Bradley Laurvick

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Bradley Laurvick

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Nonpartisan

Prior offices

Denver Public Schools Board of Education District 5

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Report an officeholder change

Education

Bachelor's

University of Colorado, Boulder

Personal

Birthplace

Marshall, Minn.

Religion

United Methodist

Profession

Clergy

Bradley Laurvick was a member of the Denver Board of Education in Colorado, representing District 5. Laurvick assumed office on December 4, 2019. Laurvick left office in 2022.

Laurvick ran for election to the Denver Board of Education to represent District 5 in Colorado. Laurvick won in the general election on November 5, 2019.

Laurvick completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.

Laurvick resigned from office because he moved out of the district due to a job relocation.

Elections

2019

See also: Denver Public Schools, Colorado, elections (2019)

General election

General election for Denver Public Schools Board of Education District 5

Bradley Laurvick defeated Julie Banuelos and Tony Curcio in the general election for Denver Public Schools Board of Education District 5 on November 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Bradley Laurvick (Nonpartisan)	35.4	9,307
		Julie Banuelos (Nonpartisan)	34.3	9,005
	Submit photo	Tony Curcio (Nonpartisan)	30.3	7,952

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 26,264
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Campaign themes

2019

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Bradley Laurvick completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Laurvick's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a DPS parent, a classroom and PTA volunteer, and a community leader. I am running for school board for the same reasons I supported the teachers during the strike - I want every student to succeed in learning, our teachers to be able to fulfill their calling as educators, and our community to be included in the decisions of our district.

     I am a product of public education, and my mom and grandmother were both teachers. I first began school board activism as a junior working to bring student voices to important conversations. High school was also when I first began my efforts to respond to school violence. As a student at Chatfield Senior High, my school building was used for the rest of the year [after the 1999 shooting] by Columbine students. I ran the response effort, meeting with students every day, and providing everything from school supplies to more comfortable and welcoming space. 
    My professional work allows med to serve the community every day through compassion and justice in our outward work, through honest reflection and accountability in our inward work. Through partnerships with Servicios de la Raza, Reading Partners, Family Promise of Greater Denver, and Interfaith Alliance I am able to be in relationship with experiences outside of my own. These relationships drive my continued work to build community and shift attention and energy to the margins.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Eliminating the achievement gap for students of color by helping every student thrive
• Getting resources to students with more transparency
• Community Involvement in Decision Making

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Every student must be provided the resources they need to be successful in their learning and development. What side of the street you live on should not determine the resources available to you. Every teacher must have access to the resources they need to fulfill their calling to serve our students. This includes classroom resources, a deep team of support and intervention professionals, and culturally responsive curriculum. Our education teams must also fully represent the diversity of our students. We must recruit, hire, and retain teachers of color for the benefit of every student and our system as a whole. The resources needed by students and teachers can only be made available by changing the current budget structure away from the institution and toward the mission and values we claim. Financial transparency, including a line item budget, will allow for intentional and accountable decision making.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Growing up, one of the best parts of my day was spent with my neighbor. Not the neighbor next door, my television neighbor.

I, like generations of children, thought I was the only person Mr. Rogers was talking to when he said "hello neighbor" looking right at the camera.

I have always treasured the memories of his show, the things I learned, the places we went, the lessons he shared...

He always seemed to answer questions I didn't even known I had.

I remember watching how crayons were made
I remember the day the gold fish died
I remember the trolley to the land of make-believe
I remember the day Mr. Rogers died- I was in college, sitting at work

I always wanted to be like him.

50 years ago, his show took to the air and our world was changed, or should I say our neighborhood was changed

Mr Rogers work was always focused on the concept of being neighbors,

he spoke across incredible geography, while always speaking about it as our neighborhood

Our whole world could and should be a neighborhood- and if not the whole world, certainly communities like ours.

For him, it was always relational, we were all neighbors, we were all learning, we were all unique and wonderful

"There's only one person just like you in this whole wide world, and I like you just the way you are..."

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am a relationship building, service focused, community leader. I am adept at navigating complicated systems while keeping the focus on the organization's values. I am also skilled at communicating with community members in direct conversations and broad communication methods.

My endorsements show the broad community support that is an example of how I believe decisions should be made with input from as many people and places as possible.

As a parent, I am deeply connected to the realities school policy decisions impact and have a long term interest in the success of every school.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The board's primary role is bringing the voice of the community into action through oversight and vision. My work will be guided by the people of my district. Academic success relies on a system that honors the potential of every student by giving them: a strong foundation through early preparation with an emphasis on reading; nurtured curiosity through teaching to learn instead of to test; and preparation for both academic and professional possibilities after they graduate. We must do the hard work to make sure there is no gap between who receives these keys to success and who does not.

What is your favorite book? Why?

I love reading the "Magic Treehouse" series with my kids at bedtime. The mix of mystery and learning delights all of us.

What issues get in the way of quality education? How would you address these obstacles?

Every student must be provided the resources they need to be successful in their learning and development. What side of the street you live on should not determine the resources available to you. Every teacher must have access to the resources they need to fulfill their calling to serve our students. This includes classroom resources, a deep team of support and intervention professionals, and culturally responsive curriculum. Our education teams must also fully represent the diversity of our students. We must recruit, hire, and retain teachers of color for the benefit of every student and our system as a whole. The resources needed by students and teachers can only be made available by changing the current budget structure away from the institution and toward the mission and values we claim. Financial transparency, including a line item budget, will allow for intentional and accountable decision making.

If our district can improve on these issues, our students will be more suited to go out into the world.

In what areas would you like to expand curriculum? For example, do you see a need for advanced technical training or apprenticeships? What sort of innovative programming would you advance if given the opportunity?

Every student deserves an education that engages all of who they are, that builds upon the world they know, that reflects the diversity of their community in history and current events, and that lets them see themselves in the education process. Culturally affirming education requires culturally responsive curriculum, more diversity in our teachers, and learning environments that reflect the communities they serve.

Work has begun in DPS to develop culturally responsive curriculum. This work must be prioritized and expanded. Community members must have a strong voice in the process- we must quit talking 'about' people and begin working with them. We must also look at the enrichments and extracurricular activities we offer and ensure they also reflect the diversity of students we serve.

Our schools provide the best education for every child when our teachers, staff, and leadership reflect the full breadth of humanity that is present in our community. The unique perspectives and life experiences educators of color bring by being who they are must be sought with extra intention. Active recruitment through partnerships with higher education to pursue those about to enter the field followed by the mentoring of new teachers is essential. But we can only recruit from higher education those who have been encouraged and supported on their way there. The early identification of the gifts and calling that make a great educator with the students we currently serve is also a foundational step. We need to nurture them on their way to becoming teachers and intentionally recruit them back, as having educators of color who have been educated in our school system brings strength and wisdom.

What principles drive your policies for safety in schools?

School safety begins with better care and attention for every student, especially mental health care. The safety threats our students face are not typically external. 75% of active shooters in our schools are school aged and current or former students. To address the heartbreaking regularity of school violence, we must decrease class size to deepen relationship between educators and students, bring our student to mental health professional ratios to the recommended 250:1 ratio (or better), and implement threat assessment guidelines. These steps, when paired with an active role in stemming student access to guns, have proven effective in reducing gun violence in schools.

When we practice safety drills in our schools, they should be announced as drills so every student and teacher knows there is no immediate threat. Announced drills are just as effective, while not inducing panic and stress in the same way as unannounced drills. No student should cower in fear in their classroom.

More officers and security personnel, increasing the number of guns in our schools, are not the solution. DPS has already implemented the recommended access control and interior door lock solutions proven to reduce risk.

School districts serve the safety of their students when they are active in gun storage and safety education. Households that use safe storage to prevent child access to guns reduce accidental death/injury in the home and potential for violence in our schools. DPS needs to be active in communicating with its families in how they can safely secure weapons they may choose to have in their homes.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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