AURORA | Aurora Public Schools and Pickens Technical College will be closed to students Friday because of a high number of staff absences, the district said.
The unexpected closure is apparently linked to a planned National Shutdown Day that calls for businesses to close and for people to stay out of stores, restaurants and schools. The shutdown is intended to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids by the Trump administration and to express solidarity with Minnesota, which has been a recent target for ICE enforcement actions.
District officials said the absences have grown to a level that would make it “unsafe” to open and operate schools.
As a result, all APS schools and Pickens Technical College will be closed to students Friday, and the day will be treated as a Professional Release Day that had been scheduled for Friday, Feb. 6. While that day was scheduled for school closures, it now will be open to students and a regular day of school, officials said.
Before- and after-school care will not be available Friday this week. Staff members who have not submitted notice of absence for tomorrow are still expected to report to their schools and sites as scheduled, the district said.
The district said free grab-and-go meals will be available at schools from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday.
Middle school athletics will be canceled, while high school athletics will proceed as scheduled, officials said.
I just received my property taxes. As a childless homeowner, it’s just great knowing that over $2000 of my taxes are going to Aurora Public Schools, which are infested with woke Marxist teachers that place their personal politics above the welfare and education of our children. But it’s been that way with them and their unions for a long time. Vote school choice or home-school your children, if you are able.
A major portion of Colorado’s public school funding comes from property taxes, as is the case in most U.S. states. Property taxes earmarked for public education is a long standing tradition. Education is crucial for the future of a nation. Being able to determine the validity of an argument is a critical thinking skill that education works hard to instill in young minds. Discerning name calling and baseless accusations from valid criticism is another crucial thinking skill. Recognizing underlying anger issues is yet another skill. Creating open minds with critical thinking skills does not tell students what to believe. It gives them the choice to believe what makes sense for them. It is the foundation of democracy. I am also a childless home owner in Aurora. Teaching our young people to recognize vindictive bias from balanced clear eyed discernment of worthwhile criticism builds a better nation for everyone. I can think of no better use of anyone’s taxes, childless or not.
More buzzword repetition as if it’s a magic spell.
John – You have presented a nicely dressed-up rationale so generalized that it could apply just as easily to the teaching of Critical Race Theory as White Supremacy in schools. The fact is that student walk-outs are being “engineered” by left-wing teachers who utilize their relationships with students to inject their political biases into their minds.
“Well class, how many of you have friends who look different than you? Do you think it is fair for someone to be picked on because of the way they look? What should someone do when they see a bully picking on someone because of how they look. That’s right, the thing to do is to stand up for those who are being unfairly treated. Have you noticed how some of your classmates are afraid that they may have to leave the country just because they look different than some of us. Do you think that is fair? Don’t you wish there was something we could do about that? Well there is something that people can do in our country to show that they disagree with people being picked on just because of how they look – it is called protesting. Have you seen where people March along the streets with signs saying how they disagree with things that are unfair. Well, you can do that too. Would you like to learn how. OK, here’s what we’re going to do.”
Is this what you mean by recognizing vindictive bias and teaching critical thinking skills?