Denver Herald 11
September 16, 2021
Here are the candidates for Denver school board
SCHOOL FROM PAGE 1
again due to term limits. School board elections are held tevery two years, with the number of open seats each election varying from three to four. Since a historic “flip” in 2019, when three union-backed candidates won, members aligned with the union have held a 5-2 majority. The two board members not backed by the union, Cobián and lO’Brien, will be leaving this year. The three union-backed members elected in 2019 — Tay Anderson, Scott Baldermann, and Brad Laurvick — will remain on the board for another two years. If even just one of four open seats this year is won by a unionendorsed candidate, union-backed members will retain their majority. In past elections, union-backed candidates have faced off against candidates favored by education reform organizations, which are more supportive of independent charter schools and school choice than the union. Board members are elected to four-year terms, and the next four years in Denver Public Schools will be important. The new board members will oversee a relatively new superintendent, Alex Marrero, who took the top job in July. The board will also write a new strategic plan for the district after the previous one, the Denver Plan 2020, expired last year. The board will make decisions on critical issues facing the dis-
trict, including whether to close or consolidate small schools as enrollment continues to decline. And it will oversee ongoing efforts to improve education for Black students in Denver and to redefine school safety and discipline after the removal of police officers from some middle and high schools. In addition, the board will be responsible for signing off on how to spend millions of dollars in federal coronavirus relief money, approving new autonomous charter or innovation schools, and reviewing existing ones. Decisions about charter and innovation schools have long been controversial. That’s likely to continue, though charter expansion has slowed in recent years.
State had no fatal crashes over Labor Day weekend, CDOT reports STAFF REPORT
Colorado normally sees several highway deaths over the long Labor Day weekend each year, but not this year, the Colorado Department of Transportation reports. According to preliminary CDOT data released Sept. 9, the state avoided any fatal crashes this year hover the final holiday weekend of the summer. “This marks the first time in . recent history that no deaths occurred on state roads over Labor Day weekend,” a CDOT release said. That’s despite the fact that
Labor Day weekend is usually one of the deadliest holiday periods of the year on Colorado roads. Over the last 15 years, Labor Day weekend road fatalities have ranged from three in 2022 to 16 in 2016, CDOT said. Overall, there were 412 traffic fatalities on Colorado roads at the time of CDOT’s Sept. 9 report, a 6% decrease from this time last year. Of those, 153 were related to impaired driving, the Colorado State Patrol reported. For 15 years of CDOT statistics on fatal holiday crashes across Colorado, go online to tinyurl. com/HolidayFatalCrashes.
Denver Public Schools is Colorado’s largest school district, serving about 90,000 students. About 52% of students are Hispanic, 25% are white, 14% are Black, and 3% are Asian. More than 60% qualify for subsidized meals, and 36% are learning English as a second language. The district’s annual budget is about $1.2 billion, and it employs about 15,000 people. Past Denver school board elections have been contentious and expensive, even though serving
on the board is a volunteer position. Spending by candidates and outside groups in the last Denver school board election, in 2019, topped $2 million. Ballots will be mailed to voters Oct. 8. The deadline for voting is Nov. 2. This story is from Chalkbeat Colorado, a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools. Used by permission. For more, and to support Chalkbeat, visit co.chalkbeat.org.
¿Eres Diabético?
Recibe tus suministros para la diabetes en la puerta de su casa completamente gratis*
Suscríbete en 3 simples pasos...1,2,3...
1
Llama al 1-866-886-2953
2
Habla con nuestros especialistas para ordenar sus productos ...
3
Recibe los suministros en la puerta de su casa.
Glucómetro que
HABLA!
!Llama Ahora!
1-866-886-2953 First Nations Foundation ¡Inscríbete hoy y recibirás estas medias especiales para diabéticos completamente gratis!
Come soar with us “MEDENVIOS SE OCUPA DE TODO”
Invites you to attend theAceptamos 8th Annual Medicare y seguros privados Denver American Indian Festival *Co-pagos y deducibles aplican.
Saturday & Sunday September 25 & 2 26 10 am N toations 6 pmFoundation First Come soar with us Riverdale Regional Park Adams County Fairgrounds th Invites you toto attend thethe 8th 8Annual Invites you attend Annual 9755 Henderson Road Denver American Indian Festival Brighton, American Colorado Denver Indian Festival
Saturday & Sunday Saturday & Sunday | September 25 & 26 | 10 am to 6 pm Free Family Friendly EventSeptember 25 & 226 Riverdale Regional Park | Adams County Fairgrounds 10 am to 6 pm Dancers – Drummers – Singers – Storytellers 9755 Henderson Road, Brighton, Colorado
FREE
Children’s Activities – Native American Food – Vendors
FAMILY
Riverdale Regional Park
For information and schedule of events visit Adams County Fairgrounds Dancers - Drummers - Singers - Storytellers 9755 Henderson Road DenverAmerianIndianFestival.org Children’s Activities - Native American Food - Vendors For the health of all, masks may be required. Registered Service Animals only.
FRIENDLY
Brighton, Colorado
For information and schedule of events visit Thank you to all sponsors for the generous support of the
EVENT!
DenverAmerianIndianFestival.org Free Family Friendly Event
culture and arts of Native Americans. 2021 Platinum Level:
Drummers Singers – Storytellers For Dancers the health of–all, masks may be–required. Registered Service Animals only. Children’s Activities – Native American Food – Vendors
