) - $44 State Rep. Dominique Jackson - $25 Nicole Johnston (current Aurora City Council Ward 2 candidate) - $20 Kevin Cox (fellow APS candidate) - $14 Debbie Gerkin (fellow APS candidate) - $14 |
| Miguel Lovato TRACER |
$13,930.00 | $9,336.96 | $4,844.04 | $52,826.99 (1, 2, 3, 4) |
Steve Halstedt (Managing Director at Centennial Ventures, a venture capital investment firm) - $2,500 Daniel Ritchie (former Chairman of Daniels Fund; previously donated to DPS reformers) - $2,500 George B. Marolt - $1,140.00 Daniels Fund employees (total) - $1,260 (16 separate employees) Hyon Chu Marolt - $1,000 (made in 10 $100 installments) Pat Hamill - $1,000 |
| Gail Pough | $52,898.41 (1, 2, 3, 4) |
Pat Hamill - $2,000 | |||
| Lea Stead | |||||
| Barbara Yamrick (i) |
Independent Expenditure Committees / PACs / Notable Individuals
Patrick Hamill
Patrick Hamill is a major real estate developer in Green Valley Ranch, which has also involved at least one charter school and has donated to Denver Public Schools education reform candidates (DFER endorsements).
Raising Colorado
Jen Walmer is the registered agent of Raising Colorado and is additionally the Colorado State Director of Democrats for Education Reform (DFER). Raising Colorado is funded by Education Reform Now, which is the "sister group" of DFER.
Raising Colorado has been boosting the following candidates with mailers, digital media, and website hosting:
- Miguel Lovato
- Gail Pough
Every Student Succeeds
They collectively support 4 candidates together (Kyla Armstrong-Romero, Debbie Gerkin, Kevin Cox, and Marques Ivey). Every Student Succeeds is funded by teacher's union organizations such as Aurora Education Association, Denver Classroom Teachers Association, Colorado Fund for Children and Public Education (the funding arm of Colorado Education Association, a teacher's union). One Will Paterson also donated $5,000.
A major blitz of the 4 candidates occurred by the 10/16/17 TRACER filing. A total of $78,628.66 was spent between the 4 candidates together, with mailers, digital advertising, website design, and consultations.
