This email went out to staff this afternoon:
Author Archives: Matt G
2/8/2023 School Board Meeting
The public comments in the 2/8 meeting were really inspiring and worth watching…you can view this segment below. Lots of new voices at this meeting and some great speeches, word really is spreading.
In the meeting itself, Witt proposed a change to GP-5, to change from:
Board must represent the interests of the citizens of the entire school District
To:
Board must represent the educational interests of the students and their families as first priority, as well as the citizens of the entire school District
This change is expected to come into play with any decisions regarding social issues with students (LGBTQ+, etc) – we expect less tolerance for anything like that (especially after Illingworth’s questions in the 1/25 meeting!). We have CORA requests open to learn more about what discussions may be going on behind the scenes. This was a FIRST READING of this policy, so has not yet been enacted. Be sure to email board members if you have concerns about this (see the district contact info page).
The board also voted to modify the district calendar for next year…I expect they’ll publish that soon.
Here’s the entire meeting:
Community first? | Guest column | Pikes Peak Courier | gazette.com
I generally affirm the need for local control in our schools; life-giving community is vital for shaping our children and ourselves. I believe all local issues should be seen through
— Read on https://gazette.com/pikespeakcourier/community-first-guest-column/article_01fd41fc-a28b-11ed-84eb-dfe1dd4bfef5.html
School Board Protests Continue to Rock District | The Mountain Jackpot News
School Board Protests Continue to Rock District | The Mountain Jackpot News
— Read on www.mountainjackpot.com/2023/02/02/school-board-protests-continue-to-rock-district/
Third Future – Intent to Apply to Become a District Charter School
Third Future’s Intent to Apply form is now available and can be viewed here. They are proposing to take over Gateway Elementary as a ‘partnership school’; I don’t know what that means. We’ll dig into this all some more. Next board meeting is February 8th.
Banning books is for bullies | Writers on the Range | Pikes Peak Courier | gazette.com
Some people have become so alarmed by what children might read in school or in libraries that they want books they don’t like removed — immediately. The targeted books include
— Read on https://gazette.com/pikespeakcourier/banning-books-is-for-bullies-writers-on-the-range/article_34d7c554-9db6-11ed-8d25-cb9a566cc720.html?fbclid=IwAR1zfhKHPusA50ruYBTm4jgfwO0QxtrtVjU3EXiPdKtF-v-w0hJI0xDYces
A Woodland Park educator stood up for her students — and lost her job | Colorado Public Radio
Teachers in this small district northwest of Colorado Springs, like teachers across the country, are scared and uncertain about what they can and can’t say in school.
— Read on www.cpr.org/2023/02/01/woodland-park-teacher/
Woodland Park School District RE-2 pulls course material after critical race theory complaint | Pikes Peak Courier | gazette.com
Woodland Park School District RE-2 is pulling material from a high school course following a complaint that it teaches critical race theory concepts.
— Read on https://gazette.com/pikespeakcourier/woodland-park-school-district-re-2-pulls-course-material-after-critical-race-theory-complaint/article_a5aadc5c-a195-11ed-bbfc-17926d9f7a45.html?fbclid=IwAR1TRN_LRoVN6nxrCd0M7luG58mCrpGbJppxJBI_SP5Ou56gvISUgqkv1Xw
Union Intimidation in Woodland Park
We are witnessing intimidation of the teacher’s union in Woodland Park, the Woodland Park Education Alliance (WPEA). This started with board director David Illingworth, who wrote (emphasis added is mine):
“If you expect me to play nice with the union, then you don’t know me.”
source
This union is openly attempting to organize a coup in our schools using our equipment. They have abused our agreement. Therefore, I expect the board to review that agreement for modification or termination.
Further, they clearly feel emboldened and unchecked by your principals and executives. We will not employ people who seek to undermine and resist the people’s business. The exceptional education of our children is our highest priority, not begging forgiveness from people who have underperformed.In light of the open warfare launched by the union, with the tacit support of leadership, changes that might have been unnecessary before now become imperative. As our employee, I encourage you to use your best judgment in preparing a list of positions in which a change in personnel would be beneficial to our kids, and would likewise help the union see the wisdom in cooperation rather than conflict.
source
Can you please ask the Superintendent to provide us any information he has about WPEA membership and command structure?
source
Now, a resident relatively new to this town (with no kids in the schools), Jameson Dion, has obtained video footage of the WPEA’s recent meeting (CORRECTION 2/1 – this meeting was open to all teachers, not just WPEA), and is promising to post it online. He already posted a short segment of the video online as a ‘teaser’ of what’s to come. A screenshot is included below, but please note – the yellow markups are MY doing…Dion posted this unaltered, so you could see the face of the person speaking as well as the names and faces of some of the people joining the Zoom call and shown at the top (and note, he posted an actual video segment, not a still photo).
Updated agenda for 4/13 meeting
The Agenda for the Wednesday 4/13 board meeting has been updated, adding the item, “Discussion and Reconsideration of Re-Approval of MOU with Merit Academy – President Rusterholtz”