DENVER—The Denver Board of Education has appointed Tom Boasberg as the new superintendent of Denver Public Schools.
The 44-year-old Stanford Law School graduate and former Hong Kong English teacher has been the district’s chief operating officer since May 2007. He was unanimously appointed to the superintendent post in a special meeting Thursday.
“Today is a great day for Denver’s kids,” said Theresa Pena, board president. “We are confident Tom will continue to drive forward the mission of the Denver Plan and accelerate our reform efforts, getting us closer to our goal of leading the nation’s big city schools.”
Boasberg replaces Michael Bennet, who was sworn in as Colorado’s newest U.S. senator Thursday after Gov. Bill Ritter picked him to fill the seat left open by Ken Salazar.
Boasberg previously worked in K-12 education and was a junior high English teacher in Hong Kong, where he was a semi-pro basketball player. Before joining DPS, he worked at Broomfield-based Level 3 Communications.
Boasberg said his priorities as superintendent will include attracting and retaining effective teachers and principals, empowering schools to meet high expectations, and engaging families and communities in the success of students.
“I am committed to working together with our teachers, school leaders, staff, the community and school board to continue the implementation of our reform path and accelerate our progress so that we make Denver the best urban school district in America,” Boasberg said in a statement.
The school board chose Boasberg as the sole finalist for the position on Jan. 8. The decision prompted criticism from Latino leaders, who said the process was secretive and no Hispanics were considered for the job, despite the fact Latino students make up 60 percent of those enrolled in the school district.
