Author Archives: Matt G

Garfield Re-2 community pushes back in denying American Birthright Standards curriculum | PostIndependent.com

A community social studies committee made up of teachers, parents and community members was established to review the social studies curriculum, study alternatives, survey the community on their preferences and make recommendations. 

“We don’t want our community to be torn apart like Woodland Park, where vocal ideologues took over the school board, causing chaos where there used to be peace,” Willow Brotzman, a parent with two students in the Re-2 District, said in the release. “They’ve bulldozed their community to institute American Birthright despite community opposition, opposed school mental health programs and bullied educators by barring them from speaking publicly on school matters and firing those that did.”
— Read on www.postindependent.com/news/garfield-re-2-community-pushes-back-in-denying-american-birthright-standards-curriculum/

As Colorado school boards become more politicized, here are the district elections to watch this fall | Colorado Public Radio

Individual flyers for 30 school districts are paid for by the Truth & Liberty Coalition, the Woodland Park-based nonprofit, which has called for Christians to reclaim the “Seven Mountains” of societal influence — one of them being education. Its website states: “We seek to restore biblical truth and Godly morality into our country’s failing educational system.”
— Read on www.cpr.org/2023/10/18/as-colorado-school-boards-become-more-politicized-here-are-the-district-elections-to-watch-this-fall/

Woodland Park school board supporters, critics pack meeting after district says teachers’ union fosters ‘hatred of America’ | Education | gazette.com

After the Woodland Park School District accused a local teachers’ union of trying to foster “hatred of America” among students, both supporters and critics of recent school board policies came out in force during its regular meeting Wednesday evening.
— Read on gazette.com/content/tncms/live/

Woodland Park teachers speak out against controversial curriculum | 9news.com

Hand and 80 of her colleagues with the Woodland Park School District have signed a letter addressed to their community in Teller County that calls for the board to “prioritize our children’s futures over politics.”
The letter specifically criticizes the “American Birthright” social studies model. Woodland Park’s school board was the first in the country this year to adopt the conservative civics education program, which promotes American patriotism and deems social justice, diversity, equity and inclusion topics to “inhibit student learning.”
The Colorado State Board of Education has rejected this syllabus.
— Read on www.9news.com/article/news/local/next/next-with-kyle-clark/teachers-southern-colorado-jobs-at-risk-speaking-publicly-curriculum-american-birthright-woodland-park/73-01dca652-5c24-4839-8543-cb2337d40173

Woodland Park teachers speak out against controversial curriculum | 9news.com

The school district has lost about 40% of its teachers, including mental health and social workers.
“I’m speaking because I believe it’s the right thing, and I teach my students to use their voices to say what they believe. I’m terrified,” Hand said.
Teachers who publicly criticize the board could be considered insubordinate because of a district policy, known as KDDA, that directs staff not to speak to the media without written consent from Superintendent Ken Witt. It also limits what can be posted to social media.
The state educators’ union and its Woodland Park chapter sued over that policy in August.
“There are many more [teachers] who would have signed, if not for being afraid,” Hand said.

— Read on www.9news.com/article/news/local/next/next-with-kyle-clark/teachers-southern-colorado-jobs-at-risk-speaking-publicly-curriculum-american-birthright-woodland-park/73-01dca652-5c24-4839-8543-cb2337d40173

‘We have to get in there and face the threat’: 11 Call For Action gets inside Colorado school resource officer programs

While CSPD and EPSO were open and transparent about their training and procedures surrounding their SRO programs, it was not the same for Woodland Park School District RE-2.

On Aug. 17, 2023, the district sent out a one-page letter to the community alerting parents that they would be adding armed security officers to serve as school resource officers there.

11 News requested through an open records request the training and certification documentation for those hired to provide this armed security.

In their note to the community, the district writes, “These dedicated professionals must have completed rigorous training programs from law enforcement or other specialized training.”

Our newsroom wanted to know if these officers were certified to use rifles, and since they are not sworn officers like the majority of other local SRO programs, 11 News also requested additional information from the district about how they handle the training and certification for these armed guards.

The district responded: “No records existed.”
— Read on www.kktv.com/2023/10/05/we-have-get-there-face-threat-11-call-action-gets-inside-colorado-school-resource-officer-programs/