Rodriguez makes bid for DPS District 2 board seat

Another high-profile candidate has entered the race for the Denver Public School Board.

Former City Council President Rosemary Rodriguez Wednesday entered the District 2 race, where she will be running against incumbent Andrea Merida and union organizer Rosario C. de Baca.

“I am running for Denver School Board because I believe that our public schools are the foundation of Denver’s success,” Rodriguez said. “The children of District 2 are a precious resource and deserve every opportunity to succeed. It is up to all of us to come together and unite to improve the quality of education we are offering our kids.”

Rodriguez, a who attended DPS schools, is currently state director for U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet. Before being appointed to the Senate in 2009, Bennet was superintendent in DPS and launched a slate of reforms still being championed by Superintendent Tom Boasberg.

She also served on Denver’s City Council from 2003-2007, including a stint as council president from 2005-2006. On the City Council, Rodriguez worked on then-mayor John Hickenlooper’s task force for early childhood education and helped create the Denver Preschool Program.

Rodriguez is the second well-known Denver public figure to enter the Denver school board races in recent days. Last week, former Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien announced that she would run for the at-large seat being vacated by the board’s president, Mary Seawell.

The District 2 seat is one of four that are up for grabs in the upcoming election and is a race that will be closely watched. Incumbent Merida is a member of the vocal board minority that opposes many of Boasberg’s policies. A second open seat is also currently held by a board minority member, Jeannie Kaplan, who is leaving her seat because of term limits. The other two open seats are held by members who typically vote in support of Boasberg.

Rodriguez’s announcement was coupled with endorsements from Tim Sandos, former Denver City Councilor at-large and CEO of the National Hispanic Voter Educational Foundation, Democratic state Rep. Dan Pabon of Denver and Denver community leader Rudy Gonzalez.

“Denver’s kids deserve more than the status quo, and Rosemary is dedicated to educational achievement and excellence for every child in Denver,” Gonzalez said in a statement.

Update: An earlier version of this story identified Rudy Gonzalez as the executive director of Servicios de La Raza; his endorsement of Rodriguez comes in a personal capacity and not in his role at that organization.