DFERs across Denver are thrilled with the overwhelming support of our four endorsed candidates. What a HUGE win for Denver and its kids to have elected Mike Johnson, Barbara O’Brien, Rosemary Rodriguez and Landri Taylor for the Denver Public Schools Board of Education.
Our four candidates won seats on the board where they will push the district forward and continue to demand the highest quality schools, teachers, and leaders for the 88,000 students in DPS. The caliber of this new Board is unmatched, and it will be exciting to watch their efforts moving forward as they work with Superintendent Tom Boasberg to help Denver’s children succeed.
Leadership matters, and the leadership experience of these four new board members is exactly what Denver voters decided is most important for our school board to make the best decisions for our students. A big congratulations to Mike, Barbara, Rosemary and Landri. Their victories are well deserved. They were strong candidates who will be great DPS board members.
At the same time, we are disappointed by the loss of Amendment 66. Its passage would have brought additional dollars to classrooms, funded preschool and all-day kindergarten, provided more equitable funding for charter schools, and ensured that Colorado’s most at-risk students received the support they need to be successful in school.
DFER-CO commends Sen. Mike Johnston and Colorado Commits to Kids for their monumental efforts behind the Amendment 66 campaign to revamp the broken school finance system in Colorado.
We are proud to have worked as a partner with Sen. Johnston and Colorado Commits to Kids. We will continue to work on finding the best solutions and best policies to ensure that every child in Colorado has access to the highest quality public education possible.
Jennifer Walmer is the state director of DFER Colorado (DFER-CO). Prior to joining DFER-CO, Walmer was the Chief of Staff for the Superintendent of the Denver Public Schools, Tom Boasberg, where she helped pass a $500 million bond and mill initiative in November 2012. Walmer also was the Superintendent’s primary strategic liaison with a divided Board of Education; managed government affairs for the district; and led strategic partnership efforts with community organizations. Read more about Jen here.