Chiefs for Change

With more students graduating on time than ever before and students outpacing the academic growth of their peers across the state, Denver Public Schools have been a shining example of what’s possible when adults set aside their differences and focus on kids. The union leadership’s decision to strike hurts kids and sets Denver apart for all the wrong reasons. It walks away from one of the most productive approaches, created jointly by teachers and leaders. This dispute is focused on opposition to incentives for teachers to work with Denver’s most struggling students in its most challenging schools. These incentives—and Denver’s overall approach to compensating teachers as the professionals they are—should be applauded, not used as a pretense for leaving families high and dry. We hope union leaders will meet Superintendent Susana Cordova in the spirit of productive compromise that she has consistently demonstrated.