DPS Board Hopefuls Outline Competing Visions for District’s Future

By: Colette Bordelon , Shannon Ogden | Denver7

DENVER — With less than a week until election day, Denver7 asked all of the candidates for the Denver Public Schools Board of Education to give a final pitch to voters.

We gave each candidate two minutes to say anything they would like voters to hear before filling out their ballots. Here’s what they said.

At-large

Amy Klein Molk

“I’m Amy Klein Molk, and I am running for the Denver School Board At-large seat. My opponents are spreading lies about my record, and it is fueled by millions of dollars. Denver voters deserve the truth. The truth is I am the only candidate in this race that is endorsed by the Denver Classroom Teachers Association, the Colorado Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers. I am the proud mom of two DPS students, a special education paraprofessional, and an education technology leader. I have spent over two decades advocating for education, from supporting at-risk youth, to working with our teachers in our classrooms, to building innovative technology. I’m running because I believe that education is the last great equalizer, but that promise is slipping away. My vision is clear: we need strong neighborhood schools in every community. We need to support our teachers with fair pay, real resources and smaller class sizes. Finally, we need to make sure that our schools are safe and future ready, so that every student is protected and prepared for the future. For decades, DPS has followed a reformer plague book, a privatization, closures and competition — a failing strategy that our current administration is doubling down on. I am running to change that by investing in people, in teachers, in students, in community — not in politics. I have over 20 years of experience building coalitions, solving big problems and finding resources where others see scarcity. That is the leadership that I will bring to the board. I will work tirelessly to support our educators to ensure that every student in DPS has the best education possible. Learn more about me at Amy4Denver.com and vote for me, Amy Klein Molk, on November 4. Thanks.”

Alex Magaña

“I’m Alex Magaña, and I’m running for the DPS school board At-large. I have proudly served Denver Public Schools for the past 25 years as a teacher, as a principal and executive director. I’ve worked in northwest, southwest and southeast. I’m also a proud DPS parent. I know firsthand of the challenges and the hopes that our families face, and the inequities in our systems. For example, when my son was struggling in reading, my wife and I got him the supports that he needed, and that changed my leadership. I realized that not all schools and families have that, so I brought that back into the schools, where we trained our teachers. We also created robust libraries, we partnered with organizations, and kids went home with books in their hand to embrace the love of reading. See, DPS is in crisis. We have high teacher burnout. We also have low academic outcomes, and we have an administration that’s attacking public education. We need to have someone on the board that has the experience and has done the work. And I, this is what I believe, I believe that every student deserves a safe, welcoming environment where they grow. I believe that every teacher deserves a pay that reflects their value. I believe that every parent should have a voice when it comes to their children. And I also believe that schools should be funded to serve the kids in our schools. I am a Latino leader that represents 60% of our students and and has worked in Denver Public Schools for 25 years. And I have brought positive change — I’m running because I’ve brought positive changes that still last. I’ve been able to bring people together, from teachers, community to parents, and create positive results for our kids, and by leading with integrity and building trust. I fought for my son, and I fight for my kids, and as a board member, I will fight for all educators and all of our kids. Please vote Alex Magaña DPS, board At-large.”

District 2

Mariana del Hierro

“My name is Mariana del Hierro, and I’m running for DPS school board in District 2, because I believe every child deserves to be seen, supported and challenged to reach their full potential. I have seen, as a DPS Mom, I have seen teachers pour their all into classrooms for their students, but I’ve also seen the negative impacts in academic outcomes for students with overcrowded classrooms. There is a significant gap in southwest Denver, which is District 2, when it comes to DPS supporting our Latinx students. Currently, with the Colorado Department of Education School view 2020 4c math results, we have a list here that demonstrates that 22 of the 25 schools in District 2 of elementary schools are below 40% in terms of proficiency for math and reading. And for me, as a DPS mom, I think that’s unacceptable, and I want to focus on improving that and making sure that our students in District 2 are not only proficient, but are excelling beyond the expectations for all of District 2. And so for me, I want to be able to serve on the DPS School Board to increase transparency and community voice, to really work on reducing class sizes for both our students and our teachers, and then I also want to work on the deep, persistent achievement and opportunity gaps for our Latinx students at DPS.”

Xóchitl “Sochi” Gaytán

“My name is Xóchitl Gaytán. I humbly come to you not just as a leader, but as a parent. I’ve raised one son who graduated from DPS and another who is still in high school. So I know firsthand the hopes and the challenges of navigating our schools. I’m also proud to be a bilingual leader who can connect directly with our Spanish-speaking families. Serving the Latino Mexicano Chicano community in Southwest Denver has been one of the greatest honors of my life — uno de los mas grandes honores de mi vida. I am a proven school board leader, and as a board president, I led the work to customize our policy governance model, ensuring stability, accountability and student-centered leadership. I’ve navigated a $1 billion budget while keeping equity at the heart of every decision, especially for our immigrant LGBTQ and underserved students. I’ve stood boldly with our immigrant and LGBTQ communities, helping establish the DPS Immigration Task Force, training staff and partnering with nonprofits to provide the Know Your Rights training. This work is deeply personal, because I was undocumented until I became a naturalized citizen at the age of 21. I’ve also supported LGBTQ students and advocating for safety and dignity, including the gender-neutral bathrooms and legal action against harmful federal policies. Our students deserve board members who act with courage and compassion, and I will continue to be that voice for Southwest Denver. If re-elected, I will continue to do that. Please go to my website to learn more about my values at Gaytan4DPS.com.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT DENVER7