One thing is strikingly clear among the Denver Public Schools’ board candidates: aps couldn’t be more varied when talking about how to improve opportunities and achievement among Latino students.
At a north Denver forum Tuesday night, some candidates, such as Brad Buchanan, Michelle Moss, Jill Conrad and Jeanne Kaplan, threw their support behind a college-preparatory curriculum for all students – no matter their background.
“I believe every child should be doing college-prep work, but I also believe there’s way too much reliance on the CSAPs (the Colorado Student Assessment Program tests),” said Kap lan, who’s vying against Matt Webster to represent central Denver.
Other candidates, Dave Lewis and Webster, said that the district should offer different options – such as a general equivalency diploma or trade programs – because not everyone will go to college.
“In some cases … they’ll have a lot more money,” said at-large candidate Lewis, who noted that cosmetologists can make more than those with college degrees. “I think now they (DPS high school students) need something, and 50 percent are leaving without anything.”
This brought Padres Unidos co-director Pam Martinez to her feet.
“I want you to seriously consider the implications of choosing who will go to college,” she said. “Because that is huge.”
Only about a dozen people came to the North High School gym for the forum, and two candidates didn’t show. Neither Daniel Pierce, who is running against Moss in southwest Denver, nor Kevin Patterson, a current board member who is running unopposed in northeast Denver, attended.
Moderator Luis Torres asked candidates how they’d strengthen and expand the current English-language acquisition program in Denver.
Moss talked about what she was proud of after serving four years on the board, which included being one of only two board members who initially supported another dual-language school, Bryant-Webster, in north Denver last year, and the hiring of acclaimed English-acquisition expert Jaime Aquino – himself an English-language learner – as the district’s chief academic officer.
“That was no mistake,” said Moss, referring to Aquino, who came from New York. “We now have a commitment to moving those kids forward.”
At-large candidate Jill Conrad said she hoped to replicate successful dual-language programs, such as north Denver’s Academia Ana Marie Sandoval Dual Language Montessori, throughout the city.
“It’s the same recipe for success,” she said.
At-large candidate Buchanan said he wanted to bring more special programs back to regular, neighborhood schools.
“There are … choice schools,” he said. “But we need to bring programs back to our neighborhood schools.”
Another opinion came from Webster, who said the district shouldn’t be “fixated on Spanish.”
“It would be a mistake for DPS to devote all its resources, scarce as it is, to a Spanish-language program,” Webster said. “I’m concerned that DPS doesn’t have the ability to make tough choices.”
Staff writer Allison Sherry can be reached at 303-820-1377 or asherry@denverpost.com.
