In 2021, union-dominated school boards in Denver and Jeffco hired superintendents Alex Marrero and Tracy Dorland. Now, those same teachers’ unions are in open revolt — without owning the dysfunction they helped create in Colorado’s two largest districts, which are now even deeper into union pockets.

First up: Jeffco, where campaign finance records show the union spent over $180,000 installing the entire current board — and they’re now demanding the superintendent be fired.

Last Thursday, the Jefferson County Education Association’s 12-member “leadership team” unveiled a vote of no confidence — just 12 union bosses representing less than 25% of Jeffco educators.

Their statement reads like a union wishlist disguised as concerns — demanding a “meaningful voice in decision-making” (read: veto power), slamming external consultants over leveraging “existing experience and skills of district educators” (translation: hire union activists), and fuming over Dorland’s refusal to accept their contract demands.

Noticeably absent is any focus on Dorland’s most egregious failure: the child sexual abuse scandals involving teachers, staff and administrators that have plagued the district. Instead of highlighting dozens of cases and failures, they only mention ex-Chief of Schools David Weiss — fired over a child pornography investigation in December before taking his own life.

Their laundry list of progressive grievances (i.e., a revised transgender toolkit and barring controversial links alongside pronouns in staff signatures, both at parents’ urging) ignores Jeffco’s “trusted adult” policies that perpetuate secrecy and abuse — approaches pushed by the unions. It’s all about deflection — exploiting crisis to settle bargaining scores and push political agendas.

At Thursday’s school board meeting, union leaders branded a proposed cost-of-living increase of “only” 1.5%, plus a 2.5% “step and lane” bump, a “pay cut” — after a 53% raise over five years. Eggs are expensive, you see.

Only in government is this a “pay cut.”

Union-backed board member Danielle Varda — who received $42,167 from Jeffco’s union and the Colorado Education Association and is now running for state House, seeking union support — said the quiet part out loud: “Your current Board puts compensation and benefits above all other priorities,” she wrote on Facebook.

“Above all other priorities,” Danielle? What about kids? School safety? Academic outcomes?

Nope. Most teachers care deeply about their students, but teachers’ unions don’t exist for kids. They exist to protect adult interests. Union agendas come first — and the board is listening. Today, they’ll likely plot Dorland’s ouster behind closed doors. She could demand a public discussion — but odds are, she’s done.

In Denver, Superintendent Alex Marrero enjoys undying devotion from his union-backed board majority — despite massive failures that should have sunk him. Since the 2023 shootings at East High, Marrero has never truly addressed safety concerns. His revised disciplinary guidelines still tie schools’ hands, refusing to let them remove violent students. The union stayed quiet.

When board member Scott Esserman and then-VP Auon’tai Anderson publicly humiliated a Manual High JROTC teacher — blaming him for a district decision while accusing him of racism in front of students and parents — the union said nothing.

Marrero and the board celebrate a “historic” 79% graduation rate while ignoring cratering academics. Roughly 60% of grade 3-8 students aren’t proficient in English; nearly 70% lag in math. Less than half of high schoolers meet P/SAT English benchmarks; two-thirds miss math targets. The union remains silent.

The board adopted new performance metrics in January, created by Marrero himself, only to ignore them in April to extend his $346,529 contract through 2028, promising his October evaluation. Now the Denver Classroom Teachers Association calls Marrero’s extension “deeply misaligned” — complaining the board negotiated with Marrero while at a “bargaining impasse” with the union.

How rich. The union bankrolled the board’s four-member majority in 2021 with massive support, spending $56,000-$62,000 each to elect President Carrie Olson, Scott Esserman and Sochi Gaytán and $20,500 on Michelle Quattlebaum.

Now rumors swirl that the three up for reelection — Olson is term-limited — might lose union backing. That would mean two union candidates in those races: the new one they endorse and the incumbent they installed who helped create DPS’s current mess.

That’s buyers’ remorse — just as contract negotiations aren’t going the union’s way. No discussion about empowering teachers to improve failing academics or ensuring safety for students and staff — issues they’ve ignored out of convenience.

Just like Jeffco, Denver’s union turned on their superintendent to advance a self-serving agenda that has nothing to do with kids.

Both superintendents probably deserve to be replaced (I’ve called for Marrero’s resignation). But in both union-dominated districts, neither union leveled criticism until recent bargaining troubles.

Let’s be honest: This is a sham designed to scapegoat terrible superintendents to ensure future boards and superintendents dutifully serve union bosses. The difference is execution. Jeffco’s board seems primed to oust Dorland, while Denver’s enshrined Marrero through 2028. But the messengers are dishonest about their true motives — and that makes all the difference.

Ask yourself, “Who are they beholden to?” Then follow the money.

The Colorado Education Association and its affiliates poured nearly $400,000 into buying school board majorities in the state’s two largest school districts. Now, they expect loyalty — and obedience.

Union bosses are exploiting a frustrated public, hoping they’ll forget who caused the chaos in the first place. It’s a cynical power play — a blame-game for self-preservation, with students and even teachers caught in the middle. They deserve leaders who truly put them first.

Jimmy Sengenberger is an investigative journalist, public speaker, and longtime local talk-radio host. Reach Jimmy online at Jimmysengenberger.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @SengCenter.