You’ll hear Ken Witt talk about how closing Gateway Elementary School was done in a transparent way, but check out what board member Keegan Barkley posted to Facebook last night:
The truth about ‘transparency’ in the WPSD
Tag Archives: Ken Witt
Woodland Park School District announces plan to consolidate elementary schools | KRDO
“We’re notified of what’s happening. We’re not given any voice in what’s happening,” she said.
The teacher explained that she fears the change will impact students the most, as the shifting environments can reduce student motivation and cause uncertainty.
— Read on krdo.com/news/2024/03/01/woodland-park-school-district-announces-plan-to-consolidate-elementary-schools/
WPSD hires new MS/HS principal for ’24-25 school year
The district has hired a new principal for the combined middle school / high school (grades 7-12) for next school year (’24-25). They chose Dr. Tory Richey, who is currently principal of The Home School Academy in D20. As its name suggests, that school “supports home school families with weekly enrichment (non-academic) programs.” Its enrollment focuses on lower grades; there are currently 173 7-12th graders enrolled there (599 total students). Exactly what makes him a great choice to lead Woodland Park’s combined MS/HS, with 789 students this year, is unclear. Note that Aaron Salt, the Woodland Park School District’s HR director, is also the president of the board in D20, where Richey currently works.
Here’s the press release:
Dear WPSD Families,
We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Dr. Tory Richey as the Secondary Campus Principal over Woodland Park Middle and High Schools, effective July 1, 2024. Dr. Richey brings a wealth of experience and dedication to education, and we are confident he will be an excellent addition to our Woodland Park Schools community.
What makes this announcement even more special is that Dr. Richey is an alum of WPHS. Also, you may remember him as he previously served as an assistant principal at WPHS from 2006 to 2009. After his time at WPHS, Dr. Richey continued to expand his career and expertise in education, including serving as the Cripple Creek Junior Senior High School Secondary Principal (2014-2016), Assistant Superintendent/Secondary Principal (2016-2018), and Superintendent/K-12 Principal (2018-2020) before taking his current role as principal at Home School Academy in Colorado Springs.
Dr. Richey is eager to reconnect with familiar faces and meet new members of our staff and families. In his enthusiasm to get to know everyone, he has expressed his intention to start working on these introductions as soon as possible. Although his official start date is July 1, 2024, he wants to ensure a smooth transition and build strong connections within our community.
Returning to Woodland Park holds a special place in Dr. Richey’s heart, as his parents still reside here. He is excited to contribute to the success and growth of our great Woodland Park Middle and High Schools and serve the wonderful community that has always been close to him.
We look forward to a bright future under Dr. Richey’s leadership and invite you to join us in welcoming him back to the Woodland Park School District.
School superintendent tries to stop interview after question about program funds
In the email, the middle school principal tells parents an after-school academic program has to be canceled because the funds used to pay the teachers have run out.
When asked about the email, Witt told News5 to cut the cameras. We did not agree to the request and kept rolling.
— Read on www.koaa.com/news/covering-colorado/school-superintendent-tries-to-cut-interview-short-after-questioned-about-program-funding
Witt walks out of interview
When a reporter started asked Witt questions about the middle school academic achievement after school program, he called it quits on the interview:
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 board votes to renew Ken Witt’s contract
In the 1/17/2024 board meeting, which you can watch below, the Woodland Park school board voted to renew Ken Witt’s contract as superintendent. The board did not disclose the duration of the new contract, nor did they describe what changes were made to the contract (a CORA request is pending to obtain that information). Nor did the board discuss Ken Witt’s job performance or even whether he’d be a good choice for superintendent.
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
Superintendent Ken Witt talks to Gateway staff (March, 2023)
This video is from March, 2023, when Ken Witt talked to staff at Gateway Elementary. Just in case you need a reminder of how he treats staff, and what sort of person this current BOE wants leading our district.
KOAA coverage of 10/11/2023 board meeting
Good reporting, with a classic Ken Witt quote at the end…“…those teachers union affiliates bent on fostering a hatred of America in our youth.”