Will Jones, former executive director of communications for Denver Public Schools (DPS), accused the district of limiting information flow to school board members, affecting transparency in serving the city’s 88,000 children. He criticized the district for asking communications staff to sign confidentiality agreements after his position was eliminated. Jones emphasized the importance of information and claimed the board wasn’t receiving as much as before. However, board members disputed his concerns, stating that changes in communication were intentional to reduce administrative burden. Some members stated they didn’t feel uninformed and had access to all district documents as per state law. The district defended the confidentiality agreements, stating they safeguard student and employee information and reminded staff of their privacy obligations. It’s unclear how long DPS has mandated such agreements, and their commonality among school districts is uncertain. Don Mayer, a professor at the University of Denver, found the NDAs “a little strange,” suggesting they are more common in corporate America than in public schools.
Ex-Denver Public Schools PIO says board members not getting enough information, but some disagree
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