This is exciting news:

Tom Boasberg, the chief operating officer for Denver Public Schools, was named the sole finalist for the position of superintendent by the school board Thursday night.

Boasberg is a great reformer and his appointment to replace another great reformer, Bennet, is a fantastic sign that we are finally at a point where we can grow the movement by promoting stars and backfilling.  A few years ago, a situation like this almost always resulted on one step forward (Bennet to Senate) and two steps back (a status quo-embracing replacement).  At Boasberg's press conference, he declared that education is the civil rights issue for our time and that we need to accelerate the reforms.  Hear, hear!

 

Here's the press release from DFER-Colorado about Boasberg:

Statement on Announcement of Tom Boasberg as Sole Finalist for Denver School Superintendent

Democrats for Education Reform-Colorado (DFER-Colorado) issued the following statement following news reports that the Denver Public School Board has announced that Tom Boasberg is the sole finalist for the Denver Public School's Superintendent position:

"Denver has attracted national attention for its innovative approach to reforming public education, and the district needs someone committed to building upon the reform momentum it has built over the past several years. Tom Boasberg is the right man for the job," said Colorado Senate President and DFER-Colorado advisor Peter Groff. "We are confident that, under Tom Boasberg's leadership, the district will continue to focus on student results while providing flexibility and support at the school level."

About Democrats for Education Reform: DFER supports Democratic candidates committed to progressive ideas like greater accountability for schools; adjustments in teacher licensing requirements; changes to teacher compensation to reward our best educators; and a renewed focus on early childhood education (in particular, linking early childhood education with charter schools, which usually do not include Pre-K).

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Tom Boasberg sole finalist for DPS superintendent

By Jeremy P. Meyer
The Denver Post

Posted: 01/08/2009 06:24:19 PM MST

Updated: 01/08/2009 06:44:02 PM MST

Tom Boasberg, the chief operating officer for Denver Public Schools, was named the sole finalist for the position of superintendent by the school board Thursday night.

Boasberg, 44, has been with the district since 2007, when he left the Broomfield-based Level 3 Communications where he was a senior executive for eight years.

He will replace outgoing superintendent Michael Bennet, who was appointed last week to the U.S. Senate by Gov. Bill Ritter.

Much like Bennet, Boasberg is a lawyer who grew up in Washington, D.C. and attended the prestigious private school, St. Albans School.

Boasberg at DPS has worked alongside Bennet to fix the district's financial woes, leading the district to a balanced budget without major cuts for the first time in a half-decade. And under Boasberg, the district saw Denver voters in November pass the largest bond election, $454 million, in the state's history.

Boasberg also headed up negotiations with the teachers' union over contract issues and worked a deal to restructure the district's pension debt.

He lives with his family in Denver.