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.”
*Deborah L. Sims Fard withdrew her candidacy from the Board of Education race on Oct. 8.
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."
District 3
Caron Blanke
"I'm Caron. I am running for the Denver Public Schools Board of Education in District 3, and I'm running because I think it's time for new leadership and change in the district. I believe that schools are the backbone of our community, and when we strive for excellence in our schools, we are able to create strong futures for our kids and for the City of Denver. I am a mom of three kids, two DPS graduates and one high school student, and as an early childhood educator, director and nonprofit leader, I believe that we need leaders who want to focus on students. I've loudly advocated that we create high-quality learning experiences for every student, where we are seeing them and their full potential, we are meaningfully investing in our educators, and we are listening to and building relationships with families. I think we have to bring students back to the center of decision-making. We have to restore trust with community members and understand that they know what is best for our students. I care deeply about relationships, and that's what I've done for 25 years in community. I've been involved in community organizing, and I have sat on both sides of a boardroom table. I have been a professional who has been held to results, and I have most recently been a board president where I have had to lead with transparency and accountability and oversight, and that's what I'll bring to Denver School Board. I want students to be able to thrive in environments and in schools that are equitable, inclusive and responsive to their needs. And I think that voters need to make sure that the people who are leading our school district are in community, listening to every voice, seeing every student, making sure that we are having small classroom sizes, we are increasing our compensation for teachers, and we are in the community, listening to what people need so that every student can actually thrive in Denver.”
Scott Esserman
"My name is Scott Esserman, and I'm asking for your vote to continue serving on the Denver Public Schools Board of Education in District 3. I'm the only career educator running in District 3 and in position to continue this work because of my experience as a board member, and our children deserve our commitment. I know what it feels like to walk into a classroom, to look a student in the eye and to say, 'I believe in you.' I've done that for over 20 years. I bring the perspective of having served for the last four years and [have] seen how school board policy plays out in real life, in the playground, in the hallways and at the kitchen table. I've always centered equity, opportunity and voice. I've visited every school in DPS, and have seen that supporting early literacy, advocating for mental health staffing and mandating universal dyslexia screening works. During my first term, DPS adopted new evidence based reading curricula and launched high impact tutoring to combat the pandemic's learning loss. We're making impressive progress, and I'm committed to continuing that work to raise achievement for all students, especially those who have been historically underserved. In my second term, my promise to every student in Denver is that I will fight to ensure that every child feels safe, seen and supported in our every school and in every neighborhood. I will fight to respect and retain the educators who make our schools work, ensuring the pay they deserve. I will listen. I will continue making myself available to parents, teachers, leaders, staff and most importantly, students. And I will commit to continue leading the fight against the Trump administration, defending our funding, our curricular independence, preventing ICE from entering our schools and protecting our LGBTQ plus community. I humbly ask for your trust, your vote and your partnership to keep working together to build a Denver Public School system where every student is safe and thrives.”
DJ Torres
"I'm Dr. DJ Torres, I'm running for Denver School Board District 3 to represent Central and Southeast Denver. You know, this campaign is really about one thing, and it's about making sure that families see themselves in and supported by Denver Public Schools. And I'm happy to be the candidate that will get us there. You know, this campaign and some of my campaign colleagues here have been endorsed by billions of dollars, and I'm lucky because I get to be supported by you all. I am a Denver special educator. I'm a former equity leader in the central office. I'm a former national leader in gun violence and school safety prevention, and most of all, I'm a DPS dad. I've been in the classroom, and I've been in DPS to turn ideas into action. I'm proud of that. Additionally, I've been endorsed, thankfully, by the Denver Classroom Teachers Association, which is Denver's teachers union, as well as many other organizations throughout Denver and the broader Colorado area — all folks focused on the support of the people. That's you all. This race will be won because I get your support, the support from Denver people. I want to also name that this race is an important one, because my colleagues here in the race have billions of dollars backing them, and their supporters want to privatize public education. I'm here to let you know that will not happen on my watch. I am supported, as I mentioned, by the educators, and that means returning the emphasis of this process back to schools, back to classrooms, and trusting our educators. So on November 4, I encourage you to vote for me, Dr. DJ Torres, so that we can bring back the support and the effort and the focus back on our educators and in our classrooms."
District 4
Jeremy Harris
"My name is Jeremy Harris. I'm the school board candidate for Denver Public Schools in District 4. I am a DPS parent, I am a small business owner, and I am also the communications chair for our local school PTA. I know firsthand how important it is to ensure that every student have access to high quality education. I am running to usher in a new era in education, and what that means is a new era that is rooted in community, that's funded with equity, and that it is driven by our students, our parents and our educators. I'm talking about a new system with a common sense approach to educational reform that truly holds our superintendent accountable with real, measurable and time bound goals. We also know that less than 38% of our students is proficient in reading and in math. We have to prioritize academics. Last year alone, more than 166 weapons was found on DPS campuses, and it's time that we have a serious conversation around school safety, both physically and mentally. We also know that four-year universities aren't the only pathway to success, and it's so important that we are preparing our kids for Career Technical Education and vocational training. We know that no matter where we live in this community, no matter what our background may be, we all want the same things, and that's opportunities for our kids and a community that thrives. I'm Jeremy Harris, and I'll be honored to have your support and represent you District 4 on the school board as your next school board director.”
Monica Hunter
"My name is Monica Hunter, and I'm running for school board in District 4. First and foremost, I'm a teacher and a mom in the district. My kids go to Denver Public School, and I have twins in ECE, and so when you're dropping your kids off at school, I'm also dropping mine off. And when you're worried about safety and mental health, I'm also worried about those things. Next, I'm the only candidate running who was a classroom teacher, and so I have first-hand experience closing achievement gaps and really trying to get resources directly into the classroom. One of the most important things I am proud of are the endorsements I've received directly from teachers. I've picked up the teachers union, the nurses union, as well as almost every labor union in Denver. I'm proud to not be backed by out-of-state billionaires who want to privatize education, but by everyday working people. I promise that I will not contribute to the dysfunction of the board that we've seen play out time and time again, but I will put all of my resources back into the classroom."
Timiya Jackson
"My name is Timiya Jackson. I'm running for the Denver Public School Board of Directors and District 4. I am a DPS parent. I have spent my entire career supporting young people, both in and out of the classroom. I'm running for Denver School Board because I believe that every student in DPS deserves access to a high-quality education that's going to prepare them academically, socially and emotionally for the future that they wish to have. I have had the privilege of being a Dean of Students, a re-engagement specialist for dropout intervention, and also an executive director. So, I know what it takes to come at the system from not only working within it, but also working alongside community. As a re-engagement specialist for dropout intervention, I was able to work with students who had either left school or were in the process of leaving to work with them, their families and the schools to create a solid plan to re-engage these students in their learning, and ultimately ensuring they graduated prepared for that next step. We're at a critical point where it's going to take each and every one of us as a community to come together to support our students, to ensure that they get what they deserve, and we need to focus on achievement, transparency and accountability to do this work. When I talk about achievement, this includes ensuring every student gets what they deserve for that next chapter. Transparency — making sure we're having honest and real conversations about what's working and what's not, putting plans in place to monitor, to adjust. And last but not least, accountability. This is something that has to happen in every facet of our district, from the board all the way down to the staff that show up each day to support our kids. I am Timiya Jackson, and I'm running for the Denver Public School Board of Directors in District 4. I hope to earn your vote this November. You can learn more at Jackson4DPS.com.”
Michelle Quattlebaum
"I'm Michelle Quattlebaum, and I am honored to serve as your Denver Public School Board Director representing District 4. I'm running for re-election because our students deserve leaders who put people over politics. Over the last four years, we've raised hourly minimum wage to $20, expanded mental health supports, and implemented the Dr. Sharon Bailey report and the La Raza report with real accountability steps that are improving outcomes for students and strengthening our schools. The Denver Post recently said DPS needs board members not sponsored by any special interest group, people rooted in the community and focused on what matters most — our kids. That's exactly the type of leadership that I have proven over four years. Every decision that I make starts with listening to families, supporting educators and keeping students at the forefront. Our progress is real, but the work isn't finished together. We can continue to build schools where every child feels seen, supported and prepared to thrive. I'm Michelle Quattlebaum, and I humbly ask for your vote."
