This Year's Jeffco School Board Elections: Make Sure You Vote

School board elections are weird. They happen only in off years, they're low profile, and are officially non-partisan. That means there's no (D) or (R) next to any of the names.

While this might sound wonderfully bipartisan and nonpolitical, the truth is the candidates are most indeed Rs or Ds. The problem is that your typical voter (someone, perhaps, like you!) ends up having no idea who to vote for without going out and doing a ton of research. And even then, candidate websites are remarkable vague, choosing to focus on bland platitudes. As a result, many voters simply don't mark a candidate for school board on their ballots. 

In some recent Jeffco School Board elections, only about a quarter of eligible voters have cast their vote for a school board candidate. Unfortunately, this allows ideologically extreme candidates to slip into office, because their supporters most definitely know who to vote for and what positions they're getting from their vote. We saw this in 2015, when a group of right-wing, Trump-like ideologues took control of Jeffco, to ruinous effect.

This year the pandemic has exacerbated the situation, and anti-mask, anti-science, anti-public education candidates are running for the Jeffco school board. Folks, it's scary. 

Fortunately, a slate of quietly competent, pro-public education candidates are also running. Meet Paula Reed, Danielle Varda, and Mary Parker.

Rather than bomb-throwing and making ideological stands for clicks, these three women are interested in fixing problems and moving Jeffco forward. Their slogan ("Let's work together to build bright futures for Jeffco kids") might sound a little cheesy, but they mean it. So make sure you vote this November. There's a lot riding on it. Again.

Voters This Fall Can Fix Colorado's School Funding Problems

Voters at both the state and local level have the chance to fix many of Colorado's school funding issues this fall. Here in Jeffco, a bond and mill levy override will be on the ballot at measures 5A and 5B, while Amendment 73 would fix inequities in funding at the state level.

Our Jeffco public schools are shockingly underfunded compared to other school districts in the metro area, with Jeffco receiving $900 less per pupil compared to Denver, Cherry Creek, Littleton and Boulder. This gap plays out in lots of ways in the classroom, but one of the biggest is in terms of teacher quality. Mid-career educators can leave Jeffco and make $10-12K more in other districts. This is a serious issue when you stop to consider that research shows teacher effectiveness rises as teachers gain experience in the classroom. Jeffco has become a training ground for new teachers, who then move on just as they've mastered the basics. It's the old adage, "you get what you pay for," and we're not paying much.

On top of that, Jeffco's physical infrastructure has suffered from decades of deferred maintenance caused by voter unwillingness to fund repairs. The average age of a Jeffco classroom is 50 years, and stories abound of leaking roofs, rodent infestations, and elevated lead levels in school plumbing.

Jeffco's schools are so underfunded that 5A and 5B would only serve to bring Jeffco closer to the level of underfunding experienced by other school districts. The truth is that Colorado's public schools are seriously underfunded compared to schools in other states.

Colorado spends $9,575 per year per pupil. In comparison, California spends $11,495, Minnesota spends $12,382, North Dakota spends $13,373 and Wyoming (Wyoming!!) $16,442.

On the other hand, Mississippi spends just $8,702 per year per student, so at least we're (barely) beating them in terms of investing in our children. Hmm.

Amendment 73 would bring in additional money by taxing personal income over $150,000-- something that would affect few people in downtown Lakewood, where average family incomes hover at right around $48,000 per year. Even for those families who make over $150K, the tax would be minor-- just $81 a year on average for anyone making between $150-$200K a year. Really, it's peanuts compared to the benefits we'd get as a community.

Corporate tax rates and the property rate on non-residential property would also go up slightly. Meanwhile, the tax rate on residential property would actually go down slightly.

I think it's important to point out that Amendment 73 would really only impact the super-wealthy, and that anything to the contrary is part of a scare campaign aimed at seniors and others on fixed or limited incomes. The truth is that very few people would be hit with any additional taxes while our schools and communities would see big benefits.

Keep Jeffco Moving Forward

Have you noticed how little there's been in the news about the Jeffco Public Schools of late? That's probably because the current school board has been a model of good governance, listening and responding to parents, students, teachers, and other community stakeholders.

It's a big change from just a few years ago, when an ideological and divisive faction of tea-partiers and Libertarians seized control of the school district and made just about everyone in Jeffco angry. That previous board-- made up of Ken Witt, John Newkirk, and Julie Williams--  managed to make national and even international news for their efforts to censor AP History. In the end, they were removed by two-thirds of voters in an unprecedented recall election.

So yes, the quiet has been good. Witt, Newkirk, and Williams were replaced by Brad Rupert, Susan Harmon, and Ron Mitchell, and since then school board meetings have gone back to being the sleepy affairs they were before the tea party takeover. Eschewing ideology, Rupert, Harmon, and Mitchell have focused on nonpartisan governance and transparency, and have regained the trust of parents and the wider community. In one of their best moves, they hired Dr. Jason Glass, superintendent of the Eagle Count Schools and former Director of Education of Iowa's public schools. Dr. Glass has put a hold on school closures, and has been a ubiquitous presence at public events throughout the county, asking questions, reaching out to parents, and calling on teachers to transform the student experience.

Because Rupert, Harmon, and Mitchell were elected only to fill out the remainder of the recalled board members' terms, all three are up for reelection again this fall. Running against them are several partisan candidate who would take us back to the battles of the past few years.

Personally, I feel we need keep Jeffco moving forward, and that means re-electing Brad Rupert, Susan Harmon, and Ron Mitchell.

South Lakewood Elementary Wins Awards

South Lakewood elementary is one of several Jeffco Public Schools that sit within the boundaries of downtown Lakewood-- in this case, tucked into a very residential, very suburban neighborhood on the northwest side of Alameda and Wadsworth.

The school has also been on somewhat of a roll of late, having won both the national 2016 Jan Harp Domene Diversity and Inclusion Award and the City of Lakewood's 2016 Defender of the Planet Youth Award.

The Jan Harp Domene Diversity and Inclusion Award recognizes Parent-Teacher Associations that "best demonstrate outstanding achievement in the areas of diversity and inclusion, as well as efforts to end discriminatory practices."

According to Sandie Weathers, the PTA President, the group "collaborated with students, teachers, staff, and the community to host a variety of events and activities throughout the school year. These events included our Intercultural Fair, Multicultural Club, Indian Ed Movie Night, and Autism Awareness Month.”

The City of Lakewood's Defender of the Planet Youth Award was given to a group of student leaders at South Lakewood who developed an outreach and education plan regarding renewable energy, water conservation, and waste management. According to the city's press release, "student leaders first taught themselves about the programs and technologies in use at the school and then educated their fellow classmates about how they reduce the school’s environmental impacts."

A Clean Slate for Jeffco Schools

Although Jefferson County is divided into five school board districts, board members are elected at large. This means that voters-- regardless of where they reside within the county-- have the ability to cast their ballots for a candidate in every district.

This means that in the coming 2015 November election, voters who live in downtown Lakewood will have the ability to vote for all five school board seats.

That is to say, voters in downtown Lakewood will have the chance to cast their votes for a return to the open and nonpartisan cooperation that has marked Jeffco's school boards in the past, and against the waste, disrespect, and lack of transparency of the current board.

Which candidates are in favor of a clean slate for Jeffco? They are:

• Ali Lasell
• Amanda Stevens
• Brad Rupert
• Susan Harmon
• Ron Mitchell

This is, without a doubt, the most impressive slate of school board candidates Jeffco has seen in years, if not decades. And that's fitting, given how high the stakes are.

But don't take my word for it. Visit their websites. Go and meet them at a candidate forum. Then vote to recall the current board and give our schools the leadership they need.

Get the Facts on the Jefferson County School Board Recall

Why are parents and community members in Jeffco seeking to recall three school board members?

The bloggers at Jefferson County School Board Watch have put together a Recall 101 for the Jeffco community.

It's well worth the read: http://jeffcoschoolboardwatch.org/?page_id=3508

Parents Seek Recall of Dysfunctional Jeffco School Board Majority

Jeffco United for Action, a group of parents from both the political left and right, has begun gathering signatures in an effort to recall Jeffco's dysfunctional school board majority.

The three school board members in question-- Ken Witt, Julie Williams, and John Newkirk-- have angered a broad range of Jeffco citizens with their attempt to censor AP US history, their refusal to build new schools in the overcrowded Arvada area, and their efforts to change school enrollment boundaries without consulting parents. Parents and teachers that I've talked to have spoken about a lack of transparency and respect, including the use of ever changing rules to limit public comment at board meetings and the hiring of a private attorney (with public funds!) to get around Colorado's sunshine laws and to redact contracts and other documents that have no reason to be kept from the public. Much of the anger seems to be coming from a petty, even vindictive attitude on the part of Williams, Witt, and Newkirk, who have adopted a tone at school board meetings that could be seen as verbally abusive of parents, students, and teachers. They don't seem to know how to work with others, and they don't appear to value compromise. 

It's a shame, because school boards members are supposed to be the grown ups. Well run schools are essential for any community, and even more so for an area like downtown Lakewood, which is undergoing so much urban renewal.

I'm supporting the recall effort, and I hope you do too. You can learn more at:

http://jeffcounitedforaction.org

Jeffco School Board in the News Again. Sigh.

Our far-right, tea party backed Jeffco school board majority is at it again, causing both Republicans and Democrats here in Lakewood to cringe. Here's a sampling of the latest headlines, along with links:

From Westword: Jeffco School Board's Julie Williams apologizes for posting anti-LGBT link

From Chalkbeat: Jeffco board member apologizes for sharing link to hate group on Facebook

9News: Jeffco school board member explains Facebook post

Click the links and read about Ms. Williams' "apology," if you're so inclined.

Meanwhile, the best response so far has come from Michele Patterson, President of the Jeffco PTA, who tweeted: "You only see bigoted posts in your FB feed if you're liking hateful, bigoted FB pages in the first place."

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Update:

Concerned about the actions of the Jeffco school board majority? Interested in learning more? Here are some grassroots organizations working on the issue:

Citizens for Responsible Education

Support Jeffco Kids

Jefferson County School Board Watch

Jeffco School Board Unanimously Approves Changes to Lakewood Area Schools

The divided Jeffco school board came together on March 4th to approve unanimously a package of far-reaching changes to the neighborhood schools that serve downtown Lakewood.

O'Connell Middle School, located at 1275 S. Teller St., is to close at the end of this school year. With a population of just over 500 students, O'Connell is a fairly small middle school by Jeffco standards. While I don't have any hard numbers, the word on the street is that many Lakewood families open enroll their children to other district middle schools over concerns about O'Connell's low test scores.

Going forward, 7th-12th graders in most of downtown Lakewood will attend Alameda International High School as their neighborhood secondary campus. (I say most of downtown Lakewood, because students in the northwest quadrant of downtown will still attend Lakewood High School.) Alameda International has around 800 students on a campus originally designed for 1500 or so, and district officials say it can easily accommodate O'Connell's 500 or so 7th and 8th graders.

The second big change is that Stein Elementary, a neighborhood school located just north of Belmar at 80 S. Teller St., will be moving to the former O'Connell campus. Stein is seriously overcrowded, and in theory this will allow students and teachers some much needed elbow room. The current Stein campus will then close for a year for renovations before reopening as a new elementary school.

What's unknown is how parents and downtown Lakewood residents truly feel about these changes-- I can vouch for the fact the school district informational meetings that I went to were sparsely attended. When schools open and close, enrollment boundaries change as well, and that can sometimes lead to acrimonious debate. Which neighborhoods will fall into the enrollment boundaries of the freshly remodeled Stein campus? Which neighborhoods will be drawn into the borders of the re-purposed middle school building? The Jeffco school district is currently short on answers.

Jeffco Public Schools 2015-2016 Community Budget Survey

If you live in Jefferson County, it's important you take the time and complete the Jefferson County Public Schools 2015-2016 Community Budget Survey.

As I've reported here and here, our community is in the midst of an extremely contentious debate about the future of our public school system, with both sides in the debate claiming the support of the public at large.

So far the number of respondents appears depressingly low-- just a few thousand individuals out of some 400,000+ Jeffco residents.

Here's the link:

jeffcoschools.citizenbudget.com

More on Proposal to Reorganize Alameda Area Schools

At a sparsely attended meeting last night-- one where Jeffco staff members outnumbered the 20 or so community members-- the school district outlined its proposal to reorganize the Alameda area schools that serve much of downtown Lakewood.

Terry Elliot, the district's Chief School Effectiveness Officer, began by explaining the need for  new elementary school in the Alameda High School articulation area. Currently, the area has five elementary schools-- Deane, Stein, Lasley, Patterson, and Kendrick Lakes-- and one middle school--O'Connell. All but one, he explained, is at or above maximum capacity.

Patterson Elementary, which is located near the intersection of Garrison and Mississippi (outside the boundaries of downtown Lakewood), is the least crowded with 379 students. This, Mr. Elliott explained, puts Patterson at just 79% of capacity.

The picture is different at the remaining Alameda area schools. Kendrick Lakes Elementary, which is also near the intersection of Garrison and Mississippi-- only on the west side-- has 442 students, putting the building at 109% of capacity. Lasley Elementary, located off Florida roughly halfway between Wadsworth and Sheridan, has 511 students and is at 99% of capacity.

Stein Elementary and Deane Elementary are the two Alameda area elementary schools that are in downtown Lakewood. Stein, located just a block north of Belmar on Teller St, has 737 students and is at 164% of capacity. Deane, located about a mile east of Belmar at Harlan St and West Virginia Ave, has 477 students and is at 102% of capacity.

When asked by an audience member about the reason for the overcrowding, Mr. Elliot said it had to do with the rise of multigenerational households in the area, combined with the availability of low priced housing, high mobility, and new construction.

The solution, he went on to argue, is to convert O'Connell Middle School, which is at just 50% capacity, into a new, sixth elementary school for the articulation area. O'Connell's 7th and 8th graders would then go to Alameda High School, which has just 800 students currently on a campus built for 1600. This, he said, would allow the creation of a new 7th-12th grade Alameda that would continue and extend its International Baccalaureate program.

All this would involved drawing new enrollment lines for the entire east side of downtown Lakewood. Currently, for example, the neighborhood elementary school for everyone living in Belmar is Deane. This would likely change, although Mr. Elliott said the district has not yet begun looking at how enrollment lines would be redrawn.

He also stated that the new elementary school would also have the International Baccalaureate program, which, in my view at least, makes it a more desirable option than the traditional curriculum of Deane.

Whether or not you have school aged children, these kinds of changes are worth paying close attention to. School enrollment lines affect property values and rents. I hope that the Jeffco School Board listens closely to the community before making any decision. And I hope the community gives that input.

Meeting on Proposed School Closings/Mergers

There's a meeting tonight (Wednesday January 14th) at Alameda International High School about a proposal to restructure the neighborhood schools that serve the east side of downtown Lakewood.

Downtown Lakewood is defined by the four quadrants created by the intersection of Wadsworth and Alameda Avenues. What you might not know is that the neighborhoods on the west side of Wadsworth and the neighborhoods on the east side (including Belmar) are in different school enrollment zones. Both sides are part of the Jefferson County School system, but the neighborhoods on the west side of Wadsworth feed into Lakewood High School, an award winning school with a noted International Baccalaureate  program. Neighborhoods on the east side feed into Alameda High School, which has seen shrinking enrollments as a growing number of local parents choice enroll their students into other schools, including Lakewood High. At the same time, enrollment in Alameda's feeder elementary schools has been growing, with the award winning Stein Elementary now at something around 170% of capacity.

Just a few weeks ago the school district floated a proposal to turn Alameda into a 7th-12th grade  International Baccalaureate school (Alameda High currently has a small but growing International Baccalaureate program, started to compete with the program at Lakewood). 

The proposal would then be to close O'Connell Middle School (Alameda High School's only middle level feeder) and turn it into a new elementary school in order to relieve overcrowding a Stein.

Tonight's meeting is from 6-8 pm. I'll try and attend and report back.

Protests Continue to Rock Jefferson County, Downtown Lakewood

Protests against the Jeffco School Board's conservative majority continued on Friday night, as an estimated 2500 protestors waved signs at intersections from 120th Ave in the north of Jefferson County to Ken Caryl Blvd. in the south. Newspapers as far away as Great Britain reported on the controversy.

Parents, students and teachers line Wadsworth

Blvd. in downtown Lakewood on Friday night 

to protest the actions of the Jeffco School 

Board.

The protests began last year when a newly elected conservative school board majority announced its plans to end the Jeffco school district's 45 year history of collaboration with its employee association and implement a series of controversial decisions, including the firing of Jeffco's award winning superintendent, Cindy Stevenson, and the unilateral imposition of an opaque and untested pay scheme for teachers.

It was the decision by board member Julie Williams to create a curriculum review committee, however,  that ignited the latest round of protests, sick-outs, and student walk-outs. The proposed committee would have had the mandate to seek out and bring to the board's attention classes and curriculum that failed to promote Ms. William's narrow view of patriotism, the free-market system, and history. The original text of the committee's mandate even hinted that courses that taught about safe sex, global warming, or evolution would soon be placed under the school board's microscope.

The Jeffco School Board dropped Ms. William's language at its Oct. 1st board meeting, but voted nevertheless to establish the curriculum review committee, despite nearly three hours of public comment that ran overwhelming against the proposal.

All year, I've been hearing rumblings about the Jeffco School Board's hidden agenda. Now it seems that agenda is out in the open.

Jeffco Schools Ruckus to Hurt Local Economy, Home Values

Will the ongoing Jeffco school board drama hurt area businesses and economic development?

That's the question posed in the headline of a recent Denver Business Journal article about the chaos Jeffco has seen in the wake of a right wing takeover of our local school system.

The article reports on a survey of Jeffco business owners by the West Chamber. The results should serve as a wake up call to anyone who doubts the potential of this Jeffco school board to damage home values.

Considering that the school board members who started this ruckus won't be up for reelection for three years, this makes for some scary reading, folks.

Jeffco School Board Makes the National News (in a Bad Way)

It's a truism in real estate that good schools support home values. This is particularly the case here in the city of Lakewood.

Much of the city's attraction to would-be residents has come from the fact that our city has the amenities of an urban downtown district but the school system of a well-funded suburb. Consider the fact that the innovative Belmar redevelopment is just a couple of miles from nationally recognized Lakewood High School.

So it might have been a surprise to many when teacher sick outs and massive student protests rocked our county this week.

Interested readers will find an excellent synopsis of the controversy in the New York Times and additional details in Newsweek.

Perhaps more relevant to this blog is that many supporters of the current, conservative Jeffco school board are also ideologically opposed to Belmar and other new urbanist redevelopments. The right-wing Independence Institute is perhaps the best example. The Independence Institute is ardently opposed to mass transit, smart growth, and has even gone out of its way to ridicule Belmar's row homes. They also fully supported the conservative slate in the last school board elections.

Although the current Jeffco school board is not up for reelection at this time, many of their supporters and ideological soul mates are vying for other offices this November. As the election season begins and ballots begin to arrive in mailboxes, I hope that supporters of downtown Lakewood and Belmar do their homework and support the candidates who in turn support the great things we have going for us here in Lakewood.

Photo: 7News Denver reports on today's student walk-outs in 

downtown Lakewood.