Author: Jimmy Sengenberger
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A reckoning in Cherry Creek Schools? | Jimmy Sengenberger
On Wednesday, Superintendent Christopher Smith announced he’s retiring after five years at Cherry Creek Schools. The news should spark a wider district clean-up — but there’s no indication it will. Smith’s announcement took no accountability and gave no clear explanation, but it followed a Denver7 investigation that uncovered what current and former employees call a…
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Polis’ ‘libertarian’ streak is a false narrative | Jimmy Sengenberger
Just because you say something doesn’t make it true — even if the national media eat up the narrative. I’m talking about the idea that Gov. Jared Polis is just a middle-of-the-road, “libertarian” Democrat. It’s a false narrative, but one Fox News and The Wall Street Journal often parrot — probably because he’s the token…
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Enrollment nosedive makes case for school choice | Jimmy Sengenberger
Since the pandemic, my columns have chronicled a steady downward trend in K-12 enrollment. Now, fresh data from the Colorado Department of Education confirms it’s only deepening. K-12 enrollment is at its lowest in a decade. Just 870,793 students are enrolled in Colorado public schools — 42,440 fewer than in 2019-2020. This year’s 1.2% drop…
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Political hubris drives tone-deaf pols | Jimmy Sengenberger
When news finally broke that veteran Hollywood producer Kathleen Kennedy was stepping down as president of Lucasfilm, Ltd. — the Disney-owned company behind the Star Wars franchise — it was as if millions of fans suddenly cried out in joy. Kennedy was handpicked before Lucasfilm’s sale to Disney by founder George Lucas, whose legacy includes…
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A partisan potshot at the CU regents | Jimmy Sengenberger
At the University of Colorado, “bipartisanship” just became a four-letter word. Six months after being appointed to CU’s Board of Regents in Dec. 2021 by Gov. Jared Polis — who touted his “business experience and passion for CU” — Ken Montera was voted vice chair. His colleagues have unanimously reelected him three times since. Montera…
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A ‘defensible ’clemency for Tina Peters? | Jimmy Sengenberger
Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters is scheduled for release from prison in February 2033, after serving 8.25 years for four felonies and several months in county jail for three misdemeanors — stemming from an election security breach and identity theft scheme meant to prove the 2020 election was stolen. Now, Gov. Jared Polis seems…
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Boebert takes on Trump over Colorado water | Jimmy Sengenberger
Congress failed Thursday to override President Donald Trump’s veto of a Colorado water project that has been in the works for over 60 years. It’s one of two back-to-back vetoes, the first of his second term. But Colorado Republican 4th Congressional District U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert — known for her fierce MAGA loyalties — still…
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A year later, still no accountability in Jeffco schools | Sengenberger
One year ago, Jefferson County Schools descended into turmoil after former Chief of Schools David Weiss was found dead by suicide amid a child pornography investigation conducted by the Jeffco Sheriff’s office. Weiss was fired two weeks earlier after a financial brokerage tipped off authorities that he’d used bitcoin to purchase the illegal material —…
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Polis is a mixed bag on public ed | Jimmy Sengenberger
Gov. Jared Polis deserves real credit for being the first Democrat to opt his state into the Trump administration’s federal school choice program. Even as activists in his own party howled in protest, Polis ignored the noise and chose what’s best for Colorado kids. Beginning in 2027, the program — part of last year’s “One…
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Hard truths for a divided Colorado GOP | Sengenberger
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…” Charles Dickens’ immortal opening to “A Tale of Two Cities” could just as easily describe modern American politics. Nationally, the Right stands at an apex: Donald Trump is back in the…