CSC Parent Candidates For the 2015-2016 School Year
Thank you for your interest and your help in selecting the new CSC committee members. We are excited that there has been so much interest in CSC and look forward to working with two of the wonderful candidates.
Please read the candidate statements below. On April 24th we will post a Survey Monkey link to vote for one new middle school parent representative and one new high school parent representative.
Roberto Corrada (High School Parent)
Please list information about yourself as a candidate:
I am the parent of a 5 year Sophomore Theatre Major at DSA.
I am a law professor at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, where I have been teaching for 25 years.
I have been chair or cochair of two Colorado nonprofit organizations, one working within the Denver Public Schools (The Denver Urban Debate League).
I was a member of the Colorado State Personnel Board for three years.
I was a member of the Stapleton Development Board for four years.
Please state briefly why you would like to serve on the CSC team:
I have considerable experience in the field of education and have been a DSA parent for five years. Thus, I have both an academic and an arts perspective. I believe that combination would allow me to be an effective member of the CSC. I feel I can, and would like to, contribute to collaborative conversations about DSA’s future.
Deronn Turner (High School Parent)
Please list information about yourself as a candidate:
I currently have one child already attending DSA, he will be a junior next year, and my 13 year old will be an incoming 8th grader. I volunteer extensively at DSA, McAuliffe and Montclair Elementary, all of the schools that our children attend. I am also the hospitality chair for PTSO. That just means when there is a teacher’s luncheon, I’m responsible for putting the pieces of the puzzle together. My oldest son is a member of the Colorado I Have a Dream Foundation. I am the first parent to be on the board of directors with CIHAD.
Please state briefly why you would like to serve on the CSC team:
I think it’s really important that all voices be represented on CSC. My passion is that all children be properly represented and have an arena where they feel safe expressing themselves based on their artistic gifts. I do feel that I have the ability to help DSA have a pivotal role in being an agent for growth and change.
Heidi Aggeler (Middle School Parent)
Please list information about yourself as a candidate:
I have two children in Denver Public Schools (DPS): a 2nd grade son at Carson Elementary and a 6th grade daughter in the guitar program at DSA. My son started DPS in preschool; my daughter, in 1st grade. We have had a wonderful experience with and are strong supporters of DPS.
For two years, I have been the Treasurer of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) at Carson Elementary. My education and professional background is in accounting, economics and public policy. I have worked as a bank auditor, conducted research for the Federal Reserve and served as Chair of the Finance Committee for the nonprofit Mile High Community Loan Fund.
I have lived in Denver since 1998, when I moved to join a local consulting firm, BBC Research & Consulting (BBC). My grandparents lived in Denver when I was a child. My grandmother was a volunteer at the Denver
Art Museum (DAM) and I spent many summers taking classes at DAM. I was also a dancer in grade school.
I still work as a consultant at BBC, where I own and manage a practice specializing advising local governments about affordable and equitable housing provision. My job involves facilitating meetings, collecting and analyzing data, conducting surveys and focus groups, managing staff and presenting reports to city officials. Many of my clients are local governments, including the City and County of Denver. My firm supports the arts in many ways: we frequently contract with Denver Center for Performing Arts (DCPA) actors and trainers to support our staff’s public speaking skills. We have also conducted economic impact analyses for DAM, the DCPA and Bravo Vail.
Please state briefly why you would like to serve on the CSC team:
I feel that my financial/accounting background, ability to make sense of data used to inform public policy, and skills in gathering and reporting public input would be beneficial to the CSC’s core functions.
I am very passionate about the arts and how the arts can make a difference in the lives of youth -- and would be honored to be part of the CSC.
Lisa Bassow-Scheve (Middle School Parent)
Please list information about yourself as a candidate
-I am the parent of Ethan and Emily, 6th grade violin players in the DSA Orchestra, who both adore DSA.
-I was a member of Denison Montessori’s CSC for 5 years, serving as Acting Chairman when needed (we did not have a permanent chairman). While on the CSC, I worked collaboratively with the other members to make difficult decisions, was a good representative for a variety of parents, advocated for all students, and developed methods of communicating CSC decisions with the entire Denison community.
-I am a part-time family doctor, and have run my own practice since 1990. I know how to work collaboratively with others, communicate well, and come up with creative solutions to difficult problems. I am a good team player as well as a leader.
Please state briefly why you would like to serve on the CSC team:
-I would like to work collaboratively with DSA parents, students, teachers, and administration to help continue DSA’s successes and plan for the future.
-I am knowledgeable in the role of the CSC and feel I can effectively advocate for all DSA students and parents across all the Arts.
-I have enjoyed helping the DSA Orchestra as a volunteer, and plan to continue. I would also like to support DSA as a whole, and with my experience, knowledge, and talents, I feel I would be a good member of CSC.
Jonathan N Feniak (Middle School Parent)
Please list information about yourself as a candidate:
-I bring 2 years of previous experience as chairperson of the Steck Elementary School CSC. This experience includes a period in which the principal left the school; a new principal was interviewed and hired; and neighborhood enrollment was surging.
-l am the parent of a 7th grader enrolled in the Visual Arts program at DSA and a 7th grader enrolled in the HGT program at Morey Middle School.
-I bring the experience gained while assisting my spouse, Meredith Feniak, in the building of her business as a working artist and arts educator.
-Over the last decade l have worked with individuals, business owners and companies in diverse industries to develop and implement their financial goals.
-I hold a BA in English from Rutgers University and an MBA from Rutgers Graduate School of Management.
Please state briefly why you would like to serve on the CSC team:
-I am an ardent supporter of the arts and arts education as well as a contributor to the Denver arts community and supporter of the Denver Art Museum, History Colorado museum, and Museum of Contemporary Art.
-As the parent of a DSA student; the spouse of an artist and educator; a member of a family of artists, architects and designers; and financial advisor, I bring diverse points of view that will allow me to help the CSC to make thoughtful, lasting decisions that will benefit all stake holders in the DSA community.
Rebecca Smith (Middle School Parent)
Please list information about yourself as a candidate:
I was very involved in the classroom activities and school functions in the early years of my son’s education. I was the room mom for many of those years and part of the steering/planning committee for his 4th and 5th grade years at Polaris at Ebert Elementary. As a former educator in the public school sector, I know the importance of parent involvement and support, and the direct correlation between the success of a school and the strength of its parent community. I would like to be a part of the DSA CSC community.
Please state briefly why you would like to serve on the CSC team:
I am looking for an opportunity to be a part of this next stage in my son’s educational experience, and have a direct impact on the changes and issues of DSA. As a supporter of arts in education I will bring enthusiasm and my professional skills to the table. As an editor and writer I am a competent communicator and a strong advocate for building school / parent relationships. I would like to be an active participant in DSA’ s continued success and ongoing growth. I bring the experience of years of volunteering and planning committees, and the background of working in the public school sector to this position.