Denver Public Schools Board of Education candidate Kwame Spearman has secured the endorsement of one of Denver’s most well-known progressives. 

Former mayoral candidate Lisa Calderón, who came in third in the April 4 Denver mayoral election, offered her support to Spearman’s campaign for the at-large seat. 

Calderón appreciated Kwame’s dedication to replacing police in schools, called school resource officers, by the end of his first term “with evidence-based school safety strategies,” according to a Monday news release.

Spearman’s “advocacy on closing Denver’s achievement gap, supporting neighborhood schools for Latino and Black children, and refusal to accept dark money that seeks to privatize education” also drew support from Calderón.

The Denver Classroom Teachers Association earlier this month also endorsed Spearman. 

“We cannot let out-of-state billionaires or local politicians funded by the charter school industry who want to decimate our neighborhood schools through privatization win this race,” Calderón said in the release. “How can we support our students and teachers and remove drama from the school board when out-of-state money is determined to run racist ads against candidates?”

The co-owner of Tattered Cover book stores, Spearman has said previously his education philosophy is: “A strong vision can unite our community to work together to ensure that all students thrive.”

The election is Nov. 7.