GUEST OPINION: Pony up and fire DPS’ Marrero — for the kids’ sake 90%
By Steve Schuck100%
8/7/2026, 4:00:00 AM
BS Summary: This article contains 28 faulty reasoning types, including Biased Writer Voice, Appeal to Emotion, and Appeal to Authority, with Negativity Bias as the most egregious example at 51.4% saturation with 361 hits. Analysis detected 1,958 faulty-reasoning hits from 702 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 76.8% and a BS Rank of 90% (3,153 of 30,584 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 89.70% of the article peer group.
Let’s first set the table.
In 2021, only five years ago, about six out of 10 Denver Public Schools students could not read and write, while seven out of 10 could not do math at grade level.
Very tragically and alarmingly, Brown, Black, and low-income students did even worse.
If the DPS Board of Education’s reaction to such horrible results demonstrated a sense of urgency, of crisis, of emergency, and wanted to turn things around, why would it hire an unproven, unqualified superintendent who had never been even remotely involved with a successful turnaround administration?
When their primary focus, their driving objective, should have been to bring Denver a proven champion of transformation, a true leader — they delivered Alex Marrero.
Fast forward to 2025, four years after Marrero’s hiring.
No surprise.
Precious little, if any, improvement.
If you couldn’t hire a transformer, why would anyone expect transformation?
So, what was the response from the then-members of the DPS Board of Education?
They voluntarily waived the previously agreed-upon performance requirements for a bonus, spent over $100,000 for an executive coach for someone being paid $400,000 plus benefits, and gave him a golden parachute.
DPS takes great care of its adults — not so much of its kids.
When failure is rewarded, is there any reason to expect anything other than more failure?
In the dance of the lemmings (lemons might be more appropriate), Superintendent Marrero was interviewed for superintendent openings by Chicago and Miami.
Fortunately for them, but sadly for Denver’s kids, he was rejected and remains here.
How much are the futures of Denver kids worth?
Certainly, many, many multiples of the few hundred thousand dollars required to buy out his contract and send Marrero packing — that is, if the current board cannot find a way to terminate him for cause.
Is it not worth it for DPS to spend less than $10 per student to save their lives while strengthening the Denver community?
DPS board members, do the right thing.
Yes, you were dealt a bad hand by your predecessors, but it is time to be change agents, replacing failure and despair with competence and hope.
Hiring the right superintendent is essential, but insufficient.
The transformation of DPS will require the joint efforts of community leaders and district leadership to change a culture that accepts mediocrity or worse, to one that demands excellence and accountability.
Expect resistance from entrenched self-interests, but have the courage and commitment to apply common sense.
Reward success and penalize failure.
A few weeks ago, the nonpartisan Common Sense Institute reported that DPS increased its number of administrators to 571, more than the next 10 largest districts combined, despite serving 25% fewer students.
Are more bureaucrats, more bean counters, going to improve student achievement?
The salaries of just two or three of them would more than cover the cost of replacing their boss with someone who will actually improve classroom results.
What to do?
Get engaged.
Demand better!
And for certain, do not buy the tired, old, self-serving bromide coming from the “blob” — that all it needs is more time, more money.
DPS has already received more than enough of both.
Neither improves a failing system.
That takes real LEADERSHIP!
Leadership from the business community, from the civic community, and especially from the activist organizations representing the families whose kids’ futures are on the line.
Empower parents, and support them with resources to become soldiers in the army fighting for the best possible education for their kids.
Make DPS do whatever is necessary to raise its game.
Force it to prove to parents that it deserves the privilege of educating their children.
Force it to prove that it is taking measurable steps to improve student learning, dramatically and quickly, and hold it accountable.
Best of intentions may make one feel good, but only the best of results will actually do good!
First priority – kids and parents!
Systems and their employees come second.
Steve Schuck is a Colorado Springs businessman and civic leader, a longtime advocate for educational choice, and the co-founder of Parents Challenge with his late wife Joyce Schuck.
Speakers
Loading…
Loading…
Loading…
Loading…
Analysis
Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.