Sep 25, 2009 6:25 am US/Mountain
Superintendent Boasberg Looks Toward Future Of DPS
Written by Brooke Wagner
DENVER (CBS4) ―
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Denver Public Schools Superintendent Tom Boasberg teaches a class at Lincoln High School.
CBS
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Breakfast With Brooke is a weekly interview series with CBS4 Morning News anchor Brooke Wagner that airs on Friday mornings on CBS4. Read about or watch more reports in the Breakfast With Brooke section.
Superintendent Tom Boasberg makes two things very clear. First, he is passionate about education. Second, the status quo in Denver Public Schools is not acceptable.
"We've made tremendous progress over the past several years, having several thousands more students proficient than several years ago, the highest enrollment in 30 years...but we're not where we need to be. We have far too few students graduating prepared for college," said Boasberg.
As the new school year begins, Boasberg is optimistic. He recently stepped in to teach an advanced placement history class at Lincoln High School.
"They've tripled the number of students graduating from Lincoln," said Boasberg, "This was a school, three or four years ago, that had a mixed reputation, that is now bursting at the seams. Bursting at the seams with students, bursting at the seams with hope. You see results in those schools where kids are totally beating the odds."
Reform is very important to Boasberg. Change is part of what drives him. The Yale and Stanford educated Boasberg taught English in Hong Kong, where he also worked for the leader of the top political party and played semi-pro basketball. He later joined the private sector in telecommunications.
In 2007 he traded world politics for the politics of public schools and joined DPS as the chief operating officer under Michael Bennet, who was appointed to the U.S. Senate early this year. Boasberg then took over the top DPS post and committed to 5 years as superintendent. His goal is to achieve 80 percent graduation by the end of that term.
"A tall order, but one we absolutely have to succeed on if we're going to succeed as a city," said Boasberg. "I think when you look at the status quo, it's hard to say 'This is great, the status quo's really working,' because it's not. It's not working."
Boasberg cited a high dropout rate and student achievement gaps. Good teaching, Boasberg believes, is the key to chipping away at those hurdles.
"The research is abundantly clear that it's great teaching that can really close the gap that we see -- that can give our students the chance. So my focus is on retaining and rewarding great teachers," said Boasberg.
The district recently started programs called Denver Fellows and the Denver Teaching Residency, to encourage professionals to join the teaching force. In the residency program, professionals commit five years to the district in exchange for an advanced degree.
The district is also saving money in these tough economic times with "co-locations" in which schools share their campuses with another school.
"It allows us to utilize our resources, it gives the families in that neighborhood an additional choice," said Boasberg. "It allows our schools to be the right size for the buildings, instead of letting the building dictate what size the school should be. We need, especially in these tough budget times, to spend all of those dollars in the classroom, not on unutilized space."
Boasberg said that in this economy the district does face "painful choices," but the stimulus plan has been a big help in funding high poverty schools and programs for special needs students.
One program that has actually expanded during the recession is full-day preschool. Boasberg believes a solid foundation for DPS students is crucial, and many more 4-year-olds are now attending. As they grow, those students are creating an influx in enrollment. That's one reason Boasberg does not expect more schools to close.
"We went through the very painful process two years ago of closing eight schools, but I think now, when you look at the enrollment, when you look at the growth in kindergarten, I don't see us closing any more school buildings," said Boasberg.
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