THE REST of the Story
In response to the "crazy" misinformation that has been circulating in the press regarding the pending Douglas County School Board Elections, I want to take a few minutes to give you the "rest of the story".
As a taxpayer, Republican, former business leader, and current educator, I am appalled at the misleading information and unethical rhetoric that has overshadowed this election.Instead of fostering scare tactics and political partisan gains, as a community we need to be focused on preparing our students to embrace a rapidly evolving future.I would encourage all voters to evaluate and judge the credibility of all sources, marshal relevant evidence, and synthesize fact from misinformation as you seek accurate information prior to casting your vote.Relying on partisan editorials and mailings, robo calls, and emotional platforms to inform your final vote may lead to costly consequences for the citizens of Douglas County for many years to come.As a taxpayer and citizen of Douglas County, I strongly encourage you to become an informed voter about Douglas County School District.
As a former software executive/consultant with 20+ years of experience, I now have the pleasure and opportunity to share the real world wisdom and experience from my first career with hundreds of students in a Career/Professional Business Training program at a high school in Douglas County. In my current role as an educator, in accordance with our current DCSD Board of Education End Statement, I teach students to embrace universal ethical principles such as honesty, integrity, and justice.And in the real world, companies are held accountable for their image, reputation, and ethical behavior every day.Laws rule their actions and behavior.In this election, it appears that laws, rules, and ethics do not apply.Perhaps this message infers to our children "do what we say, not what we do"!
Unfortunately, this type of negative rhetoric fosters an environment that promotes confusion, emotion, and discontent for all parties involved.Leaving many citizens feeling uninformed with a lack of direction of where to find unbiased information. Perhaps, the covert intent.
It is extremely disappointing that our school board elections have become a political circus!The numerous robo calls, bias fliers, and misinformation provided at the local candidate forums have been very concerning and disheartening.Just as we leave medical diagnosis to medical professionals and parenting decisions to parents, we should place our trust and faith in trained professional educators who educate our children.And if you have not heard, Douglas County School District is the
highest performing school district in the state.Keeping in mind that there is always room for improvement, be careful about overhauling a system that is at the top of its game.Hmmm?Is there something else going on here?
Let me share of few examples of concern as well as celebrations:
Concerns:
Most recently, Senator Ted Harvey - Douglas County (no relation to the late Paul Harvey however I have a comment about Paul later) suggested (implied) in a "robo-call" the AFL-CIO and ACORN together with the union where "helping implement Obama's radical education agenda here in Douglas County".Governor Bill Owens suggested on my phone the other day that his good friends (I find that hard to believe) are running and I needed to vote for them NOW.He suggested the unions where spending all kinds of money and wanted to run our schools.Where is the evidence?
Well, you have a resource here.As a republican, teacher, parent and taxpayer, I have always emphasized "HONESTY" in all that I do.Below are my observations on what is happening with this election and what is really going on in our schools.
1). Douglas County Schools has been the top performing school district in state of Colorado for many years.Graduation rates, CSAP scores, ACT scores and student acceptance into colleges have been exceptional.Since teaching in the district over the past eight years, we have implemented a strong guaranteed and viable 21
st century curriculum.It provides a framework for teachers, administrators and parents to work together emphasizing growth in student learning. It works.
2).The information presented does not add up to the facts.Why do we need to overhaul the highest performing school district in the state of Colorado?Do a little research; all school districts are currently in a financial crisis, not just DCSD.And by the way, which organization endorsed which set of candidates first, hmmm?GOP endorsed their candidates in July, check their website out.The Union's official endorsement of candidates came in September. Again, I encourage you to research accurate information before casting your vote.
3). The local teachers' union (DCF) is focused on helping teachers be more effective.They have created a nationally recognized professional development program that helps new and existing teachers improve student achievement.I personally completed their "Foundations of Effective Teaching" course and found it extremely useful. Please refer to the Douglas County Federation website at
www.dcft.net or the Douglas County School District's website at
www.dcsdk12.org for more information. 4).The Union is not in control of our schools.Call any administrator within our school district and ask if the unions are in control.They are not and never have been.This is not a steel plant in OHIO but rather a very progressive and professional school district with high performing students and staff.
5). As a result of the current economic downturn and failure of last year's bond and budget elections, Douglas County Schools have cut millions from their budget that has impacted students and the fiscal reductions will NOT stop anytime soon.Fact: We are being more resourceful as many reductions resulted in job force reduction and increased class sizes, many exceeding 30 students.Student graduation requirements were reduced from 25.5 credits to 24 credits.Students are now getting "less" education because the district can't staff appropriately due to financial constraints.
6). Regarding the bond and budget request for new schools and operational moneys, the bond would have cost the average homeowner $10 per month.My conclusion (belief), many voters were not adequately informed regarding the impact this would have on the entire educational system and community.To support my theory, I have your first homework assignment, call your realtor and ask, "If my taxes go up $10 per month to support my local school district, would that be good for home values?"
7). Mike Rosen suggested in a recent Denver Post OP-ED piece, October 22, 2009, "Once elected, union backed school boards return the favor".I guess that means favor to the teachers.I have your second homework assignment. Go to the Douglas County Schools Website -
www.dcsdk12.org and other surrounding school districts and compare teacher salary schedules.Douglas County School district salary schedules are quickly lagging behind other school district schedules.Hmmm.What favor?Personally, I took an 80+% pay cut to become a teacher.Eight years later I am up to $46,000.So, it's never about the money.In Douglas County, we only ask to be competitive with neighboring districts.As many people are aware, we get what we pay for. Conclusion:I am a passionate educator who cares about children and the future of our district.Are there ulterior motives driving this election? Encourage all residents of Douglas County to secure the accurate facts by judging credible sources before casting their votes.
So, as Paul Harvey would say, "Now your know the rest of the story".
M.Erickson