The Daily Churn: Monday

What’s churning:

The Denver Business Journal ran a long piece Friday on the Denver Public Schools pension refinance deal. That complex transaction has generated a lot of heat over the past few months, so the DBJ decided to take a dispassionate look. The conclusion in a nutshell: Not a bad deal for DPS, though risk remains. Although access to full articles on the DBJ website are usually reserved for paid subscribers, the editors kindly agreed to grant Education New Colorado readers access to the article free of charge. Read it here.

Speaking of DPS, its fractious Board of Education meets tonight for the first time since June 30 – and after the revelations of Andrea Merida as a paid supporter of failed U.S. Senate candidate Andrew Romanoff and the New York Times’ harsh look at the DPS pension deal of 2008. The agenda includes a look at district CSAP results, academic goals not met and DPS priorities for 2010-11. In addition, the board’s finance and audit committee – which is supposed to be reviewing pension data – meets for an hour before the board work session kicks off at 4:30 p.m. at 900 Grant St. Will the end of the Senate primary that divided the board mean less politics and more substance? Students return to classes Thursday. Board agendas and meeting times are here.

On tap today:

The Colorado Department of Education, the Colorado Legacy Foundation and the New Teacher Project launch their Educator Effectiveness Project at a 7:30 a.m. event at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

The Legislature Audit Committee will hear a report on the Public Employees Retirement Association at 1:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Legislative Services Building at East 14th Avenue and Sherman Street.

Good reads from elsewhere: