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With just a little greater than every week till Election Day, spending within the Denver college board race has surpassed $1.36 million, fueled largely by one group that has spent huge, together with on an assault advert that the focused candidate decried as a racist canine whistle.
That group — Higher Leaders, Stronger Colleges — is an impartial expenditure committee funded largely by Denver Households Motion, which is the political arm of a company known as Denver Households for Public Colleges. The group was based in 2021 with the backing of native constitution college networks and its board is populated by constitution leaders.
In Denver Public Colleges politics, pro-charter organizations like Denver Households Motion are on one facet and the Denver Classroom Lecturers Affiliation union is on the opposite. Up to now, the constitution group is outspending the academics union by about 4 to 1.
Professional-charter organizations are combating to achieve again a seat on the decision-making desk. After years of a pro-charter majority on the Denver college board, the stability of energy flipped in 2019. Immediately, all seven present members of the Denver college board have been backed by the academics union. With simply three of the seven seats up for grabs Nov. 7, the election gained’t change the bulk. However it may change the board’s discussions.
Although Denver college board races have been million-dollar elections for a number of cycles, this 12 months’s spending is notable. Professional-charter Higher Leaders, Stronger Colleges spent $250,000 on tv adverts that includes Denver Mayor Mike Johnston endorsing three candidates who have been additionally endorsed by Denver Households Motion: John Youngquist, Marlene De La Rosa, and Kimberlee Sia. It’s the primary TV advert in reminiscence for Denver college board candidates.
The professional-charter committee has additionally despatched a number of detrimental mailers, together with one that includes a tragic white baby on one facet and candidate Kwame Spearman, who’s Black, on the opposite.
In an interview, Spearman known as the juxtaposition “canine whistling.”
Clarence Burton, CEO of Denver Households Motion, didn’t reply to a request for remark.
