Paul Ballenger

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Paul Ballenger
Image of Paul Ballenger

Education

Bachelor's

Columbia Southern University, 2010

Graduate

University of Colorado, Boulder, 2022

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Marine Corps

Personal
Religion
Episcopalian
Profession
Business owner
Contact

Paul Ballenger ran for election for an at-large seat of the Denver Board of Education in Colorado. Ballenger unofficially withdrew from the race but appeared on the general election ballot on November 7, 2023.

Ballenger completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Paul Ballenger began serving in the U.S. Marine Corps in 2000. He earned a bachelor's degree from Columbia Southern University in 2010 and a graduate degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder, in 2022. His career experience includes being a business owner, working in security consulting, and being a civil affairs officer in the U.S. Army Reserve.[1]

Elections

2023

See also: Denver Public Schools, Colorado, elections (2023)

General election

General election for Denver Public Schools Board of Education At-large

John Youngquist defeated Kwame Spearman and Brittni Johnson in the general election for Denver Public Schools Board of Education At-large on November 7, 2023.

Candidate
%
Votes
John Youngquist (Nonpartisan)
 
60.0
 
86,623
Kwame Spearman (Nonpartisan)
 
28.4
 
41,034
Brittni Johnson (Nonpartisan)
 
11.6
 
16,767

Total votes: 144,424
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Ballenger in this election.

Campaign themes

2023

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Paul Ballenger completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Ballenger's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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I am a Denver resident, a DPS Dad, an experienced business leader & owner, a military officer, and a security expert with board experience. I want to leverage my leadership skills, effective governance, diplomacy, safety knowledge and analytical mindset to bring effective leadership, respect and cooperation back to the DPS school board.
  • School Safety: Developing and implementing comprehensive safety policies that address various aspects of school safety, including facility security, emergency preparedness, crisis management, security protocols, student supervision, and prevention of bullying, harassment, and violence. The district must own safety, it must provide standard services and resources across the district. With school leader input, Schools should be able to adjust or increase safety capabilities to fit the needs of their staff and students. School safety must be the district's number one priority.
  • Education Excellence: Supporting and empowering highly qualified teachers who are dedicated to student success. Providing ongoing professional development opportunities, mentoring programs, and resources to enhance instructional practices and promote innovative teaching methods.
  • Effective Governance: DPS is the largest school district serving nearly 90,000 students. The district must be able to look to the board for effective servant leadership. It is critical that board members lead with integrity, professionalism, humility, dignity, diplomacy, respect and sound judgment. Our School board should be representing the diverse needs of our district and that should include leadership by example.
I am not an establishment politician. I am a leader, a former Marine and a Soldier who has lead a life of service, a security expert who safeguarded school grounds, a single father of a beautiful middle school girl with special needs, and an experienced board leader who brought common sense, collaboration, problem solving, and effective governance to boards.

I am passionate about education because I believe it offers all children the opportunities and skills needed to be successful in todays world. We should always be raising the bar on education. That means ensuring we have the best teachers and the best learning opportunities for our children with great schools. I believe in safety, all schools must be effectively protected from gun violence. In DPS discipline and respect have been thrown by the wayside. We should set the example for our students and ensure they are in a safe, respected and protected space while at school. I am strong believer in effective mental health supports. My partner is a school counselor and we know and have seen tremendous value in good mental health supports at school. I believe board members should hire, lead and support the best superintendents possible and ensure they are not only held accountable but set up for success with effective governance.

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.

Other survey responses

Ballotpedia identified the following surveys, interviews, and questionnaires Ballenger completed for other organizations. If you are aware of a link that should be added, email us.

See also


External links

Footnotes

  1. Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on June 29, 2023