DENVER — A brand new period sweeps into the Denver Public Colleges Board of Schooling after the election of three new members: John Youngquist, Kimberlee Sia and Marlene DeLaRosa.
As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, unofficial outcomes present Youngquist obtained 61.01% of the vote (75,240 votes) within the race for the DPS Director At-Giant. Sia obtained 55.23% of the vote (12,079 votes) in District 1, whereas DeLaRose obtained 59% (13,613 votes).
“This can be a contemporary begin. We have now loads of actually vital work forward. With three new board members, that to me indicators that our neighborhood was prepared for some change,” stated Sia.
Sia stated her principal targets are security and tutorial achievement.
After a violent final yr in DPS, the college district just lately launched a new security plan for colleges.
“I wish to have extra frequent stories on how that implementation of that plan goes,” Sia stated.
She added in terms of teachers, a once-a-year benchmark with standardized take a look at scores is not sufficient.
“The district this yr has applied a brand new program known as Knowledge MINE (Monitoring Enchancment, Navigating Excellence), the place they’re working with a few of our higher-needs colleges when it comes to teachers to actually dig into the info and to have progress monitoring to see how shortly enhancements are being made,” stated Sia.
Youngquist and DeLaRosa weren’t obtainable for an interview Wednesday afternoon. Each launched statements outlining their priorities.
DeLaRosa stated in an announcement she seems ahead to narrowing the achievement hole and retaining high quality lecturers.
“I am elated that I’m able to not solely proceed my involvement with the scholars of Denver however to doubtlessly have a higher affect on much more children.
I do know there was quite a lot of dialogue concerning the division between pro-union and reform ideology. Our district has many advanced and deep rooted points. I’m dedicated to supporting the wants of each pupil and their outcomes. I do not fall into one camp or ideology, my pledge is to hearken to all sides of the problem and make the perfect choice specializing in what’s greatest for college kids. And I additionally wish to concentrate on how the various supporters of the district can work collaboratively in the direction of our widespread aim of pupil outcomes and making ready our college students to reside their greatest lives.
My commitments embody: (1) narrowing the achievement hole, one concept is to pay attention on early literacy applications that meet the wants of all learners. (2) Continued monitoring of the protection plan to make sure college students and lecturers really feel protected. And (3) determine efforts to help the retention of our high quality lecturers and recruit educators that replicate our pupil inhabitants”
Youngquist’s focuses embody college security and psychological well being companies.
“There are 4 priorities that I’ve represented by my marketing campaign and efforts associated to those priorities should be initiated as shortly as attainable:
- All college students and employees members have to be taught and work in class environments that really feel protected and are protected
- The psychological well being companies supplied for college kids should be redesigned to satisfy the wants of at this time’s youth
- We have to create a clear and robust group to serve our colleges
- Educating and studying should return as the best precedence pursuits for our board and in our faculty district
Every of those priorities must be engaged instantly with the brand new Board of Schooling coming collectively to supply route and help.”
Roughly $1.9 million was spent on the DPS races. The greatest spender was a bunch known as Higher Leaders, Stronger Colleges, a pro-charter college group that invested in all three profitable candidates.
“Their mixed expertise is 60 years. All of them have direct ties to DPS in several methods,” stated Daniel Aschkinasi, the registered agent for Higher Leaders, Stronger Colleges. “Individuals might be important of marketing campaign spending. I get it. It is a new atmosphere. We had an obligation to speak to voters about these candidates. It was a low data race. Individuals have been unaware of what was on their poll, and who they have been voting for. So my alternative with the kind of funding and the amount of cash that we spent is to speak to individuals to share the story of why these [candidates] are nice.”
The group is basically funded by Denver Households Motion, recognized to again candidates who help charters or college voucher applications.
“I’m a supporter of faculty alternative. I feel that households ought to have the chance to decide on a faculty that’s the greatest match for his or her youngster. My focus after we’re speaking about college alternative, although, is that now we have to make sure that each college in our district is the perfect that it may be. For me, that’s no matter governance sort,” stated Sia.
The brand new members might be sworn in on November 28.
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