The Denver Post: As a former vice president of the Denver Public Schools Board of Education, I am infinitely puzzled by recent behavior among current school board members. For months, these elected representatives aligned in their effort to overcome grievances that haunted the previous board — opaque decision-making, incoherent processes, and woefully inadequate community engagement.

Progress was apparent in situations like the successful DPS bond initiative and also the recent school closure process, which was expectedly difficult but thoughtfully considered and well-executed. Unfortunately, old habits die hard, and this month, we saw patterns of the past re-emerge.

On March 20, the school board went into executive session to receive legal advice related to the superintendent’s contract. The contract is not set to expire until June 2026 and as such, a frenzy of secrets, whispers, and rumors followed, speculating that an early contract renewal was underway. Concern mounted at the prospect of a new obligation made with no regard for performance evaluation, academic outcomes among students, community input, or the traditional timeline for such a decision.

Why take this topic behind closed doors and why now?

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