How to Be Civically Engaged: Former Colorado Speaker of the House Crisanta Duran

In this episode of Elevate Education, we are thrilled to have Crisanta Duran, a trailblazer in public service and a passionate advocate for education and social justice. Join us as we dive into the critical topic of empowering communities through education and civic engagement. Crisanta shares her journey from growing up in Jefferson County to becoming the first Latina Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives. 

We explore education system challenges, how schools can foster greater civic participation and the importance of equitable opportunities for all students. Tune in for an inspiring conversation on leadership and advocacy.

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Episode Transcript

Unknown (00:00):
My name is Tara Pena. Welcome to Elevate Education. Welcome back to our Elevate Education listeners. Today, I'm honored to have a very special guest with us, Crisanta Duran. Crisanta is a trailblazer in community advocacy, having made history as the first Latina Speaker of the House of Representatives ever in our our country. Throughout her career, she's been a powerful voice for education, equity, and civic engagement, working tirelessly to ensure all communities have the resources and opportunities they need to thrive. I also can't forget to mention that Chrysantha is a proud Jeffco Arvada West High School alum. And that's actually the first time that I met you, Chrysantha. I don't know if you remember. But I want to share with our listeners that you and I actually have over a 30-year history. And so I was a Chatfield Charger. You were an Arvada West Wildcat. And we were in a college and career readiness scholarship program for Latino and Latina students. Goodness, well over 30 years ago. And so... have really fond memories of that experience with you and have really been watching you and championing you from near and far throughout the duration of your career. So really excited to be with you here today. Well, thank you so much. And I do remember that. And it's been wonderful to be able to see you through your career as well as such a great education leader. And I'm happy to join the podcast today. Thank you. So in today's episode, we're talking about equipping communities through education and civic participation. We'll explore the challenges and opportunities facing our education system, discuss how schools can foster greater civic engagement among students, and learn from Chrysantha's experience as a leader and advocate. So let's get to it. So welcome to the show, Chrysantha. Thank you so much for having me. Absolutely. We'd love for our listeners to hear a little bit about you and your background. we'd love to just learn a little bit about you today. Yeah, so I grew up in North Glen and Arvada. And in third grade, my family moved to Arvada. So I spent a lot of time in Jefferson County before I went to the University of Denver and then CU Boulder Law. And... I ended up running for office and getting more involved to try and make things better because I think a lot of the time that... Those very early days as a young person, I was just very much committed to ensuring that there are fair outcomes for people. And I think it was that basic premise and basic value that motivated me to get more involved. And the basic value of treating others the way that you want to be treated and treating others the way that you want people that you care about to be treated. And so I think with those very basic ideas, it motivated me to get involved to try and make things better for all. I think Jefferson County has changed in many ways from time that I grew up in Arvada. And I think a lot about some of the challenges and issues that our young people face today that many of us growing up also had to deal with. And so I think there's so much more that can be accomplished For our young people, we should always set the bar very high to ensure that our neighborhoods are safe, that they're healthy, and that they're economically secure. Thank you so much for your commitment to just ensuring that some of our most vulnerable communities have voice and visibility and, you know, watching your career transpire, knowing that you are a tremendous advocate and just really thank you for your service. Chrysantha, can you please share what inspired you to pursue a career in public service and advocacy? Yeah. when I decided to run for office when I was 29 years old, I was very frustrated, actually. I was working for a labor organization to represent grocery workers and meatpacking workers, some nurses and health care professionals. and was advocating for legislation so that there was a greater opportunity to build and strengthen the middle class in Colorado. And some of the legislation that we were advocating for never came to fruition. There was also legislation for undocumented students. to get in-state tuition that never came to fruition. And so I think I was frustrated and that there needed to be greater results when it comes to addressing affordability and economic security for families in Colorado. And we just thought that we needed to do a better job of ensuring that there are fair outcomes for people in our state. And so it was that frustration that motivated me to run. probably identifying great injustices that continue to exist that motivated me to knock on all those doors and make so many phone calls and going to where people were gathering to tell them I was running and why I was running and ask for their support is what motivated me as a young person at age 29. And Now at age 44, I have to say, I feel the same way. I think there are great injustices that continue to exist and I'm fired up to make a difference and to make change for the future. one thing that I really love about you as another Latina leader I've learned a lot just by watching you navigate within your career. And I'm just curious how your background has influenced your approach to advocacy in our communities. I think it's a great question. I go back to motivations. And I think for me, being a young person you know, I remember when so many conversations with family. You know, my father was a labor leader for many years in the state, Brazilian grocery workers and health care professionals and meatpacking workers, many from immigrant families. And my mom worked in housing her entire career to make sure the people who were homeless had a roof over their head, that people who were vulnerable were able to have the basic necessity of housing. And so a lot of our dinner room... conversations were about how do we make things better for people who get up every day, work hard and need to be able to provide for themselves and for their families? How do we make things better for people who are vulnerable and who don't have a support system or don't have basic necessities. And so I think it was that commitment to social justice that really motivated me to be able to try and make a difference and make necessary changes. to ensure that there are fair outcomes. I continue just to be motivated by the real life stories of people who deserve strong leadership in our state. and deserve to be able to be safe, to be healthy, and to be economically secure. And so that motivates me a lot also of where we are at and the snapshot of today in 2024 in Colorado and where things need to go for the future. Thank you so much. I think what I really appreciate and what resonates for me from what you shared is leadership comes with tremendous responsibility. And I think for me, that's, I think what motivates me, you know, I get asked that question often as well. And I think for me, knowing and understanding the responsibility but also the opportunity that I have to be now in a position to make certain that our communities, especially our underrepresented communities, have voice and visibility. And that if my role, if my experience can bring voice and perspective to help drive meaningful change, then I will lean into the fire any opportunity that I get. Also knowing that I have an entire community to support me as well. And so I'm just so grateful, like, you know, it's a really similar past. I'm so grateful for my Jeffco education. And, you know, I've said it often that it has changed the entire trajectory of my life. And so if I can share that and let students know, you know what, if I can do it, If I can break through these barriers with a lot of help and support from people that I, you know, my family, my school communities, you know, if I can do it, you can do it. And we're going to do this together. And so, you know, knowing that my experience can help inspire somebody else is really what motivates me to do this work every day. I think that's very powerful. And it's also important for our young people to know that they're not alone, right? That they have a support system and they have people who want to see them achieve their greatest potential. Yeah, absolutely. Thank you for sharing that. And thank you for uplifting your parents. I mean, our families are so instrumental in the lives and the experiences of our students. And we talk a lot here on the podcast about the importance of family engagement and the role that our families play in partnership with our educators to ensure that our students have everything that they need to thrive. And so shout out to your parents who really sounds like modeled the way and inspiring impact for you in your life. So thank you for sharing. I also, you know, thinking about your time here in Jeffco. I'm curious, you know, you talk about your parents, but were there any educators or educational experiences that really impacted you in a really positive way? I think so. I was grateful to be able to take AP courses in high school at Arvada West. And this was an issue when I was in New York that they were still striving to try and achieve to ensure that there were advanced placement courses. poor young people at more New York schools when I was working to advance equity and education there. And so I really appreciated the high quality education that I was able to receive in public schools I think we still have much more to achieve to ensure that students are on the right tracks and getting, you know, the highest quality educators that they can, that can prepare them for college if they're on that track. And so I was very grateful that there were different options and opportunities to get involved in the Arvada West community and to be able to have access to AP courses, which a lot of students across the country still don't have. So during your time as Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives, what key policies did you champion and how have you seen them impact students and communities? You know, it's amazing to me how quickly time flies by. I passed over the gavel in January of 2019. And it's been over five years since I passed that gavel over to Speaker Casey Becker at the time and Majority Leader Alec Garnett. And Like one of the things that I've really appreciated since that time is when you're elected in Colorado to the state house or state Senate, Each elected gets five bills and five hearings, which is a very different process than a lot of other states. In a lot of other states, there are bills that are filed, but they never get a hearing. They never get a debate. They never get consideration unless the top leadership signs off on enabling them to go forward. And so... I really appreciate the process in Colorado that if you get elected, you're going to get those five bills and you're going to get five hearings, which I think there's great power in. During the time that I served in the legislature, I worked on a variety of different pieces of legislation. But I think that there's a few issues that we were able to come up with solutions to. That stuck out in my mind, of course, working to address climate change and increasing the renewable energy standard, I think, was a meaningful step forward in Colorado. Also, to ensure that undocumented students were able to receive in-state tuition. You know, that bill came forward seven different times. And there were, unfortunately, both Republicans and Democrats who had hesitations about supporting undocumented students from getting in-state tuition. And was very thankful that we were able to finally get that done while I was there. And then I worked on a lot of different workforce development initiatives, just trying to bring people together to ensure that People who are ready and willing to work have the skills necessary to be able to provide for themselves and for their loved ones and I think there's a lot of tracks to be able to make good wages in the state. And we took some meaningful steps to be able to ensure Coloradans had more opportunities to be economically secure. And then the last one I would say is, you know, I carry legislation to invest in CSU and the CSU three building campus that is in Denver now. where there was an overhaul of the Western Stock Show. And some of the work that Three Building Campus is doing is really focusing on the global topics of food, water, and health, and was really thankful to be part of that effort. to be able to ensure those plans came to fruition. So, Chrysantha, how do you see the role of state governments in shaping the future of education, especially in addressing disparities and ensuring equitable access to resources? Of course, funding is important, but I think we're at a crossroads where we have to be thinking about how can we ensure that when, for example, students are taking on significant debt issues, to be able to gain access to higher education? How do we make sure that at the end of that pathway that they have good paying job, that they can pay back debt, they could buy a home, that they could provide for themselves and for their loved ones? I think we need to continue to Think about how our economy changes and grows. How do we ensure that the skills that one is receiving is are those where they can be economically secure. And I think we just still have a lot of work to do on that front. I think there's been a lot of progress, but I do think that there's more that can and should be accomplished. Yeah, no, I absolutely agree. And, you know, and this is, I think, one of those topics that really crosses the boundaries of the political divide. I have the opportunity in my role to spend a lot of time with families and community partners who all just want to ensure that our children and our students have access to equitable opportunities. and to ensure that our students have what they need to access their education and take that experience on to go and serve in our country, in our communities, really in our global society. And there are barriers that impact that for students. And I know that funding is something that we do talk a lot about in public education and really do encourage our family and our communities, even though those that have children in schools and not, that those are issues that they're paying really, you know, close attention to because, you know, the quality of our schools and the education that we provide does have direct impact on the quality of our communities as well. And when we're working together to ensure that our students have what they need and our entire community benefits. And so I really just appreciate you uplifting that. And so from your perspective, I'd really love to hear about how we as educators and our schools can encourage students to become more civically engaged And why is that important? Why do we want students being thinking about how to be advocates in their community or if they have interest in running for office? Why is this important for them, both for their personal development, but also for our broader society and communities as a whole? Yeah, I think it's such a great question because I think many times, unfortunately, there can be a culture whereby people feel as though They have to harm others to be able to succeed or even to survive. And I think the glamorization of harm can come in many different forms, and we have to be very, very much aware of it. to try and build a better and broader vision for young people and all involved to work collectively together towards common good and goals for our neighborhoods. And I think one of the ways to be able to do that, you know, I think Growing up, I had a real strong foundation of a commitment to social justice. But for many young people, they may not have that. They may not. be thinking about how the actions of themselves can impact everybody in the neighborhood or a community when it comes to safety or good health or affordability. so many of the issues that many Coloradans face on a daily basis. And so I think one of the ways to get young people more civically engaged is I think we have to identify severe roots of harm in young people's lives. And how do we work from harms that exist in cultures, in communities? to be able to work from that point to make things better. That could be very individual. It could be very personal for people. It could be broad. I mean, it could be The air pollution. Right. Well, you need to do a better job of making sure that the air that our young people and communities breathe is healthy or it could be very, very, very specific. But I think defining harms that exist. about how their actions impact others and impact each other from being able to achieve greater results for all. Thank you. That is such a great answer. And I think I always say that kids can't be what they cannot see. And so having civic leaders like you, where, you know, I can even tell my own daughters, did you know, Chris, that that went to your alma mater. and, you know, just helping our students see the impact of a quality. public education and the doors that it opens and the access that it provides. So Chrysantha, what do you see as the biggest challenges or some of the biggest challenges facing public education today? And how can schools and communities work together to overcome these challenges? I have thought about this a lot. And I think that one of the greatest challenges that still exists is really ensuring people understand how trauma affects impacts young people's lives and adult lives, too. I think we need more specialists who understand trauma, how it can impact a person's actions, how one thinks, one's ability to be able to heal from traumatic experiences. And I think of our public schools, I still just think that there's so much more to understand when it comes to trauma and how it impacts people's lives. And even as a young person, you could have a parent that has severe trauma for one reason or another and not fully understand how that may impact him or her. And so I think we need a greater awareness of it, but then also figuring out what are the pathways if somebody has experienced something very traumatic, how to be able to recover from that. And we need a healthcare professional that have very high ethical standards, that truly understand how to be able to ensure Patients get the help that they need in a safe place. And I think that there's a variety of different options that people can choose. take to be able to ensure that they can recover from terrible things that can happen in one person's life. and really be able to heal. And how do we collectively work towards goals that we want to see be achieved for all? Yeah, absolutely. Thank you for sharing that. I love that. as I think about your career and just, you know, really curious about what's next for you, you know, you have had a remarkable career. And so first I want to say congratulations on all of your success. As a fellow classmate and somebody who has watched you navigate your role and with a lot of grace and tremendous success, I first and foremost want to say congratulations. But your career has been so impressive. I want to say this because it is so important. You know, you were the first and only Latina elected Speaker of the House in state history. And also, I think this is just a really fun fact to uplift that in 2014, the Washington Post named you to its 40 under 40 list of rising political stars. Like, that's amazing. And so I just, you know, I'm thinking about what's next for you. What do you have on the horizon for you in your future? I think when I first got involved in politics or even just simply to try and make things better as an advocate, It was all motivated by getting fair outcomes and results for the people of our state. And my greatest achievements and things that I'm most proud of are those solutions that delivered real results to the people of Colorado. And that is what continues to motivate me We can't have a disconnect between government and the decisions that are made and the issues that impact people every day and the solutions that people deserve to ensure that that their neighborhoods are safe and healthy and economically secure. And I think we're still striving to ensure that there are basic results when it comes to those topics. And so I am grateful to have been able to learn so much and be on this learning journey. I think we're all on the learning journey in life. And to me, I think what continues to motivate me is ensuring that there are important solutions that come to fruition. And that we don't ever lose sight of the day-to-day challenges that people face in our state every day and across the country. Because there are a lot of common stories across the country of where we need greater leadership. Thank you so much, Chrysantha. for joining us today and for sharing your experiences and wisdom. Your dedication to empowering communities of all ages and spaces is truly inspiring. So just wish you lots of luck and success. in your future. thank you so much. It's so good to reconnect with you and so thankful for all that you've accomplished and achieved and look forward to seeing you accomplish and achieve a lot more. Thank you so much for joining us today. Thank you for listening. If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to subscribe, rate us, and share with others who might be interested. Do you have questions about this episode or a suggestion for a future podcast topic? Share with us by visiting the sharing form in the podcast description. This is a production of JEPCO Public Schools, Colorado.