Press Release

July 30, 1999

For Immediate Release

CHIP ZULLINGER NAMED SUPERINTENDENT OF DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The Board of Education today announced Sidney "Chip" Zullinger as the new superintendent of Denver Public Schools.

Mr. Zullinger has recently been superintendent of Charleston County Schools in South Carolina. He has also served as superintendent of Natrona County Schools in Casper, Wyoming, and two districts in North Carolina.

"Chip Zullinger values community involvement and will work to improve achievement by providing parents, teachers, and community members with a strong role in the educational process," said Board of Education President Sue Edwards. "Through the use of clearly defined objectives for staff, Mr. Zullinger has a strong track record of holding schools accountable for their academic achievement.

"We believe that the entire community will find Mr. Zullinger to be a thoughtful, inspiring, and caring leader," Edwards continued. "He will champion educational opportunities for all students."

In Charleston, Mr. Zullinger created the first school governing councils and gave schools flexibility to govern themselves. Denver Public Schools established Collaborative Decision-Making teams - comprised of parents, teachers, principals, school staffs, and community members - in 1991.

"I am hugely honored that I have been chosen to take on this responsibility in DPS," Mr. Zullinger said. "At the same time I am hugely challenged about how I can work with this community to build systems that reach out and touch every single one of those children in a very personal way."

Mr. Zullinger said he will focus on the relationship among teachers, parents and students. "I want to begin my tenure by actually being out there in the schools," said Mr. Zullinger. "I've got to feel the educational process taking place." He vowed to work closely with the community. "One individual can't do this job alone."

Mr. Zullinger will begin work August 16. His proposed four-year contract calls for a salary of $142,000 per year. A formal vote on the contract will be taken during the Board of Education meeting August 5.

The first day of school for the 1999-2000 school year is September 7, although several schools with alternate calendars have already started their school years.

Mr. Zullinger replaces Irv Moskowitz, who served as superintendent beginning with the 1994-1995 school year. He resigned June 30 to develop the Center for Urban Education for the University of Northern Colorado.