October 14, 2011 11:27 PM UTC

Charter School Carson Get's Hancock's Nod

• 11 Comments
• by: Hito

In a less than thoughtful moment, Denver Mayor Michael “I’ve Never Met A Developer Whose Money I Wouldn’t Take” Hancock endorsed Jennifer Draper Carson, Bennet fundraiser and the school board candidate in Northwest Denver.  The announcement was made at the Colorado League of Charter Schools breakfast this morning.

Taking note of this endorsement will be the sizable Latino community that was less than happy about an advertisement in a Northwest Denver community newspaper.  The ad was run by a group calling itself Latinos for Education Reform and includes DPS board member Theresa Pena.  Many felt the ad was designed to split Latino votes during the election cycle by using half truths to misrepresent sitting board member Arturo Jimenez.

As a result of the ad, several promenent Latino leaders informed the mayor that it was their hope he would stay out of the race, especially if he wanted their support moving forward.  But Hancock did not relent to the pressure, being quoted by Twitter sensation RockyMtnShadow as saying, “I don’t give a #@$% – I beat them, I’m Mayor.”  

After the endorsement was made, Hancock was heard to say he was impressed by Carson’s track record of success.  And if you look at her LinkedIn resume, who wouldn’t want Carson as his or her representative?

Jennifer Draper Carson’s Experience

Candidate for Board of Education

Denver Public Schools

Primary/Secondary Education industry

Currently holds this position

Sales

Computer Associates, Inc

Privately Held; Information Technology and Services industry

1995 – 1997 (2 years)

Nothing screams “CAPABLE” quite like Carson’s last 5 years of holding a job, …er, well, sort of holding a job.

No doubt what really attracted Hancock to Carson, however, is her willingness to pimp charter schools all over Denver, whether anyone wants the school or not. Thus the timing of the endorsement of Carson — the Charter School breakfast.

Of course, everyone on the DPS reform side loves the fact that Carson is likely to be the next Nate Easley — just another puppet for whom Bennet and Boasberg pull the strings.  As we have all learned, being an independent thinker when governing Denver’s schools isn’t exactly prized among Colorado’s political elite, but especially in the mayor’s office.  

After conceptualizing Denver’s new Education Commission with Mary Seawell during his campaign, Hancock hired long-time Bennet athletic supporter, Theresa Pena.  Pena is well versed in holding Bennet’s sack of education reform seeds without asking too many questions, a trait for which Seawell is not well know.

No doubt, Hancock picked Pena over Seawell because Seawell sided with the DPS Board minority related to DPS’ derivatives gamble in 2008, which ultimately cost Denver around $100 million. Pena claimed she understood the transaction from the outset and supported her man. (For the latest on this, see today’s Denver Business Journal, which includes a letter from Andy Kalotay, a world recognized expert in the derivative swap markets.)

Will Carson be the same as Pena?  The two will probably be more or less the same, with the difference being, Pena is smart and crafty.  Carson is dim and unsophisticated.  (She apparently took a candidate to breakfast just before his interview for her elementary school’s principalship. Problem was, Carson was on the hiring committee.)

This is just the sort of bungling ineptitude that has plagued Denver’s school reform efforts, an ineptitude embodied by Board President Easley, who has screwed up everything from notifying the public of board meetings to showing up in photographs of pro voucher rallies in Douglas County.

So, with DPS failing to meet all but two of the Denver Plan’s objectives during the past 3 years, the team of Bennet and Boasberg will need another dim-witted board member to “Keep the Reform” in Denver.  

Owing just about everything to Bennet’s fundraising team, Hancock was happy to help out by giving his John signature endorsing Carson at the Charter Schools breakfast.