About 50 community activists took to the sidewalks outside of the Denver Public Schools headquarters Monday to voice their concerns about the next superintendent of the 90,000-student school system.

The group, known as Our Voice-Our Schools (OVOS), published a manifesto Monday afternoon that highlighted its wish list for the next superintendent. Among the requirements: no connections to Democrats for Education Reform.

That’s likely to be a tall order for the seven-member school board, since five of the seven have taken campaign contributions from the New York hedge-fund led group, as well as benefited from DFER’s dark money advertising on their behalf.

The manifesto was written last week with facilitation by Denver City Councilwoman Debbie Ortega and with input from parents, students, educators, community leaders and local legislators who represent the five DPS school board districts.

The manifesto lays out 18 requirements for the next superintendent, who will replace Tom Boasberg. Boasberg, who announced his resignation on July 17, has been superintendent since 2008. He succeeded Michael Bennet, who is now a U.S. senator.

The requirements include:

? “Must be an educator. [Neither Boasberg nor Bennet had any experience as educators prior to being named DPS superintendents]? “The superintendent must live in Denver and their school-aged children (if any) must attendDenver Public schools.? “We want a ‘Transformer’ not a reformer. This is an individual with demonstrated successin transforming schools in a similar district. Also, a school leader who will phase out choiceto ensure high quality schools are realized in every neighborhood.? “The next DPS Superintendent must have NO conflict of interest with charter schoolfunders, Democrats For Education Reform (DFER) or any DFER affiliates.? “The Superintendent must commit to full financial transparency, meaning an external, lineby line audit of DPS financials.? “The new superintendent must have a ‘restorative justice’ approach to discipline. Thisincludes: removing Student Resource Officers, ending zero tolerance policies,addressing the school to prison pipeline, and providing wraparound services, including:appropriate special education services, mental health services, and counselors.”

DFER’s connection to DPS goes beyond funding school board and legislative campaigns. Its Colorado chapter’s executive director, Jen Walmer, was chief of staff for Boasberg from 2010 to 2013, when she left to take the helm at DFER-Colorado.

Since 2010, DPS has been on a tear for charter and “innovation” schools, opening 69 out of the 114 non-traditional schools. At the same time, DFER has been on a spending spree, helping to elect pro-charter education reformers to school boards (like DPS) and to elect Democrats who back its legislative agenda to the state Capitol. Total spending by DFER and its fundraising arm, Education Reform Now Advocacy, has now topped $7 million.

That hasn’t always played well in DPS. According to former DPS board candidate Xochitl “Sochi” Gaytan, Boasberg has had 10 years to “do a great disservice” to DPS. Her son’s middle school was shut down, as was the next closest school. His current school is $80,000 short in its budget. Boasberg has done nothing to help the school, she said Monday.

“We want a seat at the table,” not just a separate community table, Gaytan said.

“Our community is tired of being experimented on,” added Lisa Calderon of the Colorado Latino Forum.

Democrat Emily Sirota, who is running for House District 9 in the fall, added her support to the OVOS group. “We demand a superintendent who is part of our community,” she said Monday.

The group later filed into the DPS headquarters to observe a work session in which the board outlined part of the process for hiring its next superintendent. Public comment was not allowed.

The board will conduct a nationwide search, open to external and internal candidates. It intends to move quickly with the search, having set a deadline of Sept. 14 for applications and Oct. 15 for announcing finalist(s).

Names are already being submitted, according to board members. They won’t use a search firm but will instead rely on a third-party consultant who could be chosen as soon as next week. That consultant will help facilitate community meetings and assist with the human resources aspects of the search.

Hasira “Soul” Ashemu told Colorado Politics that OVOS will fight back against a board solidly supported by DFER.

“We fight it through grassroots solidarity” and through organizing, especially in the black and brown communities, he said.

A major part of OVOS will be devoted to educating the public about what DFER is, what charter schools are and how they differ from traditional schools. OVOS will be looking to board members who are strong advocates for public education – Jennifer Bacon and Carrie Olson, who beat DFER-backed candidates last November, Ashemu added.

The DPS board will meet again on Aug. 8 to pick a third-party consultant.

Editor’s note: This article was updated Aug. 3 to remove references to an interim superintendent for DPS.