FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Community,

For over 40 years, House District 8 has been a symbol of Black leadership in the Colorado State Legislature.

However, the 2024 elections present a critical juncture where we risk losing this historically Black seat due to a highly contested primary featuring multiple Black candidates.

Such scenarios have historically led to the division of votes, often resulting in the loss of Black representation. To avoid repeating this pattern and to prioritize the preservation of Black political power in the state capitol, I have decided to suspend my campaign for the Democratic nomination for Colorado House District 8. This decision transcends my personal aspirations and reflects my commitment to the community and maintaining Black representation in our legislature. I want to thank those who donated to our campaign, endorsed both locally and nationally, and every neighbor that we met on the doors.

In 2019, I was honored to become the youngest Black elected official in Colorado’s history, serving on the Denver School Board. This experience deepened my understanding of the need for greater Black representation in educational and community leadership.

Subsequently, I founded the Colorado Black Caucus of School Board Directors, serving as its
inaugural President, and continued my commitment to the community by launching the
Black Santa Project, which has distributed over 30,000 toys to children during the holidays.

Building on my experience as serving as an elected official and community organizer, I am
thrilled to announce the launch of The Center for Advancing Black Excellence in Education.

We are an education nonprofit deeply dedicated to uplifting Black communities through the
power of education. Our mission is grounded in the conviction that access to high-quality
education is not just a right, but the foundation of thriving and resilient communities. We
commit ourselves to disrupting the systems that cause educational disparities faced by Black
students. Through this work, we will reimagine our K-12 education system and dismantle
deeply rooted systems of oppression.

Our approach is multifaceted: we implement innovative programs that provide vital resources, steadfast support, and strong advocacy, all meticulously designed to cultivate and honor the innate potential within each student. Our work is built upon three core pillars – educating future leaders, advocating for systemic changes in education, and celebrating our communities through philanthropic giving.

As passionate co-conspirators in the pursuit of educational equity, we are dedicated to fostering environments where Black students are not merely recognized but are also empowered to achieve excellence.

Our founding Board is made up of passionate educators, advocates, and community leaders who are dedicated to advancing Black excellence in education. Our fiscal sponsor and Board
Chair will be MiDian Holmes, the CEO of the Epitome of Black Excellence and Partnership.
The other members are Michelle Quattlebaum, President of the Colorado Black Caucus of
School Board Directors; and Colorado Representative Dr. Regina English.

We are honored to receive support from a wide array of distinguished individuals nationwide.
Our mission is backed by State Legislators, Non-Profit Leaders, City Council Members, School
Board Members, and Executives from School Board Associations. Such as Colorado Senate
President Pro Tempore, James Coleman, Executive Director of the Arizona School Board
Association Devin Del Palacio, Executive Director of Ednium the Alumni Collective TeRay
Esquibel, and Colorado State Representative & Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon.
Discover more about our initiatives, including Ready to Run, The Black Excellence Project,
and The Black Santa Project at https://www.advancingblackexcellence.net

We are kicking off our fundraising with an ambitious initial goal of $30,000 to support our
transformational work. Contributions of any amount are invaluable to our mission. The only
way we can accomplish this critical and timely work is with your support. Donate Here: https://donorbox.org/the-center-for-advancing-black-excellence-in-education-1

Join us for our inaugural fundraiser on January 23rd at 6:00 PM at brother jeff’s Cultural Center (2836 Welton St. Denver, CO 80205)

Please use this link to sign up to host a house party so we can share with your networks the
importance of this organization. Your support is crucial in our journey to educate, advocate,
and celebrate Black communities.

In Solidarity,

Auon’tai M. Anderson, CEO

The Center for Black Excellence in Education

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

The post Former Denver School Board Vice President Auon’tai Anderson establishes a new education-nonprofit; The Center for Advancing Black Excellence in Education appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Demanding candidates and media outlets act with integrity and respect towards all community members. Full statement attached.

“As a bi-partisan coalition of Black elected officials, community leaders, and organizations, we stand together to condemn the blatant anti-Blackness that has been pervasive in the 2023 municipal elections in Denver. Including white candidates, independent expenditure committees, and local affiliates of national public broadcast networks. We have witnessed the following behavior that is concerning and must be called out:

• The media’s portrayal of Black candidates in this election season has been unbalanced, unfair, and harmful. More specifically, Black women have been scrutinized for their appearance, tone, and demeanor, while their accomplishments and leadership are overlooked and minimized. This harmful stereotype is used to discredit and invalidate their vast experiences, unique perspectives, and human emotions, particularly when they speak out against injustice.
• We have seen propaganda that promotes segregationist messaging and seeks to dehumanize the Black vote. This type of messaging is reminiscent of the Jim Crow South, where racist policies and practices were used to disenfranchise and marginalize Black people. We find this type of behavior to be unacceptable and demand that all candidates disavow and cease such tactics.
• We have seen commercials and ads that intentionally perpetuate harmful and racist stereotypes of people of color, particularly Black people, portrayed as criminals and undesirables. This perpetuation of negative imagery is not only inaccurate but also perpetuates a dangerous and dehumanizing narrative about our community. While we are grateful this has been called out, we are also concerned that these ads continue to be broadcast across the city and county of Denver.
• Black candidates have also been excluded from forums and debates, preventing them from fully participating in the democratic process. This exclusion is a form of voter suppression and is unacceptable in a free and fair election. We must ensure that all voices are heard and represented in the electoral process.

We must recognize that these actions are not isolated incidents but are part of a long history of systemic racism and oppression against Black people in the United States. The legacy of Jim Crow laws and policies is still felt today in our communities, and we must work to dismantle the systemic racism and oppression that still exists.

We demand that all candidates, media outlets, and individuals involved in the electoral process act with integrity, respect, and dignity towards all members of our community and that they commit to addressing and dismantling systemic racism and oppression in our society. We must come together to create a future where anti-Blackness is no longer tolerated or accepted.

In conclusion, we will not stand idly by and watch as our community is subjected to such hateful and discriminatory treatment. We call on all Denverites to cease and desist from engaging in such behavior and instead focus on meaningful and constructive policy discussions that benefit all members of the community.

We also call on media outlets to act responsibly and ethically and to refrain from perpetuating harmful racial stereotypes. We demand that all candidates and media outlets commit to promoting an inclusive and diverse democracy that works towards the betterment of all members of our community.

We urge all voters to join us in standing against anti-Blackness. It is time for us to come together as a community and work towards a future where we can all live in a just and equitable society, free from the harmful effects of systemic racism and oppression.

We are committed to continuing the fight against anti-Blackness and to working towards a better future for all members of our community. We will not rest until justice and equity is achieved for all.

In Solidarity,

Wanda James, University of Colorado Regent, District 1

James Coleman, Colorado State Senator

Jennifer Bacon, Colorado State Representative

Naquetta Ricks, Colorado State Representative

Regina English, Colorado State Representative, and Harrison School District Two Board Member

Auon’tai Anderson, President – Colorado Black Caucus of School Board Directors

Corey Williams, President – Harrison School District Two

Will Jones, Vice President – Mesa County School District 51

Stephanie Mason, Vice President – Aurora Public Schools

JJ Frazier, Vice President – Harrison School District Two

Janice McDonald, Vice President – Cherry Creek School District

Michelle Quattlebaum, Denver School Board Director District 4

Michael Carter, Aurora School Board Director

Darlene Derbigny, East Otero School Board Director

brother jeff – Founder/Director brother jeff’s Cultural Center

MiDian Z. Holmes – Owner/Founder, 8PM Consulting for Humanity

Hashim Coates, Interim Chair – African Diaspora Initiative of the Colorado Democratic Party

Sondra Young, President – NAACP Denver

Shenika Carter, President & CEO – Urban League of Metro Denver

Ashlee Wedgeworth – President- Urban League Young Professionals of Metro Denver

Candice Bailey – Colorado State Commissioner and Founder/Executive Director Light Carrier

Bianka Emerson, President – Colorado Black Women for Political Action

Khadija Haynes – CEO, K-Solutions

Vernon Jones Jr. – Faithbridge

Gene Fashaw, Educator

Photo caption: Screenshot of Denver Decides Mayoral Forum, Denver 7ABC, February 2023

The post A coalition of bi-partisan Black leaders in Denver stands together to condemn anti-Blackness in the 2023 municipal elections. appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

After hearing the results of the ILG Investigation; all reports of sexual assault claims Unsubstantiated, I did not expect to be driving down to a Denver Public School (DPS) Board meeting today, to report on a Board vote to censure Tay Anderson. At no time in its history has the DPS Board ever voted to censure a member.

In fact, when another Board member, Brad Laurvick, was accused of sexual misconduct, no investigation was conducted.

After reading the 96 page report in full, it still does not make sense to me why the DPS Board would be censuring this 22-year-old black leader.

How could a man who was, by all investigations, falsely accused by a single, white woman who was found to be uncredible, of 62 acts of sexual assault (in a 5 month period, be facing a second “trial” after the evidence has been found unsubstantiated?

But that is exactly what is happening today at noon when the DPS Board is voting to censure the state’s youngest elected official for, what is essentially, a Bug Bunny cartoon and two chat messages.

While passionate about this situation, Jeff Fard has done extensive coverage of the details, the political motivations, and the facts. Regardless of the relationship these individuals may have with Tay Anderson, the fact remains, Jeff Fard and his guests have provided knowledge and detailed information that should be paid attention to in regards to the possible motives around this vote, and even the original accusations.

Currently, with School Board meetings from BVSD, SVVSD, Adams12, and so many other School Districts making the news because of the mask mandates and CRT (Critical Race Theory) debates, this situation in Denver is important to follow.

Petitions seek to recall three BVSD board members over coronavirus precautions

There’s A Big Fight Going On Over Equity and Diversity In Colorado Schools. In The St. Vrain Valley District, The Sides Are Colliding Loudly

It is well known, the GOP is working hard to get candidates elected that will oppose teaching race and equality. Additionally, many of their candidates are known conspiracy theorists regarding COVID and vaccines. These are big budgets: DPS has a $730 Million dollar a year budget and approximately a Billion-Dollar in Real Estate assets.

September 16th, 2021 Jeff Fard show:

If you have not followed the story, DPS Director, Tay Anderson, 23, was accused of 62 acts of sexual assault by a single woman named Mary Katherine Brooks-Fleming (also known as MK). In the ILG Report, Brooks-Fleming describes herself as the “Secretary of the Revolution”. Yellow Scene Magazine’s investigative report, ‘Evidence Emerges; Tay Anderson Controversy’, was a major component of this investigation and brought relevant new information to it.

From the report, page 71, ILG has found Mary Katherine Brooks-Fleming’s report to be inconsistent, incredible, and uncooperative.

Overall, Reporter 1’s claims were not corroborated by any firsthand or secondhand witnesses or evidence and were not corroborated by her own statements, which were inconsistent. This lack of credible evidence was a critical factor in my finding.

Reporter 1 presented two inconsistent chronologies, without sufficient detail that could be checked, specific witnesses who could be interviewed, or specific descriptions of sexual assault or misconduct that Director Anderson could respond to. She did not provide critically necessary data for us to investigate these serious allegations, despite being asked to do so six times. Her inability or unwillingness to provide this information undermined the credibility of her account.

Moreover, Reporter 1 has allegedly not retained, or has discarded, evidence that would have proven valuable in investigating this claim. Reporter 1 allegedly kept a written log of victims and events on a white board in her living room, but she stated that she erased it. Her care in allegedly writing down these events, and then her decision not to preserve her white board after making these accusations public, is inexplicable. Reporter 1 allegedly erased texts, IMs and social media messages from alleged victims. Her decision to not retain evidence undermines her credibility, given her stated objective of helping these individuals and giving them a voice. Instead, she apparently discarded evidence needed to support the allegations. As such, we were unable to establish that such relevant material evidence exists (or ever existed).

Additionally, Report 1’s statements about these events changed and were not consistent.

Inconsistency can undermine the credibility of evidence in some cases. Here it does so, because the change in the timeline appears to have been purposeful. Reporter 1 amended her timeline from her interview to her written timeline, seemingly to reconcile her actions with her allegations of sexual assault. According to her interview, her public statement praising Director Anderson would have happened after two rape victims came to her door. Moreover, her social media post inviting him to speak at an event for homeless youth would have occurred, according to her interview, after she received 62 complaints of sexual assault and misconduct.

That said, Reporter 1 is a self-identified sexual assault victim. As noted above, if she did indeed receive these dozens of allegations of the sexual assault, it likely would have been traumatizing for her. Trauma impacts the way a person can recollect data and their ability to recall (and describe) events linearly. Inconsistencies in statements are not unusual where trauma is involved.

However, the changes in the chronology are not just fuzzy timing, but are a serious disassociation between Reporter 1’s actions and her allegations. She made public statements praising Director Anderson, inviting him to an event with homeless youth after allegedly receiving reports of rape against him. Subsequently, after making the allegations, Reporter 1 said on Facebook that she was “on his side.” This fact pattern goes beyond an ability to remember a consistent chronology. She affirmatively put out positive information about a person who, at this point in time, she believed to be a serial rapist.

Finally, it must be noted that these allegations are objectively implausible on their face. The first reason is the sheer number of alleged victims over a very short time frame. Reporter 1 said that 50 of the 62 alleged victims described historic mistreatment to her (either directly or second-hand, depending upon which statement of hers you consider). Even so, this leaves 12 alleged rape victims by a single perpetrator over 64 days,149 during a time when DPS was on remote learning. This means that approximately every 5 days, Director Anderson would have had to select a new victim, build trust, find a way to be alone with them, and commit a rape. It also means that each of these 12 victims would have had to independently determine that no one could help them except for Reporter 1, a white woman with no ability to provide medical treatment, counseling, legal support or even conversational support in Spanish.

The idea that these students allegedly went to Reporter 1, instead of seeking help from the many

resources in the Latinx community, is implausible. It is not believable that this many assaults occurred without any teachers, parents, friends, ministers, guidance counselors or other trusted adults becoming aware. It is not plausible that not even a single witness would have attempted to contact us.

For these reasons, the allegation of 62 events of rape and sexual misconduct by Director Anderson against undocumented / DACA DPS students is Not Substantiated.

By all appearances, political motives could very likely be a big part of this entire story from the very beginning. Brooks-Fleming appears to have ties to Joseph Camp, a known online bully. Mr. Camp spent time in prison for hacking his college to change his student debt and was recently found to be part of the hack of Epik, an organization that helped contribute to hate speech through the elections.

Anonymous hack of Epik reveals a devastating amount of information

Starting with unsubstantiated accusations of sexual assault hurled at a young, black man with a rising career, who is known for speaking out and fighting systemic racism, and Brooks-Fleming, a white woman who does not speak Spanish, and who has been found to be unreliable in her testimony.

It is important to note, under Tay Anderson’s direction, SRO’s (School Resource Officers) were removed from DPS, and he has actively helped fight against the take over of public schools by Charter enterprises.

For those that do not want to read a 96-page investigation here is our synopsis:

The report acknowledges both the historical racism targeting of black men, as well as the reasons assault victims would be afraid to report their attack.

There were 5 points they were asked to investigate by DPS:

Page 20 of the ILG Report

Tay Anderson is found to be credible in his testimony:

• Tay Anderson fully cooperated with the investigation.
• Tay Anderson held himself accountable for his behaviors.
• Tay Anderson consistently denied assaulting anyone.
• Tay Anderson provided documentation for the investigation.

Brooks-Fleming has credibility concerns:

• Mary Katherine Brooks Fleming spoke on behalf of the complainant in her interview with Yellow Scene Magazine.
• Brooks-Fleming joked about owning a strip club in the YS interview.
• While some details of the assault told through Brooks-Fleming did check out, there were significant discrepancies that cast questions over the claim. One of which was Tay Anderson was not employed at the place of business at the time that was claimed and there is evidence that the complainant and Tay Anderson did not know each other prior.
• Brooks-Fleming seemed to time her testimony of 62 unreported assaults which she made at the Colorado State Capitol timed with the 20th Anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
• Brooks-Fleming was highly inconsistent in her reporting and even changed her story after being interviewed.
• Brooks-Fleming did not report any of the complaints she claims were made to her, and not only did she not provide evidence, but she also claims to have erased the evidence she claims to have had.
• Brooks-Fleming is a highly unlikely figure that DACA students would have turned to, considering she was not known for doing work within the Latina/Latino community, does not speak Spanish and not a single report was made to any organization, parent, or teacher.

The complainant has credibility concerns:

• The complainant retracted their statement with YS Magazine publisher.
• The complainant stated; “This whole thing was MK”
• The complainant provided Joseph Camp, a known online “super-troll”, information about protestors at an Elijah McClain protest.
• The complainant was very close to Brooks-Fleming.
• The complainant invited Tay Anderson to an event in a friendly chat message.
• The complainant refused to speak to the investigation.

BLM5280 has credibility concerns:

• There appears to be potential bias by the leaders of BLM5280.
• There have been previous conflicts between Tay Anderson and BLM5280.
• BLM5280 has a history of falsely accusing other black men of sexual assault (while the report only addressed one instance, YS is aware of 3 additional black men in leadership roles that have had unverified accusations made toward them).
• BLM5280 does not allow CisGender men into their organization.
• BLM5280 posts anonymously and leadership is unknown.

Never Again Colorado:

• Tay Anderson was the President of this teen-led organization when he was 19.
• Written documentation shows Tay Anderson was accused of dominating the other board members in decision making, but not accused of sexual misconduct.
• The entire Board spent time at the home of Madison Rose, who was 24 and the oldest of the group, “partying”. She would buy these underage teens alcohol and was having relations with a 17-year-old student.
• The other Board members of the now-defunct organization reported they would play “Never Have I Never”, “Spin the Bottle” and other party games.
• Tay Anderson apologized for his over-bearing behavior and stepped down as President.
• While it was found that most likely Tay Anderson participated in the environment including making sexual advances, it is also found that the entire group participated.

Conduct while a DPS employee:

• Of the 96 page report, 13 of these were redacted in this section.
• The overall finding was Unsubstantiated, however, because of the redaction it is unknown what the investigation was about.

Conduct while running for, or as a member of the DPS Board of Education:

Social Media Chats “Googley Eyes”

• Tay Anderson engaged in two social media conversations with a 16-year-old female that was friendly, but not sexual in tone. This message was provided to the investigation in an effort to be transparent but was not part of the original investigation. 
• Tay Anderson states he did not know their age, but when he learned of their age, ceased communication immediately. 

Social Media Bugs Bunny

• Tay Anderson was heavily targeted by Joseph Camp.
• Joseph Camp created false text messages regarding conversations with YS clients (confirmed with these business owners) and it is suspected he also created fake texts surrounding these accusations that were picked up by Darcy Schoening of the right-wing blog, The Herald.
• The image is of Bugs Bunny with Yosemite Sam pointing a gun at Bugs Bunny. It reads; “Do it Bitch”.
• Tay Anderson states this image, which was on his personal social media page for 3 hours, was in response to the many death threats and harassment he and his family have experienced from this ordeal.
• Two people reached out to ILG to report they felt it was meant to intimidate them although the post does not address anyone specifically and states:
• “When you’re used to life f*cking you up and don’t give a shit anymore”.
• While the investigation indicated they could see how the use of the word “bitch” would be aimed at women, in this context that seems unlikely. It could also be seen as a statement of frustration, and feelings of giving up.

Social Media “I will not retaliate”

• Tay Anderson also put a post up “to people who have engaged in conversation disparaging my name over the last few months. If you commented, liked a comment, made a post/tweet, or even a simple DM. I have your name, I won’t retaliate against you whatsoever. Here is the warning do not speak to me ever again. I will literally act like you do not exist.” He later added to the post he wanted a Restorative Justice process to take place.
• One school board member reported they felt it was a threat to retaliate against them, even tho Director Anderson’s post states “I won’t retaliate”.
• It is these last issues of the social media posts and the chats that the DPS Board is working to censure Director Tay Anderson.
• The charge appears to be led by School Board member Brad Laurvick, who initially called for the resignation of Director Tay Anderson before the investigation was complete.

Equally irresponsible has been the hedge-fund owned, Denver Post, who conducted the same interview YS did with Brooks-Fleming and the complainant but never reported that Brooks-Fleming did all the speaking in the interview. Knowing this their editorial board also called for Tay Anderson to step down before investigations were complete. Rather than correcting these missteps, in yesterday’s article, the headline written was purposefully misleading and did not cover the scope of the circumstances.

As we are witnessing here in Boulder County, school board races have become political hotspots across the country. There are big budgets at stake and political motives in winning.

As discussed on the Jeff Fard show last night, Margaret Fogarty, Margaret Bobb, Carol March, sent a letter to the Denver Public School Board asking them to reconsider their vote to censure, which appears excessive in light of the findings. They requested the DPS Board pursue Restorative Justice resolutions instead.

To: Denver Public Schools Board of Education

From: Margaret Fogarty, Margaret Bobb, Carol March

Subject: Stop the Censure

Date: September 16, 2021

We’re writing today to implore you to reconsider asking for a censure vote of Director Tay Anderson and instead look to initiate a restorative justice process at the Friday meeting.

We’d be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge that the allegations against Director Anderson were serious, and we were fully supportive of a complete and thorough investigation. However, after reviewing the Investigation Legal Group’s findings we take umbrage with the disregard for the initial scope, timeline and budget that was laid out for the investigation. Given the findings, the scope creep was wasteful, and this entire exercise appears to be a politically motivated hit job with white supremacy, ageism and retribution influencing the Board’s actions.

What purpose does censure serve beyond further shaming your colleague who has already paid a high price including severe and permanent reputational damage, mental trauma, and threats of physical violence to himself and his loved ones?

Below we’ve summarized our perspective on why censure is a cruel and unnecessary step to conclude an already brutal and unwieldy process.

1. The investigation found nothing substantiated in relation to the original allegations it was commenced to address.

2. Given the extremely serious nature of the original allegations and the initial scope of the investigation, nothing that was substantiated in the report is relevant or worthy of further scrutiny.

3. Therefore, in fact there is only one substantiated aspect related to the original investigation, which according to the report, was an online interaction with a student that took place over the course of several days and was not sexual in nature.

4. Including Director Anderson’s conduct prior to being a board member, which he’d already discussed and apologized for publicly, was absolutely unnecessary and a complete waste of time and resources.

5. There is no precedent for censure and Director Anderson did not violate the board’s code of conduct.

Disagreeing with Director Anderson’s approach to policy and communications is certainly understandable, but the action the Board has taken over the past six months has perpetuated innumerable headlines suggesting he’s a sexual predator. The ILG report found those allegations to be unsubstantiated, but that genie cannot be put back in the bottle. You have one final decision to make on this matter. We ask that you initiate the restorative justice process immediately instead of calling for an unwarranted censure vote of Director Anderson.

As the reporter who conducted the initial investigation it raises enormous questions if the DPS Board moves to censure Tay Anderson for “google eyes” and Bugs Bunny memes.

The post Why would the DPS School Board censure Tay Anderson after being cleared of wrong-doing? appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

This article is a Community VOICES contribution by Nicky Yollick. Thoughts and opinions expressed are strictly his own and do not necessarily represent the view of Yellow Scene Magazine. You can convey questions, thoughts, or opinions to editorial@yellowscene.com.

Screenshot, DPS “Fun” Board of Directors

In 2019, the voters of Denver were led to believe they had “flipped” the Denver Public School Board. Progressive activists worked tirelessly to elect three new School Board Members promising a progressive new direction in contrast to their predecessors who sought to privatize the District and run DPS like a corporation.

That is what makes the DPS Board’s selection of the Alma Advisory Group as the recruiting firm to identify candidates to replace recently resigned Superintendent Susana Cordova puzzling. 

Shortly after last Friday’s announcement, I began looking into Alma’s history of involvement with other organizations in national education advocacy, and the results of my research show the firm’s deep ties to the national movement to privatize public education. 

Alma lists nine members of staff on its web-site. A quick Google search of each member and their ties to the privatization movement revealed that five of those nine staffers had worked two-year residencies for a national advocacy group called the Broad Center. The Broad Center is named for Eli Broad who, along with the Waltons (of Wal-Mart fame) and Bill and Melinda Gates, is one of the top three funders of education privatization advocacy nationwide. 

Alma details on its web-site its past recruiting work, none of which includes recruiting for a position of Superintendent-level seniority. 

Alma has, however, recruited three national positions for an organization called CityFund, as well as two national positions for CityFund’s political arm, Public School Allies. CityFund is financed largely by Netflix founder Reed Hastings, who has spent hundreds of millions of dollars of his personal fortune to dismantle public education across the country. 

CityFund has donated tens of millions of dollars to leading privatization advocates. An extended list of their grants can be found on their website, but examples provided to privatization groups include $21 million to RootED, over $2 million to 50CAN, $1.5 million to Teach for America, and $500,000 to the Relay Graduate School of Education. RootED also funds many privatization advocates, including Education Reform Now, Stand for Children Colorado, and Transform Education Now. 

The association between Alma and the privatization movement is clearly neither tangential nor coincidental. Furthermore, the partnership between Alma and the Broad Center remains alive and well, as Alma has recruited two leading positions for the Broad Academy, the wing of the Broad Center which oversees the residency program of which five Alma staffers are alumni. 

On Saturday, I shared a post to social media tagging the seven sitting DPS Board Members and asking how they could so blatantly ignore the will of Denver voters as expressed in the last two round of DPS elections which overwhelmingly mandated an end to privatization policies. Not one community-elected Director has offered any explanation addressing the connection between Alma and the national privatization movement. 

Denver’s communities and education stakeholders are starving for authentic engagement from the District. Many Denver activists believe that DPS was uninterested in understanding and fulfilling the community’s will during the last SuperSearch, instead manipulating the community into reaching decisions already predetermined behind closed doors. 

With this decision, the community has already been set up to expect inauthentic community engagement as the choice of firm to lead the selection process itself suggests that the Board disregards the voters that put them in power. 

For any elected School Board Director, the selection of a superintendent is likely the most important decision they will make in their tenure. This is even more true for a Board, like the one overseeing DPS, which operates on a “policy governance” structure, essentially ceding all power to execute Board policy to the Superintendent. Therefore, community members should be able to expect that no decision would be more representative of a Director’s policy agenda than their choice of Superintendent. 

We must demand accountability. 

The post Denver School Board Picks Firm With Deep Ties to National Privatization Movement to Lead Next SuperSearch | VOICES appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.