USA Politics
- Thread starter Genghis Khan
- Start date
Local elections last November. The board is supposed to be non-partisan, but the election was swept by people not sticking to that idea. It's been a serious local issue since November and is now coming to a head.
Non-partisan in this case means that the party affiliation is not printed on the ballot. It's supposed to take politics out of the issue, and usually works. In this case, it helped three people with an agenda hide their agenda, and the voters didn't find out until they were elected.
bearfan
Ancient Mariner
I think they were pretty clear about what they wanted to do, that campaign got national attention. You often see school board members run as opposing planks,
Maybe elsewhere, but that's not the issue here. It's curriculum. Unions or raises have never come up.
bearfan
Ancient Mariner
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_24559539/election-brings-new-direction-jefferson-county-schools
Atwell also said the group would seek a teacher pay-for-performance model that more closely resembles Douglas County's market-based system. That system pays teachers based on performance evaluations and the marketabilty of their position, rather than focusing on tenure and education level.
Board members Ken Witt, John Newkirk and Julie Williams will be sworn in at a meeting Thursday, forming a new majority on the five-member school board that could push for an expansion of charter schools and a system of paying teachers that places a greater focus on performance.During the election, the conservative slate of candidates ran campaigns pushing for more school choice options and opposing Amendment 66, a statewide measure asking voters for a $950 million tax increase. The three conservatives also voiced strong opposition to inBloom, a program the district piloted that would store student information on a data cloud. After the election, the district cut ties with the program.
Jefferson County voters are the latest in a string of districts that have elected Republican-backed school board candidates who run as a slate, promising brands of reform that range from bolstering charter schools to offering private-school vouchers to public-school students.
The new board members either declined an interview with The Denver Post or did not return phone calls. One sent a prepared statement.
Newkirk, president of Colorado Computer Associates, wrote that he listened to the community on issues such as "academic achievement, data safety, fair taxation and access to available options within our district."
Atwell also said the group would seek a teacher pay-for-performance model that more closely resembles Douglas County's market-based system. That system pays teachers based on performance evaluations and the marketabilty of their position, rather than focusing on tenure and education level.
Board members Ken Witt, John Newkirk and Julie Williams will be sworn in at a meeting Thursday, forming a new majority on the five-member school board that could push for an expansion of charter schools and a system of paying teachers that places a greater focus on performance.During the election, the conservative slate of candidates ran campaigns pushing for more school choice options and opposing Amendment 66, a statewide measure asking voters for a $950 million tax increase. The three conservatives also voiced strong opposition to inBloom, a program the district piloted that would store student information on a data cloud. After the election, the district cut ties with the program.
Jefferson County voters are the latest in a string of districts that have elected Republican-backed school board candidates who run as a slate, promising brands of reform that range from bolstering charter schools to offering private-school vouchers to public-school students.
The new board members either declined an interview with The Denver Post or did not return phone calls. One sent a prepared statement.
Newkirk, president of Colorado Computer Associates, wrote that he listened to the community on issues such as "academic achievement, data safety, fair taxation and access to available options within our district."
The date of that article:
That's not the current issue at all and is unrelated to the protests currently happening.
It's also local media. Where's the "national attention"?
That's not the current issue at all and is unrelated to the protests currently happening.
It's also local media. Where's the "national attention"?
bearfan
Ancient Mariner
I know that ... I was pointing out that the unions were not going to be a fan of these guys in any case, that was from right after the election
I read about these elections, I live in Texas ... there were a few articles on Politico and at least one more national paper (WaPo, or the NY Times
My main point is treating teachers unions as "speaking for the children" or as some neutral non partisan entity is foolish, they spent time and money defeating these board members trying to elect their own partisan members and they lost.
I read about these elections, I live in Texas ... there were a few articles on Politico and at least one more national paper (WaPo, or the NY Times
My main point is treating teachers unions as "speaking for the children" or as some neutral non partisan entity is foolish, they spent time and money defeating these board members trying to elect their own partisan members and they lost.
bearfan
Ancient Mariner
https://www.google.com/webhp?source...=off&q=politico+jefferson+county+school+board
One result from Politico about a different election.
I find no results for Washington Post.
You're remembering a different story.
One result from Politico about a different election.
I find no results for Washington Post.
You're remembering a different story.
bearfan
Ancient Mariner
You are right, it was the Douglas County one that I was remembering ... the Koch brothers funding in that election made it national news. But I still stand behind as being correct in most any contested election for anything that involves schools.
"My main point is treating teachers unions as "speaking for the children" or as some neutral non partisan entity is foolish, they spent time and money defeating these board members trying to elect their own partisan members and they lost."
"My main point is treating teachers unions as "speaking for the children" or as some neutral non partisan entity is foolish, they spent time and money defeating these board members trying to elect their own partisan members and they lost."
But again, this has nothing to do with unions or teacher salaries. Yes, Jeffco has those disputes too. But the students are taking to the streets over curriculum. Unions are irrelevant to this story.
bearfan
Ancient Mariner
The teachers sickout certainly is. I am not saying it is the only issue, I am saying that I doubt that would have happened if a union backed board pushed a partisan issue .. which they do as well. I have a degree in History and pay attention to how it is taught ... and it is taught in the worst possible way. Stuff like this is the least of the problems ... it is systemic of an overall problem in teaching that no one cares to address.
non-academics rewriting a curriculum to teach a non-academic point of view is only going to make the systemic problem worse, not better.
bearfan
Ancient Mariner
That has always been the case ... it is foolish to think these decisions ... especially in a subject like history ... are not made in the context of politics or some agenda. When my son studied WWII, half the time was spent on the Tuskeegee airmen.
Certainly they have a story worth telling, but that is not in any way shape or form the most important thing to take out of WWII ... but it is taught that way. Why, because WWII's turn to be taught fell in February, which is Black History Month.
Multiple wrong do not make a right ...
Yes, that was largely about pay. True. The teachers were already angry over that issue, but the curriculum issue actually triggered the sickout. I was talking more about the last 3 days of students on the streets, however. That's something good to see.
