Are you paying attention yet?

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You know, it’s funny (not really “ha-ha” funny), we’re talking about a school board — a low-level elected body. Yet, you need to pay attention to everything that goes on within our little District because what is going on impacts our kids!  For instance:

  • You should be outraged that a page like SPEAK has to exist. Teaches are afraid to speak publicly! I’ll say it again…teachers are afraid.
  • You should be shocked that a journalist was ejected from a school board meeting and then was initially banned from subsequent board meetings (he is now allowed back!). First Amendment, anyone?
  • You should be alarmed that ALEC has its fingerprints all over our Board of Education and certain District employees (I’m lookin’ at you Cinamon Watson!)
  • You should be concerned that your voice, as a parent, is basically silenced because the Board has not validated the Parent Survey, in fact, I think they are actively ignoring those surveys.
  • You should be saddened that DCSD high schools are forced to start Academic Booster clubs in order to fund programs that are not being funded by the District.
  • You should be worried that as the District declines, so do your property values.
  • You should be upset that DCSD high school students are being short-changed by over-extending their teachers (extra hours, extra students, NO extra compensation) and down-sizing their instructional hours.
  • You should be wondering why some elementary classes have 30-35 kids.
  • You should be asking why our Superintendent is the highest paid public school executive in Colorado, while DougCo programs are being cut and the District could only give teachers (the lifeblood of your kids’ education) a 1% raise after a four year pay freeze.
  • You should be questioning why the DCSD state ranking has dropped from “Accredited with Distinction” to “Accredited” in 2010 (see ranking info)
  • You should be ticked off that some of the best and brightest teachers in the District have left .

So, I ask you…are you paying attention yet?

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12 thoughts on “Are you paying attention yet?”

  2. Yes! Thank you for doing more than just paying attention DCParent. Thank you for being a valuable source of information regarding DCSD issues and the state of education in America.

  3. Check your facts more carefully, please. DCSD was never “Accredited with Distinction”. That was a new ranking in 2010, as your link indicates. DCSD is not in the list of the first 14 districts Accredited with Distinction. They were, and still are, Accredited. No drop.

  4. Thanks for this, I hope people also keep in mind that the BoE does not talk about a resolution to the lack of funding by the state or local community. I still have to ask why is that?

  5. Regarding district rankings…I can’t copy the spreadsheeet, but if you click on this link:

    http://www.cde.state.co.us/accountability/PerformanceFrameworks.asp

    then scroll down the page to the link that says “CDE District Accreditation Ratings (11/30/10)” under the 2009/2010 school year, you will pull up a spreadsheet with all districts listed. It shows DCSD as “Accredited”. Did CDE get it wrong? Did DCSD report something that was inaccurate? I wonder who created that mini report you linked?

    For me as a parent (I hope my opinion counts) the bottom line is not as you stated it, “we had it, we no longer have it, and THAT is a problem.” The bottom line for me is that I don’t care what the state says about how well DCSD is doing! Regardless of what they say (even if it’s “Accredited with Distinction”), there is ALWAYS room for improvement! Our schools, our teachers, our kids, and our parents are absolutely up to the task!

  6. Thank you for posting this! All Douglas County residents should be paying attention and being concerned.

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