DCP Endorses Kelly Denzler

Over the past months, we’ve had the chance to get to know our amazing candidates, and we think they will be outstanding leaders for Douglas County Schools. We are sharing a few key Q&As that illustrate why we’re excited to support their candidacy and share their vision for our students, educators, and community.

Douglas County Parents proudly endorses Kelly Denzler because she brings the vital voice of an experienced educator and parent to the board. She understands the real challenges in classrooms and is committed to caring for students, supporting teachers, and ensuring every family feels heard.

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Meet Kelly Denzler, running for DCSD School Board Director, District G.

Kelly Denzler, District G

"The values that guide me fundamentally come down to one thing: taking care of people. Whether that's taking care of the struggling student, the burnt-out teacher, the worried parent, or the curious community, I want everyone in our education orbit to feel heard, seen, and fundamentally cared for."

Why are you running for school board, and what values will guide your decisions?

I am running for school board in part because I recognized a need to have greater educator representation on a governing body that oversees education. I think a lot of the board's decisions in the past four years have lacked that perspective, and as someone who taught through COVID and the mass adoption of 1:1 technologies, I look forward to sharing my experience in important decision-making. The values that guide me fundamentally come down to one thing: taking care of people. Whether that's taking care of the struggling student, the burnt-out teacher, the worried parent, or the curious community, I want everyone in our education orbit to feel heard, seen, and fundamentally cared for.

How has your experience prepared you to serve students, educators, and families in Douglas County?

My experience as a career educator has prepared me to serve our students, educators, and families, because I've been on the "front lines" of education. I've taught classes of over 30 and been unprepared to serve students with special needs. I've asked for and been denied valuable professional development opportunities. I've competed with TikTok for student attention, and I've received nonsensical decrees from education leaders who've clearly never spent time in an actual classroom. I am also—as of this year—a DCSD parent, and I know what it's like to send my kid off to school in the morning, hoping it's a healthy, safe, and productive environment. These differing roles and perspectives mean I know what questions need asking, whose input needs seeking, and how high the stakes are for all of it.

What are your top three budget priorities, and how will you balance them given limited state funding?

My priorities (in no particular order) are: 1) compensating our staff, 2) providing mental health resources, and 3) ensuring that all of our Title VI and IDEA obligations are met. Given limited state funding, I will balance these through a rigorous process of seeking stakeholder input, working with HR and DCF to possibly negotiate for better benefits, exploring MLO and Bond initiatives for 2026 or 2027, and helping the district choose which federal block grants to pursue. I will also be happy to advocate at the state level for a revision to the funding formula or other action.

In Colorado’s school choice system — with open enrollment, district and CSI charters, private options, and vouchers — what is the role of a Douglas County School Board director, and how should these choices impact DCSD students, teachers, and resources?

Concerning school choice, I see the role of a DCSD school board director to be primarily that of a gatekeeper. I will never vote to release a charter school to CSI, and I will never vote to use public dollars at private schools through a voucher program. Open enrollment is a bell we can't necessarily "unring," but following OE patterns and using that information to help make decisions about authorizing charters or opening new neighborhood schools will be tremendously important and is likely something the LRPC does as well.

How will you ensure that all voices in the community — especially students, parents, and teachers — are heard in decision making?

Put most simply: I will ask for their voices. I will not assume I know everything—or even anything when faced with a decision as a school board member. If elected, the decisions I'll be making will all be high-stakes (to one degree or another), and I will approach each from a position of humility. I want SAC leaders on speed dial. I want students emailing my district account with their thoughts. I want (productive!) public comment from community members. I want teachers inviting me to their department or all-staff meetings. If the only time the community sees me is when I'm on the dias, I will have failed in one of my most fundamental duties as a board member.

How will you support teachers and staff so they can focus on educating students?

Hopefully by reducing some of their burdens. Maybe that's helping to improve trust between them and the community members they're wary of. Maybe that's just by paving the way for them to negotiate things like duty-free lunch or uninterrupted planning time. Maybe that passing MLOs and Bonds to increase their salaries and improve their buildings. Maybe that's by setting a tone at the top that prioritizes their needs over flattering the superintendent. Maybe that's by incentivizing innovation and creative instruction. Whatever it is, though, it'll be determined through a conversation with them—not a unilateral decree.

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You can learn more about Kelly Denzler, including upcoming events at https://www.kellydenzler4dcsd.com/