The Colorado State Board of Education has never been so interesting to watch and we have firebrand Steve Durham, who joined the board this year, to thank.
Mr. Durham
It is refreshing to see anyone shake up the education establishment, and Durham is doing it with particular finesse. Over the weekend, The Denver Post highlighted his efforts to “restore public confidence amid widespread concerns about testing, accountability and changes in education.”
The board’s wishy-washy GOP chairwoman actually resigned largely because she didn’t have the political wherewithal to go toe to toe with Durham, who is a prime example of how much change can be enacted when you understand policy and how to use process to your advantage.
With nine Republicans now vying to fill the vacancy the board with have a chance to elect a new chair and vice chair when that person is sworn in next month. We’ve heard that Durham is being encouraged to run for a leadership post, and we hope that he does. Though, giving him a title won’t really change the fact that he runs the show over there.