Caron Blanke, a Denver Public Schools mother with a rich background in early childhood education, is seeking to represent District 3 on the school board.
Her candidacy comes as current board President Carrie Olson is unable to run again due to term limits.
Blanke, 50, will face at least two opponents, including at-large board member Scott Esserman, who is also running for reelection in District 3.
Blanke, a mother of three, has strong ties to Denver Public Schools, with her two older children graduates of the Denver School of the Arts and her youngest set to enter ninth grade in the fall.
She has expressed a strong desire to advocate for schools that are “equitable, inclusive, and responsive to the unique needs each of them have.”
“I’m not afraid to be courageous and boldly advocate for change,” Blanke stated.
The upcoming election, scheduled for November 4, is particularly significant as it coincides with a time of rapid transformation within the district.
DPS has experienced declining enrollment, resulting in more than a dozen school closures in the last two years.
Additionally, new policies for underperforming schools could lead to more closures in the future.
While the district’s overall graduation rate has seen improvements, various students continue to grapple with learning loss resulting from the pandemic.
DPS has also found itself at the center of national controversy over issues like all-gender restrooms and its support for immigrant students.
Recently, the board ordered an investigation into one of its members due to allegations of racial discrimination.
Blanke has substantial experience in education, having spent 15 years as the chief program officer at the Jewish Community Center in Denver, where she managed the early childhood center and camps for school-aged children.
For the past eight years, she has worked as an independent consultant, collaborating with early childhood educators, school directors, and boards.
Her involvement also extends to volunteering on the collaborative school committee at the Denver School of the Arts and serving on the board of the Hebrew Educational Alliance synagogue in southeast Denver.
Prior to their enrollment at Colorado’s public schools, all three of Blanke’s children attended the private Denver Jewish Day School.
If elected, her primary goal would be to establish a healthy governance structure for the Denver school board, ensuring rigorous oversight of the superintendent.
“In my view, it’s the board that should influence the superintendent, not the other way around,” Blanke remarked.
She aims to adhere to the objective criteria used by previous boards to monitor Superintendent Alex Marrero’s progress against his established goals.
“It’s less about my personal opinions of the superintendent and more about how I will consistently monitor his performance relative to these outcomes,” she explained.
Forecasts indicate an 8% enrollment decline in DPS by 2029, leading the current board to halt further enrollment-based closures after several schools shuttered this spring.
Blanke expressed caution regarding her voting stance on potential future closures, stating, “Did anyone predict a global pandemic? Or the economy crashing in 2008? Or social media overtaking our children’s minds?”
She emphasized the complexity of such decisions, highlighting the need for collaborative discussions with the community.
“Families in DPS are feeling unheard and disvalued, which is unacceptable.
We can’t leave neighborhoods without school options,” she emphasized.
Blanke made it clear that she has no immediate plans to close schools, highlighting the intricate nature of the decision-making process involved.
Another significant focus for Blanke’s campaign would be to foster trust between DPS and the families it serves, which starts with the board developing a shared vision and ensuring that its policies are aligned.
“It’s vital to adopt a 10,000-foot view of our school district, recognizing that each part of the system affects the others,” Blanke noted.
Blanke expressed her support for school choice, arguing that the discussion regarding traditional district-run schools versus independent charter schools should no longer be divisive.
She believes that effective education must be tailored to each student’s individual needs, asserting that “school choice is essential in serving students.”
With these priorities, Caron Blanke seeks to reshape the landscape of the Denver Public Schools by fostering community collaboration and advocating for systemic changes.
image source from：denverite
