Denver Post: Voters Send Message to DPS - Change

John Youngquist and Marlene de la Rosa (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

“It was pretty divisive,”said pollster Floyd Ciruli of the results, adding, “What you could feel was the momentum and the passion was on the side of change.”

Union-backed members will retain their majority on DPS’s board after the election, but the newcomers will have an edge when it comes to establishing board leadership, priorities and potential future policies because Tuesday’s election made it very clear that a significant portion of the electorate supports a shake-up of the status quo, Ciruli said. - Denver Post 11-9-23

Denver voters swept all three union-supported members, two of which were incumbents, and replaced them with a new team focused on student safety and ending board chaos. The newcomers represent a school reform non-union background.

Although the new members do not have a majority, they have momentum from an electorate that wants change.

The teachers union is already very concerned any shift toward reform issues such as merit pay, school closures, and neighborhood vs. charter schools, would threaten union work rules and benefits. The union and their allies appear on the defensive.

People voted for less dysfunction on the board. That may be a challenge to achieve.

See Jessica Seaman’s front page article: Voters Send Resounding Message of Change

RELATED: DPS Election Critical for Denver’s Reputation