A shocking new poll on the job performance of Denver school board members show 63% of voters believe the politicians are more obsessed with their own ambitions than educating children.
But most shocking of all, at least 9% of those polled still support school board vice president and problem child, Auon’tai “Tay” Anderson, despite all the problems he continues to cause for the school system, our children, and the entire community.
Who are those 9%, is we want to know.
Family?
Teachers’ union leaders who endorsed him for the job?
The poll reported by Chalkbeat Colorado goes on to report:
Asked whether they would re-elect Anderson or whether it’s “time for someone new,” more than half opted for someone new, and just 9% said they planned to vote for Anderson. More than a third of respondents were undecided.
In other key findings, 60% of voters had an unfavorable view of the entire board, an overwhelming 73% support keeping police officers in school, and 74% oppose the board’s policy of returning troubled kids to the classroom.
The poll was conducted with 410 likely voters by Democrat firm Chism Strategies and Republican firm Cygnal on April 11 and 12.
From Chalkbeat:
The seven-person Denver school board is made up entirely of members who were backed by the Denver Classroom Teachers Association, the teachers union, but the last two years have been marked by infighting and personality conflicts, in particular between Anderson and board President Xóchitl “Sochi” Gaytán.
The Denver district has a low expulsion rate and emphasizes keeping students in school, even when those students have been accused of serious crimes. Principals have said district administrators reject their requests to remove students from the classroom and called for the discipline matrix to be revised, but so far the board and superintendent have defended their policies.
Meanwhile, Denver Mayor Hancock fired a parting shot at the school board and Anderson for their lack of maturity and dysfunctional mismanagement during an appearance on the Mandy Connell Show on 850 KOA this week.
Anderson made a number of media appearances after the last shooting to divert attention from his failed policy of removing school resource officers and tried to pick a fight with the mayor. It didn’t work.
Here’s what the mayor had to say:
“Be responsible, show up, engage, address the issue, work with parents and students and the faculty and staff in those buildings and let’s make sure that everybody’s safe. That’s your ultimate responsibility, not playing a game of who said what. That makes no difference whatsoever. Address the issue. That’s where I think we’ve continued to see the continued dysfunction and immaturity of this board perpetuate itself.”
The Denver mayor said he has already had conversations with candidates who intend to run for the Denver school board and he thinks they will be an improvement, if elected.
“We’re seeing people who are being elected who have no business being on the board, are being (entrusted) with that level of responsibility and we’ve got to find a way to correct the ship,” Hancock said.
Amen.