Is DPS leader abusing his power?

The honeymoon appears to be over, and there are signs the bride might be returning home a little bruised – but no sign she’s had enough abuse yet.

The groom in this fragile marriage is Chip Zullinger, the new superintendent of Denver Public Schools, whose first year of a six-year contract is nearing its end. The bruised bride is the Denver school board, the district’s administrators, principals and teachers.

At a closed meeting today, the groom is expected to explain his misbehavior to some school-board members who have to decide how much more abuse to take from Zullinger.

There are indications that more blows are coming their way.

Several board members are beginning to say publicly what other administrators have been whispering for weeks and months – that Zullinger is a loose cannon who has given a sympathetic ear to several self-appointed activists’ group, making promises that the governing board, top administrators and principals know nothing about. Some rumors forecast a dramatic overhaul of the school district’s administration, scattering dozens of top-level jobs throughout the city, supposedly to put the administrators in closer touch with ‘the community.’

That might work – but it might not. Some skeptics warn that it could be disastrous, breaking down fiscal controls of the district and removing virtually all accountability for performance from Zullinger’s office.

What irks most people, though, is that no one is sure what Zullinger is thinking, and few people seem willing to trust his word. Some administrators suspect he has lied in recent weeks regarding his ideas and plans, and even some board members are starting to feel betrayed by the superintendent’s vague and distant management style.

He is known to have a few trusted aides working on projects that could cost the district millions of dollars, and he’s doing this without consulting the board and members of his ‘cabinet.’

It was revealed late last month that he had signed off on an application for a $ 3 million federal grant, submitted by an informal advisory board, that would severely alter the district’s bilingual-education program.

When some board members learned details of the plan, they properly were worried that Zullinger was taking a big step toward restoring the past, failed bilingual plan that recently was overhauled to conform to a federal-court order and community concerns.

Since then, the grant application was withdrawn and supposedly is being modified to address some serious concerns of the board.

Zullinger’s actions are seen by some either as evidence of contempt of the district’s long-term needs or an act of ignorance concerning its fragile legal and political history.

In recent years, the district has taken large strides to avoid special interests in removing the school district from underneath about three decades of stifling federal-court supervision.

Tonight’s meeting might provide clues to whether Zullinger is a repentant groom – or whether the school board likes being slapped around.

Chuck Green is married to a DPS employee. His commentaries appear on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He discusses current events on KNUS 710 at 7:15 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. His telephone is 303-820-1771; his e-mail address is [email protected]



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