Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper’s top aide, Michael Bennet, has emerged as a serious candidate for superintendent of Denver Public Schools, sources said Thursday.
Bennet, a lawyer and Hickenlooper’s chief of staff, is likely to be one of five finalists chosen over the next month to replace Superintendent Jerry Wartgow, said sources close to the search.
Also surfacing as a candidate is Christine Johnson, president of Community College of Denver and a former Denver public school teacher and principal.
The search team is also looking nationwide.
Denver’s school board is expected to pick a new superintendent by the middle of June. Wartgow will step down at the end of the school year.
Bennet, who led the city’s budgeting process and is considered skillful at brokering agreements between the city and its unions, said he had not been contacted by the search committee.
“It seems premature to say anything about it because I imagine there are a lot of great people on the list, and I’m happy in the job I’m in,’ he said.
Bennet has been informally approached about the superintendent position by some in the city’s education community, according to sources.
When pressed on whether he was interested in the job, Bennet said: “There’s nothing more important to the future of this community than our schools and our kids.’
Although Bennet does not have a background in education, the school board is open to considering a variety of people, including traditional and nontraditional candidates, said school board President Les Woodward.
In recent years, cities including Chicago, Seattle, San Diego and New York have hired superintendents with business or military backgrounds, hoping to get more education reform.
Johnson is the first Hispanic female college president in the state. She could not be reached for comment.
The school’s search firm has composed a list of of roughly 40 people who appear qualified for the job.
However, many on the list are considered long shots.
For instance, those named include former Colorado governor and current Los Angeles School Superintendent Roy Romer; former Denver district attorney and possible gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter; Federico Pe a, former Denver mayor; and Al Yates, former president of Colorado State University.
“It’s an extremely important post, and you never want to close the door on an opportunity, but it isn’t good timing for me,’ said Yates.
He is co-chairing Coloradans for Responsible Reform, a group campaigning in support of a proposal that would allow the state to keep $3.1 billion more over the next five years than is currently allowed under the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.
Board members have also said they were impressed with San Diego Superintendent Alan Bersin, whose contract ends at the end of June.
Staff writer Allison Sherry contributed to this report.
Staff writer Karen Crummy can be reached at 303-820-1594 or kcrummy@denverpost.com.
