Letter to the board

A letter sent to the WPSD board recently by a community member:

Dear BOE Directors:

I cannot express the anger and disappointment that I am feeling as a result of the announcement regarding the middle school last Friday. After the turmoil over the past two years, and recent election in which the results were very close, I had hoped that the incumbent directors would be a little more willing to solicit input from, and to listen to, staff, parents, and students. Clearly that was wishful thinking.

Over 30 years ago, the taxpayers of this community approved a bond issue to build a new school so that 6-8 grades would have their own space away from high school students. For 29 years, the Woodland Park Middle School was that space, and then a new school board was elected. The middle school has been a place for 6-8 graders to transition from elementary school and get ready for high school. The middle school grades are unique because of the massive changes that kids go through at this age; they aren’t little kids anymore, and they aren’t teens and young adults. The middle school is a place for these kids to not only learn academics, but to experience greater choice of electives than elementary and start to develop their own interests, to join sports’ teams, academic teams, and Forensics, and to have a safe place in which to grow that belongs to them.

Starting last year, the middle school students started to lose their space. The middle school was being, “under utilized.” There weren’t 30 kids in every classroom. When Merit Academy was given half of the middle school building, the middle school students lost a large part of their space. The middle school staff went on educating middle school students and working to make sure that all students were welcomed into the safe space of the middle school. Then the decision came, despite parental and staff input to the contrary, to move 6th grade out of the middle school that was built, in part, for them. It was stated that the middle school was over-crowded (funny, since a year prior it was, “almost empty”). Parents, staff, community, etc. were told that it was so much better for the 6th grade to be in the elementary schools away from the older middle school students. A BOE director gushed over the, “opportunities,” that Superintendent Witt had created for the 6th grade students at the elementaries. Did you ever consider the opportunities that were stripped from them? In the middle school, 6th grade band students have band five days a week. Art, P.E., Consumer and Family Studies, Choir, STEM classes meet five days a week. They have all academic classes five days a week. In the elementary, they are lucky to have electives two or maybe three days a week. Thanks to the middle school band teacher now having to travel three days a week, 6th grade students get one day of band weekly, which will have a negative impact on the future of the WPSD band program. In the elementary school, science and social studies are not taught every day. 6th grade students no longer are able to join the Forensics team like they have for years, and just when 6th grade students were being added to all middle school sports teams, they get moved out and lose the opportunity.

Now the 7th and 8th graders are losing their entire building. If it wasn’t good for 6th graders to be with the older 7th and 8th graders, how is it good for the 7th and 8th graders to be with juniors and seniors? What considerations have been made regarding this move? The middle school PE program just received equipment to upgrade their fitness room. Where will that new equipment go in the high school building so that the 7th and 8th grade students will be able to utilize it? Will the middle school students really have their own safe space in the high school? Will they still have their beloved teachers and administrators? What about classroom space and storage space? Is there really adequate space in the high school? The high school building has numerous problems due to its age. Will all available space be safe for students? And what about sports programs? At this time, there are 7-8 basketball teams, and depending on numbers, could be as many as 9, practicing and playing games. Middle school practices daily in the middle school gym (with new bleachers that have WP). They play games on Mondays and Wednesdays. High school teams practice in both the North gym and main gym and play games usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays in both gyms. The high school boys and girls, as they have done for decades, already alternate early and late practices. Can you explain how this will work when middle school teams are added in the mix? How are up to 9 teams going to practice and play games in two gyms?! The same goes for the fall with volleyball. The cheer team has to practice after volleyball practices, and in between basketball early and late practices. Baseball has started their preseason practices, and the cheer team now has to shorten their time because the baseball team needs the space. During track season, middle school practices on the middle school track. Will they still be using the middle school track when they are housed in the high school? If so, will the district be bussing them each afternoon to the middle school? What kind of costs will be incurred in order to provide for middle school and high school teams.? Can you explain how this is even fair to WPMS and WPHS students and athletes? Can you explain how it’s ok for Merit to have 10 kids in a class, but when the middle school only had 25 kids in classes, it wasn’t enough?

For the past two plus years, it has appeared that, although the BOE is the board of WPSD, it has done everything in its power to benefit Merit Academy at the expense of WPSD schools, particularly WPMS. Now, please understand that I am all for school choice; I’m in support of having a charter school. But I am not in support of how the BOE has worked to destroy WPMS. Most charter schools are not given a building that is already in use, and then push out the students that are using that building. What has been done is wrong. It is decisions like this, without thought, without staff, parent, student, and community input or support, that continue to create strife. It is also decisions like this that continue to put Merit Academy at odds with WPSD parents, students, and staff; not because of Merit, but because of the actions of the WPSD BOE.

With sadness,

Laurie Gutierrez
Community member, taxpayer, former WPSD student, former WPSD staff member

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:

Dissenting opinion on school board decision | Guest column

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

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: