About this episode
After less than two years on the job, Denver Public Schools superintendent Susana Cordova resigned last fall. She said it was because she got an amazing job opportunity in Dallas, Texas, but some think she was pushed out by a school board that disagreed with her vision. At the center of that conflict? Education Reform, a nationwide movement that found a fertile testing ground here in Denver about 15 years ago under then superintendent Michael Bennet (Yes, that Michael Bennet). So what is Education Reform? How did it get so controversial? And what does the board’s search for a new superintendent say about the future of the reform movement here in Denver? On the show today, host Bree Davies sits down with Melanie Asmar, who covers DPS for Chalkbeat and has reported extensively on the reform movement. Melanie breaks down the reform movement’s history in Denver, how the superintendent search plays into it, and what it all means for Denver as a whole — not just parents and kids. For more on the superintendent search, here’s Melanie’s latest on the three finalists: https://co.chalkbeat.org/2021/5/14/22436681/denver-superintendent-finalists-student-teacher-interviews Also, follow Melanie on Twitter for more updates: @melanieasmar Follow us @citycastdenver And subscribe to our weekday morning newsletter for more Denver news and events: https://mailchi.mp/citycast/denver