From the 1/31/2024 Pikes Peak Courier:

Divisive at best

As a district parent, I am flabbergasted by the decision to extend Ken Witt’s contract as the WPSD Superintendent – with guaranteed, taxpayer-funded raises no less – without any formal discussion or evaluation. When Mr. Witt knowingly and intentionally broke the law and violated the first amendment rights of teachers, was that not worth even a mention? Is the continued hemorrhaging of staff under Mr. Witt not worth digging into? Is Mr. Witt’s alarming lack of transparency – both to the school board and the community –simply par for the course now? Should feedback from Mr. Witt’s subordinates not be solicited or even considered?

At best, Ken Witt is a divisive outsider who neither lives in the Woodland Park School District nor seeks to better understand and heal it. At worst, he is intentionally ripping at whatever tenuous seams remain holding friends and neighbors together while pouring hundreds of thousands of our tax dollars into his personal bank account. With so many less incendiary superintendent candidates out there, how can Mick Bates, Cassie Kimbrell, and Suzanne Patterson allow this disturbing behavior to continue unchecked?

Sarah Voget, Woodland Park

WPSD board: Fiscal conservatives?

January 17, our school board renewed a contract for Superintendent Ken Witt—expiring in June. Why hurry?

The offer: A $15,000 dollar raise (to $170,000), plus perks including 5% guaranteed annual increase and potentially $15,000 in bonuses. He retains his part time job for an organization championing charter schools and can work remotely—no required days in-district. While previous superintendents highly involved themselves in the community, most serving on the Chamber of Commerce, Witt has little to lose residing in Monument, with few visits to our schools and no performance review.

Salaries from similar-sized districts reveal Witt’s as high to mid-range—though other superintendents work daily, and have around 20 years’ experience and at minimum Master’s degrees.

Our teachers’ starting salaries ($42,000) are mid to low of comparative schools; only Cripple Creek pays lower, though our cost of living is 9% beyond the national average and median housing price is over $500,000. The majority hold master’s degrees. They’re required to work per district calendar and aren’t guaranteed raises or bonuses.

Witt’s contract was offered despite declining enrollment. October 2022’s pupil count was 1,977; October 2023 count was 1820 (decrease of 157, or 7%). His salary only comes from the 1422 non-charter students—a significantly smaller pot than pre-Merit Academy days. Meanwhile, parent protests remain at an all-time high.

Who wrote the contract? Clearly the BOE didn’t; this wasn’t on the agenda and was provided 15 minutes prior to vote. Who is watching our tax dollars? Can we afford this?

Carol Greenstreet, Woodland Park

A guest column in the Courier, written by our newest school board member Keegan Barkley:

It is 4 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 18 and I am wide awake. My conscience allowed me to fall asleep easily but my frustration woke me early. Superintendent Ken Witt’s contract was extended last night by a 3-2 vote in what, in my opinion, was a confusing and disorganized special board meeting. I feel it is my duty to the community to explain my dissenting vote. 

Nothing about this contract renewal followed best practices or ensured it was in the best interest of district families, teachers, and taxpayers. As a specialist in talent acquisition, I work with employee contracts daily. Contract renewals are negotiations that include honest conversations with the hiring manager, finance department, and human resources. Contract renewals require objective performance reviews. Contract renewals usually consider feedback from someone’s peers and subordinates. None of that happened last night.

In fact, the opposite happened. Because of the way the agenda was written, we were not legally allowed to negotiate Mr. Witt’s proposed contract while in executive session. We were not legally allowed to discuss the performance of the employee or the petition against the renewal signed by over 300 parents and community members, and we were not legally allowed to propose any changes to the contract. Our only options were to postpone the vote or to vote that evening.

Despite the fact we, as a Board, had only minutes ago received the contract, and the current contract is not up until June 3, board members chose to legally bind our school district and all the taxpayers who support it, to a 2-year contract extension. A contract with guaranteed salary increases each year when we do not offer the same to our teachers. 

We had the opportunity to start mending the cracks that have formed in our community – to do our due diligence in examining what our district needs to move forward successfully. To show the community who elected us that we can rise above our differences by undertaking a robust, objective examination of our superintendent’s contract and performance. Instead, another contract was rubber stamped with no consideration for the ramifications on the families who depend on us to think critically, not politically. 

This approach is irresponsible. It is not fiscally conservative or transparent, and it is not in the best interest of this district or our community. 

Board policy states the board shall:

1. Represent and govern the district by determining and verifying district/superintendent performance.

2. Ensure input from students, staff, parents and other citizens as a means to link to the entire community.

3. Develop and modify as needed written governing policies.

4. Ensure superintendent performance through monitoring District Purpose Statement and executive expectations policies.

5. Ensure board performance through monitoring governance process and board/superintendent staff relationship policies.

I will adhere to my duties, and I thank the other board member willing to put in the effort last night.

Keegan Barkley

From the 12/27/23 Courier:

Against American Birthright Standard

After listening to a recent televised interview with WPSD board member Mick Bates promoting the American Birthright Standards, I can see why the Colorado State Board of Education has rejected that manifesto.

While promoting the ABS, Bates said; “We’re going to look at the true history of this country.” Continuing he said, “One simple example is, yes, we had slavery, but we were the first to get rid of it. It’s a long story but it’s a good story. It’s a positive story because we ended slavery and I want our children to get the real history and education about America, this great country.”

Yes, we are a great Country, but the United States was far from being the “first” to end slavery. In fact, we were one of the last. And it took the deaths of 620,000 soldiers to abolish it. Enslavement ended here only with pro-slavery forces going down kicking and screaming the whole way.

As a former student of WPHS over 55 years ago, I can only hope that our children are not indoctrinated by what I feel is a John Birch type of system that is promoted by some who subscribe to a fairy-tale time where White Anglo-Saxon Protestants were the dominant force in America. That faction, in my opinion, has one thing in mind, take America back to 1950, where some are kept in the back of the bus and others in the closet. And those cantankerous females of today, back in the kitchen.

Steve Plutt, Lake George

Gaslighting the new normal?

In January’s school board meeting, Rusterholz spoke about transparency going forward, healing the divide. Already, however, named board roles, policies and money spent outside the county were decisions moved forward without Barkley or parents. A key school leader was fired without explanation. I’d like to know how Barkley was included in that decision made a full two weeks after she took her oath?

How is this transparent? Is Gaslighting the New Normal?

No incumbents stood up for parents or students during the campaign. Instead, calling students parents’ puppets, teachers the enemy, and candidates were mislabeled union puppets. Barkley was called a lame duck the day after she was elected.

None countered media that misrepresented challengers, all accepted Republican party money, aligning at public events despite boards being apolitical.

Illingworth harassed parents by name online, calling them liars with no evidence.

Before the election, Bates called a locked-out board crowd rabble-rousers instead of addressing the community of parents and teachers displaced by religious folks instructed to line up early. When I talked with strangers standing near me if they had children or grandchildren in the schools, the occasional Merit parent said yes. I asked others why they were there – “I was told to be here.”

Meanwhile, inside, religious people prayed from the microphone and scolded the heathens in the room, depriving actual parents their monthly 3-minute voice.

How is this transparent, humane, or anything but gaslighting? I remind this board that nearly 50% of citizens voted against this behavior.

Trina Hoefling, Florissant

Thank you to Kevin Burr

On December 15th, Woodland Park School District Central Office released Kevin Burr from his position as Principal of Woodland Park High School. In their announcement, no reason was given, nor was Kevin’s name even mentioned. As a parent of a junior at WPHS who has felt supported by Mr. Burr, I was left feeling very disoriented and disappointed. I would like to take an opportunity to thank Kevin for his accomplishments at WPHS since 2018. Some highlights include:

An increase in WPHS SAT scores every year for the last five years

Expanding our course offerings with a cybersecurity series and criminology series (supporting a law enforcement track)

Significant growth in college opportunities at WPHS. Kevin wrote a grant that allowed four of our teachers to get their Masters degrees so that they could teach college level courses at WPHS in math, science, english and social studies. He built partnerships with UCCS and Pikes Peak State College which allow for concurrent enrollment opportunities

Increasing career opportunities where students are graduating with industry certificates in culinary arts, welding, graphic design, and computer science

Keeping students in school and accountable through the COVID 19 pandemic

US News and World Report recognizing WPHS as one of the Best High Schools in Colorado in 2022/23

WPHS receiving a Level 1 Certification from Marzano High Reliability Schools for a Safe, Supportive and Collaborative culture

Thank you, Kevin, for supporting academics and also our athletics and arts programs. Thank you for making WPHS stronger.

Khurshid Rogers, Woodland Park