Denver's kids deserve the best possible education. Denver already has a hard-working and committed school board. Now, they are looking for a superintendent who will provide strong educational leadership in the state's most visible school district.

If I were going to be the new superintendent of Denver Public Schools, I would want to negotiate some difficult changes with the board before I accepted the post.

1. Sell the administration building. It symbolizes a bureaucracy that is too large, too centralized, too out-of-touch with the community. Here, perception is everything. I would take most of the money from the building's sale to endow a permanent school improvement fund, to be used exclusively for improving the quality of education (i.e., professional development for teachers, computers, new educational materials, support for innovative ideas). With the rest of the money, I would renovate an old DPS school where I would move only the most essential administrators. A key part of the agreement would be to remove school board members' offices from the administration building. Having school board offices in the district's headquarters encourages end-runs on the superintendent and undermines his or her authority.

2. Restructure the relationship between the superintendent and the Board of Education. Establish a clear policy and oversight role for the board and a clear executive role for the superintendent. Right now, with the boards' offices in the administration building, with board members often in the schools, the lines of authority are blurred. The board needs a superintendent in whom they vest full authority for running the district and whom they hold fully accountable for meeting their goals. They need to set policy and stay out of her way. If the superintendent doesn't do the job, the board should fire her. But, until that point, they need to let the superintendent be the CEO.

3. Get a commitment that the only agenda is what's best for all of Denver's kids. There is no room for individual political agendas or for representing only particular interest or ethnic groups. Denver's school board is committed to doing this. Voters need to ensure that this continues and board members need to maintain their focus on excellence for all children.

1. I would visit every school during my first 90 days, talking not just to principals, but to teachers, students, parents, custodians, volunteers. These are the people who have the pulse of the school and a view into the quality of its leadership, teaching, educational program and attitudes.

2. I would meet with community groups, business organizations, unions, the press and school organizations and clubs. I would listen closely to their dreams for the district, not committing to everything they asked for, but trying to understand the multitude of expectations and hopes the citizens of Denver express.

3. I would meet with my most important educational leaders, the principals, to get their views on how to improve education. With them and other key administrators and teachers, I would review all I'd learned from the schools and community and craft a far-reaching proposal for educational excellence to present to the school board and the larger community.

Part of this would be difficult for the school board to accept. Much of it would heavily burden the new superintendent. Nonetheless, the future of the district and its children is at stake here. Getting the next superintendent off to the best possible start with the school board and the community is worth far-reaching changes and an enormous effort on everyone's part.