GUEST COLUMN: Denverites are ‘mad as hell’ at DPS board
Over the past few months as I have driven to work and gotten onto I-25, I pass a sign on the ramp that says “Resign DPS Board.” Since then I have seen more of these signs proliferate and appear along the streets and in yards in different neighborhoods in Denver.
These signs have been produced by a group of parents, who formed a private non-profit entity titled “Resign DPS Board.” The group has raised funds in an effort to encourage the entire Denver Public Schools Board of Education to resign immediately. The organization has been collecting signatures for an on-line petition that discusses the many missteps by the board and the need for new leadership. It is not a formal recall effort but intended as a demonstration of the dissatisfaction that many Denver residents have with the board today. So far it appears that the group has collected several thousand signatures and the hope is to have many more sign on to the petition so as to provide a strong case for the board to resign. Whether this effort will actually lead to all or any of the DPS board members quitting is unknown but probably unlikely.
The reality is that the parents of school age children and others behind the “Resign DPS Board” campaign are “mad as hell” at the DPS board. The high level of frustration and dissatisfaction brings to mind an old film, “Network.” In that movie a television news anchor becomes unhinged and goes on the air one evening and starts ranting about the major problems in the country and the lack of action or ability to improve those conditions. During the newscast Howard Beale, the news anchor, deviates from his script and begins a rant about his frustration and others like him in the inability to address these issues. After listing the many problems in the country he goes on to say to viewers, “I want you to get up right now. Sit up. Go to your windows. Open them and stick your head out and yell — ‘I’m as mad as hell and I’m not gonna take this anymore!’ Things have got to change. But first, you’ve gotta get mad.” The fact that many viewers actually open their windows and begin shouting this phrase reflects to news network management that they have struck a raw nerve with the public and they seek to take advantage of the outpouring of interest by building upon that message.
Unfortunately, DPS, which has had a stellar reputation and is one of the best large-city school systems in the country, has become rudderless under the current dysfunctional school board with politics appearing to take priority over children’s education. Actions by the DPS board and specific members over the past several years have shaken the confidence of parents who have legitimate concerns about safety in DPS and whether the system can deliver a high quality education for their children. Sadly, many now perceive the DPS board as having less maturity than the students that they are charged to oversee. This lack of confidence will make it particularly difficult if or when the school district may seek financial support from the voters in the future. Further, we may see more DPS parents choose to have their children go to a charter or private school or move out of the city to be in another school district than remain in the DPS system.
Over the last several months there have been countless stories in the press citing missteps, questionable decisions, fractious board meetings, and an effort to shield information from the public related to the board’s actions and meetings. The board and superintendent have spent more time and money suppressing information about their activities than actions to improve education for students in the system.
The fact that the press needed to file a Freedom of Information Act before the board was willing to release a tape where the board discussed bringing back resource officers in the schools to enhance safety after the shooting of two East High staff, further has shown the lack of transparency or interest in sharing critical information with the public.
I’m not sure that Denver residents have reached the point where they are so angry that they emulate the scene in the movie, Network, and we find people opening their windows and shouting “I’m mad as hell with the DPS board and I’m not gonna take it anymore!”
We may not be there yet but I wouldn’t bet against it after the school year begins and the DPS board makes additional poor decisions.
Greg Fulton, a 40-year Denver resident, is the president of the Colorado Motor Carriers Association, which represents over 600 companies directly involved in, and affiliated with trucking in Colorado.
Denver Public Schools Board of Education
