From the 6/5/24 Courier, written by Susie Graf:

I come from a family of teachers and am a long-time volunteer and supporter of our district. It saddens me to see what has happened here, and how the situation is spiraling out of control. It is overwhelming and frightening.

In Woodland Park, teachers were always treated with respect and dignity and not called anarchists, socialists and enemies. These are our friends who we see in the grocery store and who sit next to us in church. They helped us raise our children, and that is not an attribute that can be quantified. People from out of state who don’t have children in our schools, or any school, are directing this diatribe toward our teachers. We should have the integrity and bravery to stand up to these people. Teachers are people even willing to give their life for your child.

In the 80’s, Parents, community members and leaders worked together to pass a bond issue for a new school using the middle school structure. Middle school kids were for years shuffled from one building to another as we had no place to put them. It took several tries to pass a bond, but we got the new building designed specifically for the middle school population. Classes were held in pods with students moving within those groups which allowed for cross discipline teaching and collaboration. The building itself and the principal received national attention. The current teachers there were accustomed to almost daily meetings to discuss characteristics needed to meet the educational and developmental needs of young adolescents at that age. We don’t know if this may take place in the new surroundings which are not designed to accommodate this age group.

The decision to close a building or give one away is not to be taken lightly, and there is a process to be followed. It is not to be announced on a Friday afternoon in an email to parents. These decisions should be discussed over time among all stakeholders, most notably residents who paid for the buildings, the parents, the faculty and staff and the administration. No one person should be making these decisions and then announcing them casually. A school is more than a building. It a place of love and laughter where growth and development take place daily in a very purposeful manner. Kids feel safe in their schools and with their teachers whom they love. You cannot take the emotional attachment away from the school building or the teachers.

Our children are our most important possessions. As an educational professional for over 50 years, and as a parent, I can tell you that those people who treat your children with kindness and respect and who encourage them in their educational and personal growth are the ones you can never thank enough and who you will always admire and yes, love. We need to support our wonderful teachers here in Woodland Park and not be hoodwinked by this Board of Education which is giving our district away.