DENVER WEEKLY NEWS
DWN salutes and thanks all of our nation’s Veterans and active duty personnel for their service.
DPS Reform Plans for Montbello
Schools Challenged Again
Educators Offer Alternatives as Parent Activist
Calls for Boasberg’s Resignation
By Roger K. Clendening
Special to the Denver Weekly News
Parents, teachers, students and other
community members from across
Denver this week continued to chal-
lenge controversial Denver Public
Schools (DPS) plans to “turnaround”
now distressed neighborhood schools
in Montbello.
DPS is pushing turnaround rather
than transformation plans for Mont-
bello High School and five feeder
schools after years of what some crit-
ics are calling administrative neglect,
mismanagement and declining re-
sources intensified under Superin-
tendent Tom Boasberg’s watch.
The faculty of Green Valley Ele-
mentary, a school slated for turn-
around, urged the school board
members this week to consider its
“transformation” plan for their school.
(The plan will be explored in next
week’s DWN). At the same meeting,
held at DPS headquarters, 900 Grant
St., a Montbello neighborhood parent
activist, citing DPS financial manage-
ment and other problems under Boas-
berg’s administration, called for his
resignation.
Elet Valentine, a Montbello parent,
said DPS’s “sour (pension) deal with
Wall Street,” spearheaded, she said,
by “innovators by the name of (for-
Newly Elected Black Republicans Welcomed in CBC
By Zenitha Prince
Election Day victories for two Black
Republicans raise a rare question in the
House of Representatives in the 112th
Congress: How will two African-
American members of the Grand Old
Party interact with the Congressional
Black Caucus?
Fourteen Black Republicans ran for
Congress in the Nov. 2 midterm elec-
tions but, after all the votes were
counted, only Tim Scott, a South Car-
olina businessman, and Allen West, a
Florida-based Army veteran of the Iraq
War, will take seats. They are the first
African-American Republicans to be
Volume 39 Number 39 November 11 - November 17, 2010
Sexual Abuse of Black Boys
Often results in hyper-masculinization or hyper-feminization
mer DPS Superintendent and now
U.S. Senator Michael Bennet) and
Boasberg” had not saved the district
$20-million but instead cost taxpay-
ers $115-million in interest, $9.5-mil-
lion in fees and will cost the district
$81-million to get out of the deal.
Her challenges and other criticisms
came during a school board meeting
on Monday evening, Nov. 8 set by the
board to hear public comment about
the plan in anticipation of a final board
vote on Nov. 18. The plan would im- Photo:Lens of Ansar
plement federally-sanctioned “turn-
around” strategies involving Ali Jackson is producing a documentary based on the startling statistics that 1 in 4 Black boys has been sexually
Montbello High School and five abused and 40% of that number will go on to become child molesters or sexual “deviants." He has encountered
feeder schools. opposition from some who believe this subject is taboo but his own experience keeps him committed to shining a
Valentine continued, asking “Now spotlight on what he calls a society “sickness.” He was abused by an 18 year old female, in an encounter arranged
would this be the actual reason fund- for him on his 12th birthday as a present from adult male relatives who, afterward, gave him “high fives” and took
ing is not trickling into the classrooms him out to eat in celebration. The experience gave him a too-early introduction to sex and left in him a "residue"
toward student achievement, needed that made him crave female contact more than the average boy.
repairs and classroom materials, and
By Adeeba Folami ministry, was accused by four former male – relatives (parents, grandparents,
union teachers . . . I guess that would
(Part 1 of a series) church members of coercing them into cousins, aunts, uncles, sisters and
be called misappropriation of tax-
Recently, actor and film director Tyler sexual encounters after receiving cash, brothers). It is more common to hear
payer dollars,” she said.
Perry publicly announced that he was jewelry, trips and cars from Long when the stories involving abuse of girls and
She went on to say she believes
sexually abused prior to the age of 10 they were 17 to 18 years of age. women but, according to Ali Jackson,
Boasberg has created a “dangerous
by a grown woman and three adult Not all acts or allegations of sexual a teacher, artist, researcher and film
environment at the cost of our chil-
males, in separate acts of violation abuse receive such nationwide atten- maker, one of every four Black males
dren, teachers, communities, parents
which caused him to act out in de- tion, however, and in reality, the daily is also amongst the ranks of those who
and taxpayers, adding, therefore, that
structive ways and even attempt sui- abuse reports in cities across the coun- have experienced some form of sexual
“for the survival of our children,
cide. In another high profile story, try are little heard about but involve violation. Unlike women, there is a
neighborhoods, and teachers, I am
popular Georgia Bishop Eddie Long, abuse on boys, and girls, from priests, smaller window of time in which
coming this evening asking for your
head of an Atlanta-area mega-church coaches, teachers, pastors, deputies, males become victims as they are not
Continued on page 2
with an international TV broadcast day care workers, male – and yes, fe- Continued on page 3
elected to Congress since 1995. decided and is leaning toward not par-
Rep.-elect Tim Scott (R-SC) has pledged to
In an e-mailed statement to the ticipating.
repeal Obamacare.
AFRO CBC Chairwoman Barbara “It’s really heartening to see this type
Lee, D-Calif., said unequivocally, of diversity demonstrated in African-
“Should either of the two African American representation,” NAACP
American Republicans recently Washington Bureau Chief Hilary
elected to the House of Representa- Shelton said. “[Republican Party
tives request membership in the Con- Chairman] Michael Steele deserves
gressional Black Caucus they will be credit for seeing more African Ameri-
welcomed.” cans seeking office under the Repub-
The decision reflected the sentiments lican banner.”
of an overwhelming majority of He added, “They could be a real asset
Rep.-elect Allen West (R-FL) Allen West AFRO.com poll voters, who said the to the strategy of passing legislation in
believes in the flat tax system for individ- men should be admitted. the House and in advancing the CBC
ual and corporate/business. So far, West has said he wants to be [Congressional Black Caucus] agenda
Photo: Skidmore part of the CBC, while Scott is still un- Continued on page 7
People | Places | Things in the News
Calendar of Events
november 13
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Denver Alumnae Chapter and
Denver Delta, Inc. presents
Weight Management: It’s a
Family Affair! How to avoid
the Fat Trap – Who me?
at the Zion Senior Center ∙ 5151
E 33rd Ave ∙beginning at
9:00am – 1:00pm. Registration
fee: $5 per family. For more in-
formation contact Cheryl Har-
Richardson
grow (612) 590-2089 or
obesityno@gmail.comdoor).
Call 303- 830-TIXS (8497).
november 18
Denver Black Pages presents
strictly Bizness nite from
5:30-7:30pm at duRozz Suya
Grill 14569 E. Alameda Ave.
VENDOR TABLES AVAIL-
ABLE for only $35 ($25 for
DBP Club Members)! RSVP to:
info@denverblackpages.com
november 20
sisters Enterprise will host its
6th Annual Back Home Gospel
shout Out Talent show and
thea random Acts of kindness
Community Awards Program
event (9:00am - Noon) at the
Empire Beauty School, 16800 E.
Mississippi Ave. in Aurora. For
more information call 303-324-
To place an advertisement in
Denver Weekly neWs
Call 303-292-5158
send e-mail to: dwnews2@yahoo.com
5927 or send an email to back-
homegospel@yahoo.com.
The kingdom of Glory Chris-
tian Center will hold its 7th An
nual Thanksgiving Fest at 2485
Welton Street; Denver from
11:00am - 5:00pm. Hot meal
and outer winter clothing ap-
parel for those in need. Call
303-293-2230 to donate turkeys,
coats, hats, & gloves, or to vol-
unteer or visit KGCC at:
www.kingdomofglorychris-
tianctr.com
December 4
The 25th anniversary celebra-
tion for Greater Park Hill ser-
toma Club will be held at the
Park Hill Golf Course, 4141 E.
35th Ave.at 6:00pm for cocktail
hour, 7:00pm for dinner. Tick-
ets-$50. RSVP–Teran Nash at
303-596-4443 or 25years@gph-
sertoma.com.
All dates and times are
subject to change.
Please send
announcements to:
Denver Weekly News
P.O. Box 5008
Denver, CO 80217
Fax: 303-292-5344
E-mail:
dwnews2 @yahoo.com
Thank You
DPs reform Plans
Challenged Again
Continued from page 1
resignation.”
The turnaround strategy is one hyped
mainly by non-educators pushing for
public school districts to use corporate,
privately-owned business models in
operating tax-payer-financed public
school systems. Components of the
strategy include closing public school
buildings, firing principals and teach-
ers, eliminating teachers’ and other
labor unions, and displacing students.
Then public school systems like Den-
ver’s turn over education services, and
in many cases, publicly-owned school
buildings and land, to educational
management organizations like KIPP
(Knowledge Is Power Program), a na-
tional charter school operator that, like
others, is typically far less accountable
to elected officials who, in turn, are still
responsible to citizen-taxpayers who
elect them.
Boasberg’s plan calls for replacing
Ford Elementary with the Denver
Center for International Studies ECE-
5 program; hiring a new principal and
staff at Green Valley Elementary; hir-
ing new staff under a newly hired prin-
cipal at McGlone Elementary; and
replacing Oakland Elementary with
SOAR charter elementary school.
Moreover, it calls for phasing out the
current program for 7th and 8th-
graders at Rachel B. Noel Middle
while starting a new 6-12 arts program
with 100 students per grade that will
grow a grade a year, and also co-locate
a KIPP charter middle school within
the building.
At Montbello High School, the cur-
rent program would be phased out and
replaced with a 9-12 collegiate prep
academy for 150 to 200 students per
grade that will grow one grade per year.
Also, a new Denver Center for Inter-
national Studies 6-12 school would be
co-located within the building, as
would a new high-tech early college.
reached in the affected neighborhoods.
Moreover, criticism again focused on
how DPS managed, or as some critics
have said, mismanaged the $1-million-
plus “reforms” at Manual High School
partially financed by the Gates Foun-
dation.
“If DPS cannot faithfully implement
the reforms and the plans set out for
Manual only a few short years ago,
then what does that say about the dis-
trict’s capacity and commitment to im-
plement its large scale plan in the far
northeast?” asked Kim Dolan, a Man-
ual alumni who worked at DPS a year
to “spearhead” DPS “revitalization” ef-
forts at the school, and who now works
at the Donnell-Kay Foundation.
Not unlike Montbello High School,
Manual has had a “tumultuous reform
history,” enduring over 10 years of re-
forms, Dolan reminded DPS board
members. As part of that effort, the
school was closed in 2006-07, and after
reopening, still has no permanent
leader.
A community-driven search for a
principal to replace Rob Stein after he
resigned was to recommence on Sep-
tember 7. That was over two months
ago, Dolan noted, “yet the district has
not taken any actions to jumpstart this
process.”
DPS claims, through its proxy,
A+Plus Denver, to have “involved” the
northeast community from the outset,
contending, despite that organization’s
“application” process to participate,
that a significant representation of
stakeholders was fully engaged in vet-
ting the plan.
Yet A+Plus Denver acknowledges it
had no say in drafting the plan but only
fended, but I stand before you today
very offended by this district’s strate-
gically planned portrayal of the FNE
community as one that has been lack-
adaisical and disinterested in the plan-
ning process for change in the
neighborhood schools ‘until the 11th
hour,’” she added, referencing a DPS
official’s negative depiction of Mont-
bello residents’ growing involvement
in reviewing and challenging DPS
plans.
Heaton urged Boasberg’s administra-
tion and his school board bosses to stop
social promotions, hold students and
parents accountable for their part in the
education process, respect teachers,
and provide extended day instruction
for all FNE elementary students behind
a grade level or more.
Montbello parent Bridgette Larkin
also told the board it is not okay for
A+Plus Denver to come to “my com-
munity with a well-scripted ‘done deal’
plan and expect us to go along with it.”
“Before a plan was defined there
should have been way for the entire
community to have their voices heard,”
she asserted, using surveys, focus
groups, literature drops, robo calls,
house calls, and home visits – “like
when you, Mr. Nate (Easley), and you,
Ms. Mary (Seawell), solicited my
vote!”
She, too, called on the board to post-
pone its planned Nov. 18 final vote and
engage in some “real” community in-
volvement including surveys from all
parents, students and community
groups, and “really” considering the
several “transformation” plans offered
by, among others, the Far Northeast
Parents, the Northern Corridor Coali-
tion, Black Education Advisory Coun-
cil, DeFense, and the Denver
Classroom Teachers Association.
Following this week’s board meeting,
several community, parent and neigh-
borhood and civic groups challenging
DPS turnaround plans for Montbello
neighborhood schools were meeting to
consider their options. Several repre-
sentatives told DWN they were begin-

DEnvEr WEEkly nEWs

Most of the 90 people who signed up
to speak challenged the plan, arguing,
as in prior public meetings, that Boas-
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 5008 Denver, CO 80217-5008 berg’s team developed and is pushing
303-292-5158 (Telephone) 303-292-5344 (Fax) a “top-down” plan that, despite DPS
Email: dwnews2@yahoo.com claims, did not get up-front involve-
ment from a sufficient number of
Denver Weekly News, LLC - Publisher Montbello and Green Valley Ranch
L. Alexander - Managing Editor parents, students, teachers and other
stakeholders.
Denver Weekly News is published every Thursday. Subscription rates for 52 is-
sues- $35; 26 issues- $17.50; and 18 issues- $13 Deadline for, display advertising,
“There ain’t no right way to do
make-up advertising is Friday for the following week. Deadline for electronic ads wrong,” said Marianna Castaneda, a
with prior contract reservation is 5:00 pm. each Monday. Classified, public and legal resident who opposes the plan, adding
notice deadline is 5:00 pm Monday for the following Thursday's edition. Letters in- that it’s not okay for a “well-scripted
tended for publication should be addressed to "Letter to the Editor," include the plan to be foisted on us.”
name, and telephone number (not published) of the sender. Editorials and comments
She called on the board to postpone
herein are not necessarily the expressions or views of the Denver Weekly News or the Nov.18 vote, consider one of the
its advertisers. One free issue per customer. Additional copies 25 cents. Back is-
sues 50 cents.
transformation alternatives presented,
and survey as many residents as can be
Denver Weekly News Thursday, November 11, 2010
in “winning the hearts and minds” of a
selected group of people to sing about
and sell other’s on the plan’s merits.
But it didn’t sell the way DPS and
A+Plus Denver had hoped.
“I come asking you to Stop the Mad-
ness,” wrote Marie Heaton, a 25-year
resident of Far Northeast Denver who
shared statement to the board with
DWN.
“I am speaking today as a taxpaying
citizen, one of many voters who have
been very generous to Denver Public
Schools in years gone by, in approving
mill levies and bond issues in times
when many Front Range districts have
been turned down by their constituents,
time after time,” she informed.
“I am not a person that is easily of-
Page 2
ning to raise money to finance a
possible legal challenge to DPS’s
adoption of the plan.
There are two more public meetings
about the DPS schools reform plan: On
Thursday, Nov. 11, Valentine’s Heart,
a non-profit civil organization, will host
an open forum from 6-8:30 p.m. in the
auditorium at Revolution Global
Academy, 4765 Oakland St., Denver
80239. On Friday, Nov. 12, several
school board members are expected to
attend a public meeting on DPS plans
convened by Amani Valentine and
other students at Montbello High
School during the fifth and sixth peri-
ods, from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. The
school is at 5000 Crown Blvd., Den-
ver.