Superintendent Michael Bennet’s goal of turning Denver Public Schools into the nation’s premier urban school district will require a broad-based community effort and a core of top-flight educators.
Bennet, in his first three months on the job, has assembled a strong cast to achieve the goal, a contingent that complements his strengths as a non-traditional superintendent – and compensates for his lack of experience as an educator. Bennet, who came to DPS from the Denver mayor’s office and earlier work in business, has hired advisers steeped in education, both theory and practice.
His most important hire has been Jaime Aquino as chief academic officer, who starts work this week. Aquino previously served as instructional superintendent in New York City. He learned English as a second language and has a proven record working with teachers and principals to boost student achievement. That background should prove especially valuable in Denver, where a growing number of students come to school without English skills. “That’s where my passion and love is,” he says.
“I don’t believe in good programs,” Aquino says. “I believe in good teaching.”
Bennet also has appointed Brad Jupp, a former teacher and teachers union leader, as his senior academic policy adviser. Jupp’s vast institutional knowledge will be of great help when Bennet tries to develop innovations that could draw from staff expertise and support.
Bennet also knows that boosting achievement levels at DPS must be a community-wide effort, and has drawn on his city hall connections for support. Happy Haynes, a former councilwoman with deep roots across Denver, has come on board as assistant to the superintendent for community partnerships. Bennet also tapped his chief assistant from the city, Sarah Kendall Hughes, as his chief of staff at DPS.
Plus, a group of supporters, led by consultant David Kenney, already has rallied behind Bennet and produced a back-to-school public service ad aimed at increasing civic involvement in Denver schools. (For more information, go to www.achievedenver.com.) Television stations aired it for free, along with the Regal theater chain, a company Bennet helped create while in the private sector.
Turning DPS around won’t happen overnight, but the coalition of advisers gives Bennet an energetic group that shares the vision and the commitment to schoolchildren.
