11 06 25 DPS School Board District 3 Dr DJ Torres on winning yesterday's election

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ginagondek and David Kale here on Colorado's Morning News. Will
be transparent right now and say, if a newly elected
Denver Public School Board member Dj Torres is listening to
this right now, you can call us back. I think
he tried to call earlier, and we're hoping to get
him on to talk a little bit about his win
for District three and look just like magic.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
I love that well.

Speaker 1 (00:20):
It was a clean sweep for the Denver Classroom Teachers Association,
as the union backed candidates for Denver Public School Board
won all four races in Tuesday nights election.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Incumbents soci Guyton re elected in District two, while two
other incumbents not backed by the teachers Union were defeated
by Dj Torres and Monica Hunter. Amy Klein Mok also
won the at large seat. Joining us on the Kowa
Common Spirit Health Hotline, doctor DJ Torres newly elected Denver
Public School Board member for District three. Thank you, doctor

(00:51):
for joining us. For those who don't know you, tell
us about your experience that makes you qualified for this
new stint on the school board.

Speaker 3 (01:00):
Sure, good morning, Thank you for having me. I have
a long and very extensive career with DPS, I started
out as a high school special educator. I moved on
to the central office and then I also ran equity
education for the city at large. I also have for
the last few years worked in school safety and violence
prevention for a national organization all focused on improving school

(01:24):
outcomes for young people to feel safer and more connected
to their school communities.

Speaker 1 (01:29):
Doctor Torres, you mentioned that you taught special education that
was at Mount Below High School before it closed for
low test scores, so it has since reopened. But looking
at that and going forward now as a member of
the school board, do you agree with schools closing or
consolidating for low test scores and or low enrollment.

Speaker 3 (01:49):
I don't. I believe that school's a school closure really
is a detriment to the whole community. And you know,
I've been able to talk with folks across the city
and realize that there's a lot of community harm that
happens in closures, and so I think, you know, my goal,
in everyone's goal, I believe, should be to focus on
every single excuse me, intervention possible that we can put

(02:09):
into place before school closes. So yeah, I mean, there
are so many factors that contribute to why a school
has low test scores. My son's school, for example, has
a huge influx of migrants from across the world, and
you know, for that to be reflected only in test
scores shows not even half the story.

Speaker 2 (02:26):
If we took general school board priorities as obviously the
quality of education, but also you can have to be
working on new facilities and upkeep of existing facilities, and
then it's always talked about protecting and advancing teachers compensation
and benefits. Do you have a sense of where those
priorities rank with regard to Denver.

Speaker 3 (02:49):
Yeah, you know, I think we heard loud and clear,
especially from the folks who are supported by the Denver
Teachers Union, myself being one of them, that you know,
centering the teacher experience really has to be a high
priority for not just DPS, but for the city, the
greater city, and so I think that feels really top
priority for folks. When I was out there knocking doors

(03:10):
and talking to the public, that was a seemingly repetitious
number one concern. How are you going to look out
for teachers? How are you going to make sure that
the teacher experience, the teacher day is something that broader
Denver values. Making sure that teachers get paid well, but
also have you know, a time in their classroom that
feels fruitful, that feels very education forward, that folks, that

(03:32):
educators are able to focus on, you know, the priorities
at hand, which is teaching our young people that they're
able to reduce those outside barriers. You know, things like
you know, making sure that our young people are arriving
to school fed or have the opportunity to eat once
they get there. You know, when you can reduce all
of these external barriers that are contributing to how young
people show up and you can focus all of your

(03:53):
resources on the education process of the teacher's day, that
will improve outcomes not only for our educators and for
longevity of career, but also for our young people. Making
sure that they feel that not only is their school
a welcoming environment, but they're there to be challenged, They're
there to learn and have a successful day throughout.

Speaker 1 (04:10):
Their school day, Doctor Torres, if you had to choose
one issue as a father of a DPS student like
you mentioned, what would you change right out the get
go from the perspective of a parent.

Speaker 3 (04:22):
Yeah, beautiful question. I think for my son, something I
think about every day, and you know, I had folks
come to me in literal tiers crying about what is
the safety process and what are the safety procedures that
every DPS school should have in place? That creates a
bit of a baseline for DPS. I think for me
that feels like top priority. I know that there are
safety procedures and safety plans in place and are continuing

(04:44):
to grow from the Central Office. I think making sure
that every single school has a really clear priority for
safety is a number one concern. Again, having a background
in school safety, I think it's you know, we look
at the one side of obviously the harm and terrible
experience of school shootings and school based violence, and there
are many many steps to take and put in place

(05:06):
before an event such as that occurs, and I look
forward to focusing on the prevention side, making sure that
those schools have every good preventative measure put in place
as we get you know, as we get rolling in
this new school board.

Speaker 2 (05:18):
Doctor Torres, where do you perceive the balance lies between
the responsibility of a school board and the responsibility of
parents in the success of students.

Speaker 3 (05:30):
I think it's you know, in my mind, thinking of
it as a balance sort of implies that on one
side as one group and on the other side is another.
And I don't want to think of it like that.
I want to think of us as actively working together
so that the school board is constantly informed in a
constant feedback loop process with family and community, and so
that way, there is no decision that a school member,

(05:53):
a school board member makes that exist outside of deep
conversation and deep relationship with family and community from across
the So I look forward to building those processes for
myself and District three, and encouraging my colleagues across the
city to have those same processes, because ultimately we are
this is a very local form of representative government, and

(06:13):
so we need to constantly be representing the voice of
the folks who got us into office.

Speaker 1 (06:18):
Doctor DJ Torres, newly elected Denver Public School Board member
for District three. Doctor Torre's congratulations and looking forward to
chatting with you in the future.

Speaker 3 (06:27):
I look forward to it as well. Thank you for
having me. Good morning,