I’m the first in my family to go to college. I worked my way through college and Georgetown Law School with the help of great teachers, need-based scholarships and loans. I’ve practiced law for more than 40 years and am one of Colorado’s leading experts on school finance.
I got involved in Denver’s schools as a parent volunteer when my oldest daughter started kindergarten in 1998 to make sure my kids received the same quality education that was my pathway to success. My three daughters received excellent educations in Denver Public Schools. But it required a lot of hard work and hundreds of hours of time by my wife, Carol, and me. I ran for the school board in 2013 because I wanted to make it easier for other Denver parents to obtain the same excellent education for their children.
All three of my daughters attended DPS schools in East Denver from kindergarten through 12th grade. I volunteered in my daughters’ schools as a classroom assistant, field trip chaperone, chair of the school governance committee (CSC) and member of two principal selection committees and various fundraising committees. In the community, I have served as the president of my neighborhood association, on the boards of Mile High Early Learning Centers, Allied Jewish Apartments and the Colorado NARAL Foundation and as a member of Mayor Hancock’s Transition Committee. I live near Cheesman Park with my wife, Carol Friesen, my three daughters (when they are home) and our small, fierce dog, Mickey.
Biographical information provided by the candidate in the A+ Colorado Candidate Survey.
Candidate’s website: www.mikefordenverkids.com
Denver Public Schools School Board Candidate Survey – Central – 2017 Election