The Denver Public Schools (DPS) Board of Education has selected Susana Cordova, a member of the Chiefs for Change Future Chiefs program, as the district’s sole finalist to be the next superintendent. Cordova currently serves as deputy superintendent in DPS and is a lifelong resident of the community.
“Susana Cordova has a strong track record, a bold vision, and a deep commitment to equity and civil rights,” Chiefs for Change CEO Mike Magee said. “As superintendent, she will engage the community and work with families to ensure that Denver’s schools meet the needs of all children and provide an excellent education. Susana’s own experience growing up in Denver informs her work in ways that will be powerful for Denver students.”
Cordova began her career as a bilingual education teacher and has more than 20 years of experience serving as a teacher, principal, and district administrator. She is a member of the second cohort of the Chiefs for Change Future Chiefs program. Chiefs for Change, a bipartisan network of state and district education chiefs, created the Future Chiefs program to develop the next generation of education leaders. The program is designed to address the lack of practical preparation for the complex job of leading state and large urban school systems. It also aims to diversify a field that remains disproportionately white and male despite the fact that most teachers are women and the majority of today’s public school students are children of color. Through the Future Chiefs program, Chiefs for Change identifies some of the most talented, diverse emerging leaders, integrates them into a community with current chiefs, and gives them a set of experiences, placement supports, and preparation that will enable school systems to choose skilled, ready leaders.
To hear Cordova explain what will be important to her as superintendent, please watch this video—and to learn more about the Future Chiefs program, please see this piece.
