jf1acai wrote: Now we have a board that is totally one-sided. No balance whatsoever.
The union won. The teachers won. The kids lost. The parents lost. Ultimately, the county lost.
As opposed to the current board where a 3 voting bloc shut the other two members out, who shut the voices of the parents out, who shut the voices of the students out to pursue their political agenda of privatizing public education to for profit corporations? The voters of Jefferson County decisively chose who they want to decide about the education of their children. As well as the Thompson Valley District where the "reformers" were also voted out. And Dougco went from a 7 - 0 "reformer" board to a 4 - 3 split.
So now Jeffco gets a board that is committed to collaborating with the parents, students and teachers to ensure that Jeffco has one of the top school districts in the state.
"Remember to always be yourself. Unless you can be batman. Then always be batman." Unknown
So now Jeffco gets a board that is committed to collaborating with the parents, students and teachers to ensure that Jeffco has one of the top school districts in the state.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating - I will believe that when/if I see it.
Experience enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again - Jeanne Pincha-Tulley
Comprehensive is Latin for there is lots of bad stuff in it - Trey Gowdy
So now Jeffco gets a board that is committed to collaborating with the parents, students and teachers to ensure that Jeffco has one of the top school districts in the state.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating - I will believe that when/if I see it.
I totally agree. We just know the current board was not working with the parents, students and faculty.
"Remember to always be yourself. Unless you can be batman. Then always be batman." Unknown
Based on the majority of comments that I've seen of those who organized and worked on the recall effort (parents), I am hopeful that this board will be inclusive and respectful of alternative opinions, transparent in their dealings, and inclusive of parents' desires while focusing on keeping Jeffco one of the best school districts in the state. I disagree that this board is "one-sided" - I know that of the 5, there are 3 independents and one Dem, I don't know the affiliation of the 5th. I've also seen unconfirmed statistics that it was all 3 affiliations (R, D, and Unaffiliated) who voted yes on the recall - this was not a "liberal" or "union" take-over; it was our diverse community speaking with their votes.
What I do know is that the previous board operated as STDS stated: they shut out parents voices, disrespected our kids, tried to unfairly change curricula, and spent money in ways they had no business spending. I am thankful they instituted the live-streaming of the meetings and I'd be shocked if that didn't continue.
I hope that everyone is motivated to stay involved and to make their voices heard. Charter schools are an important facet of our educational choices, being fiscally responsible is important to every political affiliation, and the amount of testing kids undergo and Common Core rightfully need to be addressed.
At the least, a board attorney is wasted money and should be let go (may even at this Thursday's meeting). I think McMinimee deserves a chance to prove himself answering to his duties and expectations of his board and those of the parents in this community. Who’s getting fired after Tuesday’s school board elections?
Marianne Goodland
November 04, 2015
"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill
So the recently recalled school board majority left the taxpayers of Jeffco a couple of "gifts" in their last meeting last week. First, the 3 member majority awarded their hand picked superintendent a $9500 bonus, even though his performance report was spotty.
Second, they approved a new charter school in NW Jeffco that will be managed by a for profit out of state corporation that is under federal investigation. This new charter school, Doral Academny has a number of questionable features. First, the school is operated under their own school board which is not voted in. Instead, the formers of the school selected themselves as the new school board. Then they personally select new school board members as vacancies occur on the board. So one must be a crony of the school board to have a chance to serve. Taxpayers and parents are not allowed to serve on the board or hold the board accountable even though they will be spending millions of dollars of taxpayers money. The approved charter application waives the requirements under state law regarding competitive bidding, teacher certification, teacher accountability, school administration accountability. The principal, who is not required to be certified as public school principal elsewhere must be is given extraordinary powers, including firing personnel without due process or even a hearing, suspending or evicted students without due process. I have issues with a taxpayer funded organization not being accountable to the taxpayers or to the parents of the students. Also, the principal will be more inclined to serving the corporation rather than the education of the students.
The new school will not offer transportation so low income and/or special needs students need not apply unless they can come up with their own transportation. The school may not participate in the National School Lunch Program, so students needing free or reduced cost lunches (i.e., low income) will be handicapped. Students are selected by a limited criteria, 1) existing students in good standing, 2) siblings of existing students, 3)up to 20% of student spots will be limited to children of board members and administration, 4) remaining spots are offered to students living in the relatively affluent neighborhood via a lottery, 5) any remaining spots are then offered to students living in Jeffco outside the school district. So it looks as though the school policy is designed to discourage low income and/or special needs students from attending.
www.jeffcopublicschools.org/business/cha...rado%20Narrative.pdf
I do not know if the new board can rescind the approval until the application has been more thoroughly vetted.
"Remember to always be yourself. Unless you can be batman. Then always be batman." Unknown
Kidding.
