Denver Public Schools announced Friday the finalists for the district’s open superintendent position, with DPS officials describing the candidates as bold, visionary and “rising stars in the field of education.”

The finalists are Dr. Alex Marrero, Dr. Stephanie Soliven and Andre Wright are the three finalists. Each will participate in seven final interview panels with students, parents, teachers, school leaders and more on May 13. 

“We have reached an important milestone in our process to find a visionary leader for (DPS) through and beyond COVID,” said Dr. Carrie Olson, the president of DPS Board of Education in a video on the district’s website. “This is a moment for optimism and excitement as we announce our three finalists.”

The district’s search firm, Alma Advisory Group, received 38 applications for the job, CEO Monica Rosen told reporters Friday afternoon. Her group interviewed 20 of them, forwarding 15 of them onto the board. Those 15 were interviewed and eventually narrowed to these three finalists. The board has said they want the hire made in June and ready to start at the beginning of the coming fiscal year on July 1.

Each of the applicants’ interviews will be streamed live and available on-demand following their conclusion. 

Community members are encouraged to submit an interview question they’d like asked during the final panels. Questions can be submitted through May 10. 

Following the panels, the district is asking DPS’ community members to share their feedback on each candidate by May 17 at 5 p.m. Students, parents and staff who wish to share their views publicly can do so during a public comment session that same day. 

Community members must sign up to speak by 5 p.m. on May 16.

As part of their pre-interview work, officials talked to nearly 700 community members over the course of two months, Rosen said. Speaking to reporters at a press conference Friday, Olson and board vice president Jennifer Bacon said that the board “definitely” heard from constituents that they wanted a new superintendent who represented the diverse DPS community, which includes a sizable Latino population.

Two of the three finalists are Latinos. Olson said the board was “concerned” that the new superintendent wouldn’t fully understand Denver and its diversity.

“What we took from the insights is really how do we talk about lived experiences and what kind of role it plays in leadership,” Bacon said.

Bacon and Olson praised the three finalist as all qualified to lead DPS and said the trio were dynamic, visionary leaders. 

The new superintendent’s first and most pressing issue when he or she starts will be addressing the impacts of the pandemic, the officials said. But after that, Bacon said, there will be an emphasis on socio-emotional learning and students’ mental health. That involves “supporting students not only in mastering reading and writing but knowing who they are and their place in this world,” she said.

Olson added that the new superintendent would be involved in creating the “next vision” for the district.

The candidates

Dr. Marrero throughout his career has been honored by the Latino Caucus of the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, and was inducted to the New York Academy of Public Education. 

“The root in what I believe in is anchored in the pursuit in growth and learning for all, including myself,” Dr. Marrero said in an introductory video.

Dr. Marrero currently serves as the assistant superintendent at the City School District of New Rochelle, just north of Bronx in New York City. 

***

Dr. Stephanie Soliven currently serves as the assistant superintendent for the Secondary Leading and Learning, the School District of Brevard County in Viera, Florida. 

During her time there, she’s played a vital role in increasing graduation rates and participation and success in Advanced Placement, International Baccaureate, Cambridge (AICE), Career and Technical Education and Early College programs. 

“The three core values that best describe the way I lead are integrity, respect and sense of urgency,” Dr. Soliven said in an introductory video. “I take being a public servant very seriously, I always lead with transparency and believe we must continuously earn the trust of our community through our actions.”

***

Wright currently serves as the Chief Academic Officer of the Aurora Public Schools, where over the last four years has contributed in consistent academic achievement increases for APS students. 

Wright describes himself as a professional educator and champion for education equity. 

“Trust is key in the work that we do everyday,” Wright said in his introductory video. “I want families to trust the decisions that I make and trust the interactions that I have with their children and trust that I’m moving the district in the right direction.

Wright said the other two core values in his leadership style include transparency and relationships. 

Prior to joining APS, Wright served as an area executive director for the Northeast Learning Community in the Fulton County School System in Georgia, an Atlanta-area district with nearly 100,000 students, 100 schools and 14,000 staff and support personnel. 

For more information regarding the finalists click here.