Michael Bennet Planning Next Move Already?

Building his campaig

Building his campaign team with Kendall and Haynes? Are you serious?  If this is Bennett's grand scheme to get out of the starting blocks and into a competitive 2008 U.S. Senate bid then stick a fork him now because he's done. 

I definitely wouldn't be touting either Kendall or Haynes as accomplished federal-level campaign veterans.  If you remember right, Ken Toltz's campaign TANKED.  Mind you, Kendall runs a fairly decent fundraising operation at the LOCAL level but a U.S. Senate race?  She severely lacks the DC connections crucial to building the necessary alliances to get Bennett's race off of the ground.

Sorry, but I'm starting to have Brad Freedberg flashbacks here...

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by: Bill Lumbergh @ Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 05:00:00 AM UTC

Be fair, Bill. Ken

Be fair, Bill.  Ken Toltz ran a respectable race for a district about 2-1 Republican.  A dead dog would win that district with an R behind his name and any moneybags looking at those numbers will make contributions to a race where he has a chance to win. I think it would be foolish for Bennett to run for the Senate in 08, but wouldn't cite Kendall or Haynes as drawbacks.

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by: Voyageur @ Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 05:00:00 AM UTC

This may be the dumb

This may be the dumbest analysis by Colorado Pols.  Ever.  Many D activists remember back in '00 when Kendall almost single handedly destroyed the Coordinated Campaign.
And Happy Haynes?  I got nothin'...

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by: Its Jeff @ Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 05:00:00 AM UTC

We didn't say that B

We didn't say that Bennet's hirings were good or bad from a political perspective. The point is that he is obviously putting together a politically-minded staff, rather than an education-minded staff. The only reason to do that is if you have your eye on another political job.

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by: Colorado Pols @ Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 05:00:00 AM UTC

You guys are too muc

You guys are too much!  First, didn't Kendall work for the DCCC in 2002?  Methinks she has plenty of DC connections, Mr. Lumbergh...  Second, aren't you ignoring the hire of a first-rate educator as chief academic officer?  Chiefs of Staff and Community Liaisons - the posts that Kendall and Haynes fill - require unique skill sets and experiences that both possess in spades.  Neither will be teaching in the classroom, folks.  Get over it...  It's this kind of parochial in-the-box thinking that leaves bureaucracies like governments and school districts in stagnation.

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by: Get Over It @ Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 05:00:00 AM UTC

But when has DPS eve

But when has DPS ever been about educating kids?  It is a political culture, not an educational one. Kids learn that achievement does not mean anything; that you can only advance based on who you know or who your parents are.  Witness the selection of Bennet to be Superindentent.  Bennet is in his element.  The kids only are important to DPS on October 1st and that is for the head count which means $6500 apiece to the District.

Kennedy, 1960: "If there were ever a conflict between my conscience and my oath of office, I would resign my office."  Santorum, 2012: "I voted against my conscience because sometimes you have to take one for the team."

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by: dwyer @ Wed Sep 07, 2005 at 05:00:00 AM UTC

Bennet is doing at D

Bennet is doing at DPS exactly what Hickenlooper did at the Mayor's office -- hire an extremely high level staff capable of taking things to the next level.  Kendall, Haynes, Aquino are all miles above what has previously been at DPS.  This isn't about Bennet running for Senate, this is about Bennet putting together a team that can hopefully make some serious improvements at DPS. 

One of Hick's greatest successes was pulling together a great team of people -- Bennet, Kendall, Lent, Cole, Huggins, etc.  For the sake of our public schools, we should all be glad Bennet is doing the same at DPS.

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by: skibum @ Thu Sep 08, 2005 at 05:00:00 AM UTC

Dwyer, as the father

Dwyer, as the father of two sucsessful DPS graduates, I can testify that your rant is total hogwash.  If they are as stupid as you say, why are they both now in elite graduate schools?

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by: Voyageur @ Thu Sep 08, 2005 at 05:00:00 AM UTC

Colorado Pols does d

Colorado Pols does deserve to be chastised.
Ms. Hughes did work briefly as a teacher's aid and less than a year as a teacher. That certainly qualifies her to be paid a large salary and set education policy. DPS is so inundated with administrators that Ms. Hughes is actually a breath of fresh air.
Bottom line Senator Want to Be Michael Bennett, raise those CSAP scores or you're back with Anschutz. Great call to take on a tough job. But, if those CSAP scores do not go up all this blather about a principal's academy and other jargon does you no good. 2008 is right around the corner so you'd better start hopping. Best thing about CSAP is that not only do they keep school accountable they keep Senatorial aspirants accountable as well. If, the scores go up let the annointment begin.

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by: timefortherussian @ Thu Sep 08, 2005 at 05:00:00 AM UTC

Okay, Scoop, here's

Okay, Scoop, here's the facts:

Prior to working in politics, Hughes started her career pursuing a field in education. While taking graduate courses at the University of Illinois at Chicago in education and history, Hughes worked in School District 15 as an elementary school teacher's aide. She also directed and taught a summer school computer-based math program for bilingual students from kindergarten through sixth grade. Later, Hughes taught at St. Jerome School on Chicago's south side.

St. Jerome is a CATHOLIC school.

Upon arriving in Denver, Hughes also served as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the Denver-based New Schools Development Corp, where she worked with David Greenberg in the early planning and development stages of what is now Denver's School of Science and Technology.

Relevant educational experience is something like being a school administrator or a school principal, or even having taught in public schools for many years. Being the COO of the New Schools Development Corp. isn't the big job you make it out to be.

Look, in no way were we saying that Kendall is a bad appointment, but if you were making the appointment because of educational purposes you would hire someone with a strong background in education. Kendall was not hired because of her education background; she was hired because of her political background. That's an important distinction and the only point we were trying to make here.

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by: Colorado Pols @ Thu Sep 08, 2005 at 05:00:00 AM UTC

The focus on CSAP is

The focus on CSAP is bogus.  It forces teachers who wish to remain employed to disregard true education and simply teach the test.  CSAP benefits no one outside of the political arena.

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by: CSAP shmeeshap @ Thu Sep 08, 2005 at 05:00:00 AM UTC

Voyageur, learn to

Voyageur,  learn to read and comprehend what is written.  Go back and read what I wrote.  I never said DPS students were stupid. How would you read that into what I wrote?  Are you a DPS graduate?
I said it was a political culture and kids do not advance on their own achievement; but, rather on whom they know or whom their parents know.  What schools did your kids go to?  What "special programs" did they get "chosen for?"


Kennedy, 1960: "If there were ever a conflict between my conscience and my oath of office, I would resign my office."  Santorum, 2012: "I voted against my conscience because sometimes you have to take one for the team."

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by: dwyer @ Fri Sep 09, 2005 at 05:00:00 AM UTC