Category Archives: News

WP cuts middle school after school academic assistance program

The Woodland Park school board found the money to give superintendent Ken Witt a $15k raise (plus 5% annual raise and up to 15% bonus), and found $328,000 extra to give to their pet project, Merit Academy, but followed up by CUTTING an after school academic assistance program at the middle school. As is typical for the Woodland Park school district, details are scarce…we’ll post an update as we learn more.

UPDATE – another email was sent out as a followup with new information. CORA request has been submitted to see if there’s any paper trail that would shed some light on this. The new email said:

Hello WPMS Families–

Earlier today I sent out a notification concerning the status of our Afterschool Academic Assistance program.  Unfortunately that email went out prematurely, and I did not have all the relevant information.  I apologize for any confusion, distress, or inconvenience that caused.

We are NOT cancelling our Afterschool Academic Assistance offering.  We will continue to offer this to students on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:20pm to 4:20pm.  In the event we need to cancel a particular day due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances, we will communicate that on the day of as needed.

Again, I apologize for any inconvenience this caused our community.

Thank you,

Bill Phalen

The original email:

Middle School (7/8 grades) being moved to High School building

About a year ago, the district made a surprise announcement that sixth grade was being moved out of the middle school building and into the three elementary schools. A teacher walkout and public protest followed, though it didn’t change the ultimate move. Today, the district announced that 7th and 8th grades would be moved out of the Middle School building to the High School, thereby giving the entire Middle School building to the charter school, Merit Academy.

This should come as a surprise to no one. Last August, the board modified their agreement with Merit to give that charter school as much of the middle school building as they said they needed…so the writing was on the wall. Still, like most board decisions, there has been no discussion with the community about any of this and no discussion in any public board meeting.

Naturally, no further details have been offered, no estimated costs have been shared. Taxpayers approved a bond issue in the early 90’s to build the Middle School building for use a middle school; starting this July it’ll be in the possession of a private non-profit corporation running a charter school.

Here’s the email parents received:

Dear WPSD Families, 

We want to provide an important update about facilities planning that will affect WPMS and WPHS.

We are currently discussing how to improve the efficiency of our building usage, specifically the utilization of the middle school and high school. In line with our commitment to providing the best facilities for our students, district administration and WPMS and WPHS leadership are planning a facilities merge, integrating WPMS 7th and 8th graders into WPHS, effective for the 2024-25 school year. No changes will occur during this current semester.

We understand the significance of such decisions and assure you the process is being approached carefully for our students’ educational experience and safety. All finalized decisions will be communicated through official channels, and we remain committed to transparency throughout this planning process.

If you have specific concerns or questions, please contact Aaron Salt, COO, at asalt@wpsdk12.org. 

The district surveyed parents in November of 2022 about the topic of building utilization…here’s the results of the relevant question:

Ken Witt gets raise, bonus in new contract with WPSD

On 1/17, the Woodland Park school board voted to approve a new contract for superintendent Ken Witt. Thanks to the Colorado Open Records Act, we were able to obtain a copy to see the details of this contract for ourselves. It appears pretty similar to his current contract, with the biggest changes being an increase in salary from $155k to $170k, a guaranteed minimum 5% raise per year (which is 5% more than teachers are guaranteed), and up to 15% annual bonus. Duration of this new contract is two years.

You can read the new contract here; for comparison, check out his old contract here.

WPSD social studies curriculum in First Grade

What does Woodland Park school district, the only district in the nation to have adopted the American Birthright standards for social studies, teach first graders about national holidays? Linked below are images of the handout talking about “National Patriotic Holidays”. Let’s talk about what students are being taught about these holidays…the WPSD definition, and the one from Wikipedia:

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

WPSD: “Martin Luther King Jr. believed all people should have the same rights. He worked hard to make this happen. He taught us to show respect for all people.”

Wikipedia: “King was chief spokesperson for nonviolent activism in the Civil Rights Movement, which protested racial discrimination in federal and state law and civil society. The movement lead to several groundbreaking legislative reforms in the United States.”

Juneteenth

WPSD: “Juneteenth is the country’s newest holiday. It is known as Freedom Day. We celebrate freedom on Juneteenth.”

Wikipedia: “Juneteenth…is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the end of slavery.”

What I believe is noteworthy here is how slavery and civil rights, the core tenets of those holidays, are being portrayed by our district. These are not difficult concepts to teach to a first grader…but our school district chooses a whitewashed version of history instead.

There’s also then the issue of Labor Day, omitting the significant impact unions had on labor in this country and that this holiday was proposed by them.

WPSD: “Workers have made our country strong. We celebrate them on Labor Day.”

Wikipedia: “Labor Day is…to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United States.”

As for Thanksgiving, first graders are not being taught how some of those first Thanksgiving celebrations were in thanks for the assistance Native Americans provided to those early settlers.

Studies Weekly, the company that published this teaching material, has come under fire in the past for racial or ethnic bias. As this article in Discourse Blog put it, “Whitewashed history is just what conservative parents and right-wing activists want.”

Here is the teaching material given to first grade students recently:

Petition For New WPSD RE-2 Superintendent

We, the parents/guardians and community members/stakeholders in Woodland Park School District RE-2, do not approve of Ken Witt as the superintendent of our school district and request that Witt’s contract not be extended beyond June 2024. We would like to see a fair process and consideration of other candidates for long term superintendent before one is instated.
— Read on form.jotform.com/240105235031134

Once Public Schools are Largely Dead, Here’s What Happens Next…

Public schools were the great social and economic leveler for the last century of American history; Republicans want to end that and instead advantage wealthy children over their lower-income peers, particularly those whose skin is darker than Trump’s spray tan.

Public schools (and free college) made it possible for America to produce an explosion of invention and innovation throughout the mid-20th century; now other countries are surpassing us, as the dumbing-down of our kids has become institutionalized in Red state after Red state.

— Read on www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/12/28/2214215/-Once-Public-Schools-are-Largely-Dead-Here-s-What-Happens-Next

Woodland Park High School principal let go

Parents this afternoon received an email from the district (see below), announcing the immediate change of leadership in the high school. No mention of the now-former principal Kevin Burr was made, only that the assistant principal would be assuming interim principal duties. No details have been provided to the public, and this was not a topic of discussion in the board meeting this past Wednesday. For a school board and administration like Woodland Park has these days…it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to us to see moves like this. But I wonder…what prompted this, and what’s their next move?

Woodland Park, CO – 12/15/2023 – Woodland Park School District announces new leadership at Woodland Park High School effective immediately.

The school district recognizes the importance of stability and continuity for students, staff, and parents. In light of this, Assistant Principal Cindy Gannon, who has been an integral part of the school’s leadership team, will assume the role of Interim Principal for the remainder of the current school year.

Gannon has led in Woodland Park High School for 15 years and brings 26 years of experience in education to this role. She is committed to maintaining a positive and supportive learning environment for all students. The school district is confident Gannon is well-equipped to lead Woodland Park High School as the district determines long-term leadership for the school.

Superintendent Ken Witt stated, “Woodland Park schools are committed to a laser focus on the academic success of our students while always honoring parents’ rights, recognizing the trust our parents place in Woodland Park School District to educate their children without undermining the values of the home.”

The district is committed to supporting Gannon in her new role and ensuring a smooth transition, maintaining a positive environment keenly focused on the academic success of every Woodland Park student. 

Rob Reiner drops trailer for documentary on Christian nationalism – al.com

Director Rob Reiner dropped a trailer this week for his upcoming documentary, “God & Country: The Rise of Christian Nationalism,” which critiques the mixing of right-wing politics and Christianity.

“Christian Nationalism is not only a danger to our Country, it’s a danger to Christianity itself,” Reiner tweeted on X, as he released a trailer for the documentary that he said will open in theaters in February.
— Read on www.al.com/life/2023/12/rob-reiner-drops-trailer-for-documentary-on-christian-nationalism.html