Monday, October 10, 2005

Interviews with Brad Buchanan and Jill Conrad Here's some background on the race for DPS - Director at Large from the North Denver News. We finally have some information about a couple of the candidates for Denver Public Schools - School Board. Here's an interview with Jill Conrad from the North Denver News. She says, "I would make improving the graduation rate in high school, reform, a top priority when I'm elected to the board. I think that there's a real urgency around that. There are many recommendations developed by the task force last year that have yet to be taken seriously and implemented over the long term." The North Denver News is also running an interview with Brad Buchanan. From the interview, "First thing I would aim to accomplish is that we have to set a new standard for academic achievement and for what our curriculum is to accomplish when our students graduate from high school. I believe that our curriculum in our Denver public school system should graduate every student with the quality of education that allows them to choose whether they go to college or not. I believe that should be their choice, not mine or some other group's - it should be a choice of every student because they're qualified to make that decision on their own." Mr. Buchanan gets the endorsement of the North Denver News. The North Denver News is endorsing ProComp (Referred School District 1 Ballot Question - Denver Public Schools Teacher Compensation Plan). They write, "DPS doesn't need mindless cheerleading. Too frequently, that is what passes for public discourse on our schools and you'll hear a lot of it surrounding ProComp. Such unreserved expressions of support ought to be viewed with skepticism, if not disdain. Denver doesn[base ']t need Potempkin villages of educational excellence, oases of performance. It does need sustained constructive criticism and a community commitment to overcome the baseline challenges that affect students, families and teachers. It does need persistent, pervasive accomplishment. DPS' weaknesses are multitude. Its strengths lie in its human capital - the teachers and administrators who dauntlessly face the challenges of public education daily." Category: Denver November 2005 Election 6:56:44 PM    comment []

ProComp? Here's an article about ProComp (Referred School District 1 Ballot Question - Denver Public Schools Teacher Compensation Plan) from the Rocky Mountain News [October 10, 2005, "Nation is watching ProComp"]. They write, "Denver Public School's innovative proposal to pay teachers based on skills and student growth has captured the attention of the nation, and sparked conflicting feelings among local teachers...The proposal, officially called the Professional Compensation System for Teachers, is complex. It allows teachers to build their salaries by choosing from a range of options - teach in a tough school, get $999 - as opposed to collecting raises based largely on years worked...Teachers who are uncertain about ProComp most often cite DPS administration as the top concern. It's not the pay plan they worry about, they say, but the district's ability to manage it well. David Harsanyi is blasting Republican supporters of Referedum C in his column in today's Denver Post [October 10, 2005, "Referendum supporters betray GOP"]. He writes, "Curiously, it's been Republican supporters of C and D who have turned their backs on their constituents. They've employed scare-mongering, personal attacks and truth-twisting. But hey, that's your run-of-the-mill political campaign. What's worse is that these Republicans have helped perpetuate the myth that opposition to overtaxation means you don't care about 'people.' They know very well that the only 'people' helped by C and D are politicians, whose job will be infinitely easier without budget constraints." The November 1st ballot is pretty crowded here in Denver, according to the Denver Post [October 10, 2005, "Full ballot may squeeze C, D"]. From the article, "In Denver, voters will consider a tax increase to give teachers bonus pay, a higher tax on tourists staying at hotels, permission to let the city spend more money than allowed by TABOR, legalized possession of small amounts of marijuana for adults and a slate of school-board candidates...All this could lead to voter fatigue that may affect Referendums C and D. Senator Ken Gordon and other supporters of Referendum C finished their trek across Colorado, according to the Denver Post [October 10, 2005, "Campaign by foot makes some strides"]. From the article, "For five weeks, a small band of politicians and supporters had tramped across Colorado to win converts to Referendums C and D - the measures on the November ballot aimed at easing the state's cash crunch. The trek had begun near the Wyoming border, and some 389 miles later, the group finished the last 16 miles to the New Mexico line Sunday." Category: Denver November 2005 Election 7:23:04 AM    comment []

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