Meet Your New DPS Board Member

Rachele Espiritu Sworn In As District 4 Representative

By Lynn Kalinauskas

Rachele Espiritu was sworn in as the new Denver Public Schools Board member representing District 4 on May 12. She replaces Landri Taylor, who resigned in February to spend more time with his family.

Espiritu was selected after the board’s first choice, MiDian Holmes, withdrew after past convictions of child abuse and inaccurate claims of a college degree came to public view. (For the complete chain of events, see “Comedy of Errors,” in last month’s Greater Park Hill News, at greaterparkhill.org).

This month, Espiritu responded via email to several questions regarding her new position representing the district that includes much of Park Hill, the Cole neighborhood, Stapleton and the far northeast area of Denver. Below are her answers. She declined to address questions related to her positions on vouchers, enrollment zones and education reform, saying she needs more time to research those issues.

Greater Park Hill News: Why did you apply to be on the school board? What are you most passionate about when it comes to Denver’s schools?

Espiritu: I care about the success of all Denver children. Outside of the home, most young people spend the majority of their time in our most treasured institutions: our public elementary, middle, and high schools. Having received my education from amazing public institutions from elementary to graduate school and with two children currently attending Denver Public Schools, I am invested in the success of our public education institutions. The district and Denver’s schools are making great gains and are driving change in outcomes for children.

GPHN: What are your top-three priorities when it comes to students, teachers and schools in Denver?

Espiritu: As a parent of DPS students, I appreciated the opportunity to choose great schools for my children in my neighborhood. We all want our children to have the best possible experiences and opportunities in school. I believe that each and every child has the potential to succeed. It is our collective responsibility to challenge each child, with supports, with the best education possible. As such, my top-three priorities include the following:

• Ensure high performing schools for all Denver families in their own neighborhoods

• Celebrate our diversity and foster equity in schools and our community for all students

• Support settings that focus on the whole child

GPHN:  What are your thoughts on mandated high-stakes testing?

Espiritu: I believe in holding all students to high academic standards. When we do not hold students to high standards, we run the risk of students not being challenged to fulfill their potential. Meaningful standards allow every student, parent, caregiver, teacher, and school leader to have common expectations of what students should be able to accomplish. Measuring students’ success also allows us to ensure equal outcomes, equal access, and equal opportunities for all students.

GPHN: As a board member, how will you get to know Park Hill’s schools and its residents? What will you do to ensure that Park Hill schools are well served by DPS?

Espiritu: As the representative of one of the largest and most diverse regions in Denver Public Schools, I am eager to get to know all of the neighborhoods in District 4. I will visit Park Hill’s schools to see students in their environments, understand their context, and see educators and leaders in action. I will engage with the community – with students, family members, and caregivers; school personnel and leaders; and community members – and attend community-sponsored events to ensure that I hear the voices of the community. I invite community members to reach out to me and share their thoughts. My role would be to listen for themes in the community and work to ensure that these themes inform our district decisions.

GPHN: How do you think you will stand out on the board of education, which is perceived to be ideologically, uniformly aligned?

Espiritu: As the policy-making body, the board of education makes important decisions that should be done in the best interest of our children. Each board member brings diverse opinions, interests, and experiences. We also represent a diverse body of constituents. I believe our collective role is to:

• Recognize diverse opinions

• Ask challenging questions and listen

• Identify patterns and themes

• Keep an eye on the big picture; and

• Address the complex and adaptive challenges of our public school system through policy and accountability.

GPHN: Looking toward the future (5-10 years from now), how would you like to see DPS change and how can you contribute to those changes?

Espiritu: I am excited about the work that the district and community members have done to articulate a clear vision that is supported by shared core values and beliefs. The vision, Every Child Succeeds, is the North Star that guides our current and future work. Our Denver schools have made great strides. The Denver 2020 Plan (and its next iteration), serves as our foundation, guides our decision-making, and keeps us accountable to the students and our communities. As a board member, I commit to listening to the voices of our communities, identifying themes and potential solutions, representing the best interests of our students, and making decisions that contribute to DPS’s continued growth and success.

Lynn Kalinauskas is chair of the Education Committee for the Greater Park Hill Community, Inc. Board of Governors.

The Fine Print

A Brief Bio of Rachele Espiritu

Rachele C. Espiritu, PhD, is a Founding Partner of Change Matrix, LLC, a minority- and women-owned designated small business that motivates, manages, and measures change to support systems that improve lives. As a skilled facilitator, trainer, and evaluator, she has supported federal, state, and community representatives to build capacity for children’s behavioral health care services and collaborating systems.

She currently serves as the project director for the National Network to Eliminate Disparities (NNED) in Behavioral Health, a national network of diverse racial, ethnic, cultural and sexual minority communities and organizations to promote policies, practices, standards, and research to eliminate behavioral health disparities.

Espiritu is active in her children’s schools and in the community. She was appointed to serve as a commissioner on the Asian American Pacific Islander Commission by Mayor Michael Hancock in 2015.

Espiritu received her B.A. in psychology from the University of California at San Diego and her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She lives in northeast Denver with her husband, Dr. Alexander Vo. Their son, Andrew, attends DSST Stapleton Middle School. Another son, Jeremy, attends Bill Roberts K-8 School.