School Board Directors have been unpaid for 161 years and I have a plan to fix that:

The passage of HB21–1055 allows School Districts to compensate members of their School Boards. This shall not exceed $150 per day for official board duties which is in the purview of local districts to decide. This was led by Representative Steven Woodrow and now this decision is in the hands of local School Boards across Colorado. I was the only member of the Denver School Board to testify on this monumental piece of legislation and began advocating for the Denver School Board to take this up in the 2020–2021 school year and again in the fall of the 2021–2022 school year. Unfortunately I never heard back on the progress to move this forward towards a vote until mid-October, only weeks before the 2021 School Board elections.

Now, the Denver School Board is in a severe time crunch and we must pass this by the certification of the November election in order for those elected in 2021 to receive compensation for their labor over the next four years. If it is not passed before the certification of the election, the entire School Board would NOT be able to receive compensation until December of 2025. This is imperative because everyone should be paid for their labor, especially the stewards of a $1.1 billion dollar budget. I will NOT be eligible for compensation, unless the voters of Denver send me back to the Denver School Board in 2023.

I want to acknowledge that what I am proposing is ONLY a start and will need to be re-examined in the future to keep up with the rising economy. This is NOT a living wage, however due to individuals on this Board with staunch opposition, I must compromise and propose something that at the very least begins putting us in the right direction in order to begin to remove barriers for individuals that may want to run for a position on the Denver School Board, but are unable to do so due to the required commitment of time without compensation. As a result, our School Board looks much like our non-diverse teaching pool — 57% of the Denver School Board are white, while 80% of our students are students of color.

Up until and after the 2019 election, School Board Directors were either retired, independently wealthy, or worked jobs that gave them the flexibility to both work their current job and serve on the Denver School Board. I was forced to leave my paying job in the district, to accept the volunteer position on the board. While searching for a new job I had to be mindful of the hours required to fulfill my duty on the board and soon after the global pandemic hit. I have since been left with severe financial insecurities working whatever freelance jobs I can find. In my second year in office, I welcomed a new addition to my family and had to seriously consider resigning from office to take care of my new son, but because I have a supportive family and extended family, I am able to be in his life without missing key moments. If I did not have this support system I would not be able to be on the School Board.

• Single parents like me, should be able to serve on the Denver School Board and know they will receive compensation for their service.
• Denver educators should be able to decide when they are ready to step away from the classroom and enter the board room and earn compensation for their service.
• Recent alumni like me, should be able to serve on the Denver School Board and be compensated for their work.

Here is my proposal to begin this monumental move to compensate members of the Denver School Board:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: Compensation for board members shall not exceed $1,000 a month.

Fiscal Note: The fiscal impact on the district would be LESS than $48,000 a year until December of 2023. This would then increase when the 2023 elections have concluded the remaining three board members would be compensated up to $1,000 a month and would be LESS than $84,000 a year. After the 2021 elections it would take 0.00004363636% from the annual budget and then in 2023 that would increase to 0.00007727272%

This current proposal would make it that members of the Denver School Board would make LESS than any other position in Denver Public Schools.

I believe in breaking barriers so parents and working class people like me can see themselves reflected on the Denver School Board. I believe that equity and diversity should be more than buzz words and this will help us live out those values.

URGE THE DENVER SCHOOL BOARD TO PASS THIS RESOLUTION BEFORE THE CERTIFICATION OF THE NOVEMBER ELECTION BY EMAILING THE DENVER SCHOOL BOARD.

EMAIL: Board@dpsk12.org