Denver Public Schools elections (2013)
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Method of election Elections What was at stake? Key deadlines Additional measures External links References |
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Four seats were up for election on the Denver Board of Education in Colorado. An at-large seat as well as seats in Districts 2, 3 and 4 were on the ballot on November 5, 2013. Barbara O'Brien defeated Michael Kiley and Joan Poston to win the at-large seat. Rosemary Rodriguez defeated Rosario C. de Baca to win the District 2 seat, Mike Johnson overcame Meg Schomp for the District 3 seat and Landri Taylor won the District 4 race against Roger Kilgore.
The 2013 election centered on the reforms set in motion by Superintendent Tom Boasberg since his appointment in 2009. Boasberg increased the district's emphasis on charter schools and closed schools the district identified as underperforming. Opponents of Boasberg's reforms cited a persistent achievement gap between affluent and low-income student populations.[1]
The Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA) endorsed at-large candidate Michael Kiley, District 2 candidate Rosario C. de Baca, District 3 candidate Meg Schomp and Roger Kilgore in District 4. These candidates want to slow down or halt development of charter schools in the district. Democrats for Education Reform, a nonprofit organization supporting Boasberg's reforms, has endorsed at-large candidate Barbara O'Brien, District 2 candidate Rosemary Rodriguez, Mike Johnson in District 3 and District 4 incumbent Landri Taylor.[2] The latter slate of candidates won their races on November 5, 2013.
About the district
- See also: Denver Public Schools, Colorado
Denver Public Schools serves students in Denver, the county seat of Denver County, Colorado. According to the 2010 US Census, Denver is home to 600,158 residents.[3]
Demographics
As of 2010, the average household income in Denver was $47,499 compared to $57,685 for the state of Colorado. The poverty rate in Denver was 18.8% compared to 12.5% for the entire state. The U.S. Census also found that 41.3% of Denver residents aged 25 years and older earned a bachelor's degree, compared to 36.3% in Colorado.[3]
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Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Method of board member selection
The Denver Board of Education consists of seven members who are elected to four-year terms. Two members represent the entire district while five members are elected by district. There was no primary election and the general election took place on November 5, 2013. The November 3, 2015 ballot featured one at-large seat and seats in Districts 1 and 5.
Candidates for the Denver Board of Education had to file nominating petitions containing at least 50 valid signatures with the Denver County Clerk by August 30, 2013 to qualify for the ballot. State law requires candidates to submit disclosures of contributions and expenditures to comply with the Fair Campaign Practices Act on October 15, November 1 and December 5.[5]
Voters in Denver were able to request mail ballots from the Denver County Elections Department by October 15. These ballots were sent out starting on October 15 to registered voters who submitted requests by the deadline. Mailed ballots could be dropped off at 16 approved locations throughout Denver by 7:00pm local time on November 5. Voters could also mail their ballots back to the County Clerk though ballots needed to arrive by November 5.[6]
Elections
2013
Candidates
At-large
- Barbara O'Brien
- Graduate, University of California-Los Angeles and Columbia University
- President, Get Smart Schools
- Former Lieutenant Governor of Colorado
- Michael Kiley
- Graduate, California Polytechnic State University
- Project manager, Kronos
- Joan Poston
- Graduate, Colorado State University
- Retired
District 2
- Rosario C. de Baca
- Former field organizer, United Farm Workers of America
- Rosemary Rodriguez
- Former Denver City Council member
District 3
- Mike Johnson
- Graduate, Georgetown University
- Legal counsel, Building Excellent Schools Today
- Meg Schomp
- Graduate, University of Colorado and University of Denver
- Former social worker and nonprofit director
District 4
- Landri Taylor
- Incumbent
- Graduate, University of California-Berkeley
- President, Urban League of Metropolitan Denver
- Roger Kilgore
- Small business owner
Election results
| Denver Public Schools, Four-year term, At-large, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Barbara O'Brien |
59.3% | 63,554 | |
| Nonpartisan | Michael Kiley | 31.2% | 33,440 | |
| Nonpartisan | Joan Poston | 9.4% | 10,112 | |
| Total Votes | 107,106 | |||
| Source: Denver County Clerk and Recorder, "Final Official Election Results," accessed December 13, 2013 | ||||
| Denver Public Schools, Four-year term, District 2, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Rosemary Rodriguez |
61.8% | 9,305 | |
| Nonpartisan | Rosario C. de Baca | 38.2% | 5,743 | |
| Total Votes | 15,048 | |||
| Source: Denver County Clerk and Recorder, "Final Official Election Results," accessed December 13, 2013 | ||||
| Denver Public Schools, Four-year term, District 3, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Mike Johnson |
57.1% | 16,111 | |
| Nonpartisan | Meg Schomp | 42.9% | 12,122 | |
| Total Votes | 28,233 | |||
| Source: Denver County Clerk and Recorder, "Final Official Election Results," accessed December 13, 2013 | ||||
| Denver Public Schools, Four-year term, District 4, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Landri Taylor Incumbent |
65.5% | 16,380 | |
| Nonpartisan | Roger Kilgore | 34.5% | 8,616 | |
| Total Votes | 24,996 | |||
| Source: Denver County Clerk and Recorder, "Final Official Election Results," accessed December 13, 2013 | ||||
Forums
EdNews Colorado, A+ Denver and KDVR Fox 31 sponsored a series of candidate debates prior to the November 5 election.
At-large
Barbara O'Brien, Michael Kiley and Joan Poston participated in a debate on September 26, 2013. O'Brien stated her opposition to the expansion of voucher programs in part because the district had already adopted school choice policies. Kiley argued that greater engagement by the local community was necessary to improve academic performance. Poston suggested that the culture of the school board had to change before further reforms could take place.[7]
District 2
Rosario C. de Baca and Rosemary Rodriguez participated in a debate on October 2, 2013. The debate included disagreements over the district's closure of schools and transportation costs associated with school choice. de Baca opposed the district's approach to shuttering schools as disruptive to students who must relocate to other facilities. Rodriguez suggested that the district needs to close facilities if resources could be better allocated to existing facilities or charter schools. de Baca wanted the district to focus on allocating students closer to their homes in order to reduce transportation costs. Rodriguez supported transportation programs throughout the district if students were dissatisfied with their neighborhood schools.[8]
District 3
Mike Johnson and Meg Schomp participated in a debate on September 18, 2013. Both candidates disagreed about the district's approach to school choice and teacher evaluations. Johnson said that every public schools should have greater autonomy from the district administration, replicating the success of charter schools. Schomp argued that the focus should be on improving existing schools rather than shifting significant resources to alternative schools. Johnson supported the state's new evaluation system for teachers while Schomp was concerned about the importance of standardized test scores in the assessment of teacher performance.[9]
District 4
Landri Taylor and Roger Kilgore participated in a debate on October 9, 2013. The candidates discussed their views on changes to state teacher evaluations and school choice. Taylor argued that the new evaluation system was created in consultation with teachers and staff members at Denver Public Schools. Kilgore expressed concern that the new evaluation system could be problematic if the evaluators are not qualified to assess educational standards. The debate contrasted Taylor's support for school choice to improve academic performance with Kilgore's critique of school choice as a sign of administrative problems.[10]
Endorsements
The Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA) and the Network for Public Education (NPE) endorsed at-large candidate Michael Kiley, District 2 candidate Rosario C. de Baca, District 3 candidate Meg Schomp and Roger Kilgore in District 4.[11] Democrats for Education Reform, a nonprofit organization supporting Boasberg's reforms, endorsed at-large candidate Barbara O'Brien, District 2 candidate Rosemary Rodriguez, Mike Johnson in District 3 and District 4 incumbent Landri Taylor.[12]
Campaign finance
Candidates received a total of $821,425.11 and spent a total of $776,962.43 during the election, according to the Colorado Secretary of State.[13]
In the at-large race, candidates received a total of $245,760.90 and spent a total of $235,755.85.
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Kiley | $47,151.90 | $38,331.85 | $8,820.05 |
| Barbara O'Brien | $198,609.00 | $197,112.27 | $1,496.73 |
| Joan Poston | $0.00 | $311.73 | -$311.73 |
In the District 1 race, candidates received a total of $148,120 and spent a total of $128,736.44.
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosario C. de Baca | $23,335.00 | $13,110.40 | $10,224.60 |
| Rosemary Rodriguez | $124,785.00 | $115,626.04 | $9,158.96 |
In the District 2 race, candidates received a total of $247,493.93 and spent a total of $234,519.54.
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Johnson | $193,554.13 | $184,118.89 | $9,365.24 |
| Meg Schomp | $53,939.80 | $50,330.65 | $3,609.15 |
In the District 4 race, candidates received a total of $180,050.28 and spent a total of $177,950.61.
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roger Kilgore | $46,559.26 | $46,800.04 | -$240.78 |
| Landri Taylor | $133,491.02 | $131,150.57 | $2,340.45 |
Past elections
2011
| Denver Board of Education, At-large, November 1, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Allegra "Happy" Haynes |
59.2% | 53,891 | |
| Nonpartisan | Roger Kilgore | 11.4% | 10,374 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jacqueline Carole Shumway | 10.8% | 9,871 | |
| Nonpartisan | Frank E. Deserino | 9.8% | 8,937 | |
| Nonpartisan | John Daniel | 8.7% | 7,925 | |
| Total Votes | 90,998 | |||
| Source: Denver County Clerk and Recorder | ||||
| Denver Board of Education, District 1, November 1, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Anne Rowe |
65.2% | 15,249 | |
| Nonpartisan | Emily Sirota | 34.8% | 8,142 | |
| Total Votes | 23,391 | |||
| Source: Denver County Clerk and Recorder | ||||
| Denver Board of Education, District 5, November 1, 2011 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Arturo Jimenez |
50.5% | 7,874 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jennifer Draper Carson | 49.5% | 7,732 | |
| Total Votes | 15,606 | |||
| Source: Denver County Clerk and Recorder | ||||
What was at stake?
Incumbents Mary Seawell, Andrea Merida and Jeannie Kaplan did seek re-election to the at-large, District 2 and District 3 seats, respectively. A three-way race for the at-large seat featured former Lieutenant Governor Barbara O'Brien, Michael Kiley and Joan Poston. The District 2 race featured newcomers Rosario C. de Baca and Rosemary Rodriguez. Mike Johnson and Meg Schomp competed to replace Kaplan in District 3. Landri Taylor ran for re-election in District 4 against challenger Roger Kilgore.
Stances on Amendment 66
Colorado residents voted on Amendment 66, a proposed constitutional amendment to raise income taxes to support public education. The following table lists the publicly stated position of each Board of Education candidate on the amendment.
| Stances on Amendment 66[14] | |
|---|---|
| Candidate | Stated position |
| Barbara O'Brien | Support |
| Michael Kiley | Support |
| Joan Poston | Oppose |
| Rosario C. de Baca | Support |
| Rosemary Rodriguez | Support |
| Mike Johnson | Support |
| Meg Schomp | Support |
| Landri Taylor | Support |
| Roger Kilgore | Support |
Conflict of interest concerns
Candidates for the at-large, District 3 and District 4 seats accused their opponents of conflicts of interest. At-large candidate Michael Kiley pointed out that the district has a $350,000 contract with Get Smart Schools, a nonprofit organization headed by Barbara O'Brien. O'Brien countered that Kiley's employer, Kronos, provides software to the district. District 3 candidate Meg Schomp believed opponent Mike Johnson could not meet the board's ethical standards due to his work as a school finance consultant. Johnson pointed out that Schomp's husband is an attorney who has represented the district in past legal actions.[15]
District 4 candidate Roger Kilgore asked his opponent, incumbent Landri Taylor, to resign due to a conflict-of-interest allegation. Kilgore noted that Taylor is the CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan Denver, which has a $142,962 contract with the district for after-school programs. Taylor criticized Kilgore's request and argued that the agreement occurred after Taylor was a board member. He also suggested that he would recuse himself if the board voted on issues related to agreements with the Urban League.[16]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Denver Board of Education election in 2013:[17]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| August 7, 2013 | Last day for nominating petitions to be made available to candidates. |
| August 30, 2013 | Last day to file nominating petitions. |
| September 3, 2013 | Last day to file as a write-in candidate. |
| October 15, 2013 | Candidates must file first Fair Campaign Practices Act report detailing their contributions and expenditures. |
| October 15, 2013 | First day ballots are mailed to registered voters in Denver County. |
| November 1, 2013 | Candidates must file second Fair Campaign Practices Act report detailing their contributions and expenditures. |
| November 5, 2013 | General election and last day for voters to submit mailed ballots at ballot drop-off locations. |
| November 22, 2013 | Certification of general election votes. |
| December 5, 2013 | Candidates must file third Fair Campaign Practices Act report detailing their contributions and expenditures. |
Additional elections on the ballot
The Denver Board of Education shared the ballot with four city and county questions including three proposed changes to the county charter.[18] Voters throughout Colorado decided on Colorado Proposition AA, which proposed a 10% sales tax and a 15% excise tax on marijuana sold for recreational use. The ballot included Amendment 66, a constitutional amendment that proposed increasing income taxes to 5% for incomes up to $75,000 and 5.9% for incomes over $75,000 in order to support public education.
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Denver + Public + Schools + Colorado"
See also
- Colorado school board elections focus on Amendment 66, school reform
- School board elections review: Voters opt for experience over new blood in nation's largest school districts
- School board election wrap-up: Incumbents re-elected overwhelmingly in November 5 elections
- Colorado
- Denver Public Schools, Colorado
- Colorado 2013 ballot measures
- Denver County, Colorado ballot measures
- Democrats for Education Reform
External links
- District page
- Denver Office of the Clerk and Recorder
- Colorado Secretary of State
- Democrats for Education Reform
- Denver Classroom Teachers Association
Footnotes
- ↑ Denver Post, "Tom Boasberg, Denver school leader, has a lot riding on board election results," August 30, 2013
- ↑ EdNews Colorado, "DPS board endorsements mount up," September 16, 2013
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 U.S. Census, "Quick Facts: Denver, accessed October 29, 2013
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, “Voter Registration Numbers,” accessed October 29, 2013
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Fair Campaign Practices Act," accessed October 23, 2013
- ↑ Denver County Clerk and Recorder, "Voter Information for 2013 Coordinated Election," accessed October 29, 2013
- ↑ EdNews Colorado, "O’Brien, Kiley and Poston argue conflict of interest, Amendment 66," September 26, 2013
- ↑ EdNews Colorado, "District 2 board candidates clash over evaluations, school closures," October 2, 2013
- ↑ EdNews Colorado, "Schomp, Johnson emphasize differences over mill levy, school choice," September 18, 2013
- ↑ EdNews Colorado, "Denver Public Schools District 4 board candidates spar over Montbello," October 9, 2013
- ↑ Network for Public Education, "NPE Endorses Four Candidates for Denver Board of Education," October 14, 2013 (dead link)
- ↑ EdNews Colorado, "DPS board endorsements mount up," September 16, 2013
- ↑ Colorado TRACER, "Candidate and Candidate Committee Detail," accessed December 20, 2013
- ↑ EdNews Colorado, "DPS Election 2013," accessed October 29, 2013
- ↑ The Colorado Independent, "Denver school board election accusations spotlight tangled web of relationships," October 29, 2013
- ↑ Denver Post, "Denver school board candidate Kilgore calls on Taylor to resign," October 24, 2013
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "2013 Election Calendar," accessed July 8, 2013
- ↑ Denver County Clerk and Recorder, "2013 Sample Ballot," accessed October 29, 2013
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