One of the most remarkable things about Colorado’s hodgepodge of government is the system of checks and balances that make getting good things done difficult and getting bad things undone possible.

Thanks to Colorado’s powerful recall election laws, an odious mistake on the Jefferson County School Board is about to become undone. On Tuesday, about 100,000 signatures demanding the recall of three conservative-extremist school board directors were handed over to the Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder. A recall election seems imminent.

The controversy leading to the recall election of Jeffco school board members Ken Witt, Julie Williams and John Newkirk began to take shape as soon as they were elected in 2013. Comprising a majority on the five-member board, the three directors essentially ousted the district’s popular superintendent, bringing in a chief from Douglas County lauded for his role in dismantling the teachers union, boosting charter schools and implementing a wide range of changes favored by far-right conservatives. And despite touting an agenda of fiscal prudence, these three school board members paid their hire of Dan McMinimee a lavish $280,000 a year, with what appears to be annual $80,000 raises.

That was the beginning. The disruptive tenure of this unruly board has included stunts trying to direct history curriculum changes that would force teachers to highlight patriotism and soft-peddle allegedly darker aspects of the country’s history, such as slavery and segregation.

The hair-brained scheme drew nationwide ridicule after launching waves of protests from students and teachers, charging the majority with promoting censorship. All this on top of charges of skirting open meeting laws, and spending money on an expensive outside lawyer, known as a darling of the tea party movement, just for board use. The board also tried to create panels that would allow for conservative, political control of district curricula and materials. It was more than parents could tolerate.

And so these three school board members and their political agenda are about to be undone, rather than suffered for two more years.

The move to recall these school board members has brought criticism and scorn from some parts of the community, comparing it to the politicized recall efforts of three Democratic state legislators two years ago. Those state lawmakers had supported two gun-control bills, and a small but vocal group of Republicans were able to force successful recall efforts, ousting two of the legislators and forcing a resignation of another. But these two recall efforts are vastly different.

The state lawmaker recalls were an abuse of the system, using a partisan ploy with relatively little public input or participation to unseat officials solely on a narrow issue. We were among those critical of using the powerful recall system to create the equivalent of a partisan-politics roadside bomb thrown into Colorado’s system of representative government. In contrast, school boards in Colorado are, by design, non-partisan. It was these three who worked to ensnare the district in a partisan battle where it has no place. And there is hardly just one issue these three board members have unnerved the community with, but a long, growing list of egregious offenses that have brought shame to what was once one of the top school districts in the nation. While this is a matter for Jeffco voters to decide, all of Colorado has a vested interest in the outcome of this election, if for no other reason than because it could just as easily be happening here.

This is the very reason that Colorado does and should allow for recall of elected officials. It’s a power of the people that must be used with great reservation and prudence, but it’s a power we must never relinquish or dilute, and these three school board members are prime examples of why.

58 replies on “EDITORIAL: Jeffco school board debacle shows not all recall campaigns are created equal”

  1. “The state lawmaker recalls were an abuse of the system…”
    I can only assume this was meant as a joke. these lawmakers made/promoted laws that their constituents didn’t like, so they were recalled. that seems to be exactly how the system was meant to work.

    1. By doing it in a way that disengaged all but a few people. The people who cared about Guns over life.

      1. However you feel about guns, this comment was referencing the author’s opinion that the recall was an “abuse of the system.”

        Voters voted in a fair and legal election. How is that abusing the system?

      2. Guns? over Life. Let’s see. Hitler had strict gun control laws (like Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, etc.) them Murdered 11 Million People. Yup, keeping guns out of Citizens’ hands had a positive effect in Germany, Soviet Union, China, Thailand, etc…

        1. Same old stale whining with gun nuts. Hitler took away our guns and look what happened? zzzzz

  2. Here was your Editorial Headline nearly two years ago right before the successful recall of Morse and Giron

    EDITORIAL: All of Colorado loses by allowing political terrorists to recall southern Colorado lawmakers

    What changed? The subject is the only thing that changed.

    Aurora Sentinel, you just redefined the term hypocrisy.

    1. They did! I suppose according to the reasoning of “shots” we can assume his/her role as a hypocrite is justified also. shot’s no doubt supported the recall of Morse and Giron but in all probability opposes the recall of the Jeffco school board baggers.

      Oh well. shot’s is just another whining bagger who feels treaded upon.

      1. Better get another big bottle of 90 proof rye. Time to step out of your darkened room and visit the wife’s grave. Maybe that will calm your bitterness. You offer nothing but weak invective. Crawl back in your hole and pick your boils.

        1. Not to mention your “boils” or the various “holes” you reside in.
          Your darkened room must be a trophy case of invective and bitterness inhabited by a boozy wing nut full of himself and 90 proof asininity.

          1. You’re so badly embarrassed that you can’t even come up with an original remark. Should I be honored that you had to recycle my own words or should I just chalk it up to your feeble intellect?

          2. Chalk it up to whatever rings your chimes squish. We were discussing the “holes” in which you reside. Apparently you’re embarrassed with your “boils” and your “hole”. Perhaps a little “recycled” anal therapy would help. zzzzzz

    2. I get your point. But I would say, however, that the only difference is that with school boards, there are no true checks and balances. There is no veto, you don’t need a majority in two separate legislative bodies, etc. In Jeffco, particularly, it is only a 5 member board which oversees 86,000 students and a billion dollar budget, so effectively 3/5 can unilaterally control all decision making in Jeffco Schools. If a school board goes rogue, what is the check. I guess you can say wait another couple of years for another election, but a school board can do a lot of damage to a school district with no check whatsoever. Maybe the teacher association could be a check, but they want to get rid of that, too.

      1. Look what Obama has done in a short 6.5 years, you have a bit of a point, it can get very ugly.

  3. Would it be possible to be factual in your piece? The board majority “ousted the popular superintendent”?! She made it clear she was retiring nearly as soon as the election results came in. She never had any desire to work with them. And popular? Sure, with the union and PTA. Also, McMinimee is paid a $220,000 base salary compared to Stevenson’s $205,000 and his bonuses can be up to $40,000, similar to what hers were. No changes ever came from the suggestion to review the AP class. And the board has always had an attorney.
    I know anyone can write an opinion piece, but this is basically talking points of the union-aligned recall organization with extra vitriol thrown in. I’m thinking if one recall is an abuse of the system, then this one is too. You can’t have it both ways. It all comes down to politics.

    1. Jeffco Mom….if you were really a jeffco mom you would know the answer to your own question. Superintendent Stevenson was intelligent, committed to community collaboration, demanded equal education for all students and employees. She was dedicated to JEFFCO and is the very reason JEFFCO is considered a top school district in the nation.
      My suggestion is that you take your fake male self, money and issues back to Kansas.

      1. Wow, way to keep it classy and on point. But I was just wondering: Is this person a real Jeffco mom?

      2. I am absolutely a Jeffco mom, but thanks for the laugh this morning. Guess I’ll have to work on not being so fake and mannish…though I wish I had more money. I thought I bore four children with this body…four children who attend Jeffco schools…but whatever. Stevenson was never committed to community collaboration–I know because I tried to work with her. And Jeffco deteriorated under her leadership but she covered it up with higher performing schools and left the others to fend for themselves. Jeffco is much the better without her in my opinion.

      3. However, Dr. Stevenson announced her retirement, at the end of the 2013-14 school year, the day after the 2013 election results. She then asked to be released from her contract in February of 2014, so she could take a six figure job with the Colorado Association of School Executives (CASE). Now, she is one of the top donors to the recall effort.

        I guess Dr. Stevenson was eager to work with the union, but not parents and taxpayers. She definitely was not forced out by anyone on the current scholl board.

    2. JeffcoMom, you ask for facts, but you base your response on propaganda being thrown around by conservative mouthpieces on talk radio and in Americans for Prosperity-funded publications. To equate the compensation of a new, inexperienced superintendent with that of a 12-year, nationally recognized superintendent would be considered irresponsible in private industry. I have nothing personal against Mr. McMinimee, but he came to the job without ever having served as a superintendent and without the academic credentials and experience of Dr. Stevenson, yet he was offered a larger compensation package than that of Dr. Stevenson after she had served the district for more than a decade.

      Your assertion that “[n]o changes ever came from the suggestions to review the AP class” is also inaccurate. Julie Williams’ original proposal was to change the way that curriculum is reviewed in Jeffco, starting with AP US History. While the Board backed down from the review of a national curriculum framework, changes to the existing Curriculum Review Committee were put into place that will alter the balance of educators, district curriculum leaders, and community members on the committee. Now that committee will be heavily weighted with people appointed by individual Board members, with no criteria for experience or involvement in the schools or its curriculum. AP US History is safe for now, but any curriculum reviewed at the district level will be judged by a group composed primarily of members who have been chosen to represent a specific agenda.

      You are correct in asserting that the Board has always been represented by an attorney. That Board attorney has always been on staff in the Jeffco Legal Services department, rather than an outside private attorney who is associated with for-profit education management groups and is also on the payroll of other districts currently embroiled in fighting partisan efforts to privatize education. Brad Miller has consistently refused to be transparent about how taxpayer money is spent on his contract, submitting only heavily redacted invoices in response to CORA requests. We would never allow our schools to submit redacted invoices of taxpayer-funded spending, but the highly questionable lawyer hired behind closed doors gets away with it.

      Finally, stop bashing the teachers’ association, which has no hand in this parent-driven recall effort. Teachers are highly educated people who are motivated by their own love of learning and their desire to help children become lifelong learners and critical thinkers. They are paid less than most other professionals who hold the same educational background and experience, yet large swaths of the community insist on accusing them of being money-grubbing thugs. This country is losing its best teachers, and current college students are choosing other professions, rather than be degraded and demoralized by ignorant people who don’t have the qualifications to do what teachers do every day. Thank God there is a teachers’ association to stand up for them.

      Please get your facts straight. The Aurora Sentinel, a newspaper without a dog in this fight, has the courage to point out the divisive partisanship that is ruining Jeffco’s formerly respected schools.

      1. Great educators help teach children critical thinking, but the recall backers are teaching just the opposite.

        1) The superintendent salary of $280K was approved by all board members before the search began, and was scaled back to $220K base salary for Mr. McMinimee with opportunity to earn performance bonuses. As it stands, he runs the 2nd-largest district in CO and is the 11th-highest paid. Interestingly, you have backed away from the $80K+ per year claim that’s on the petition and that the Aurora Sentinel got totally wrong.

        2) The way you characterize the changes to the curriculum review process are misleading at best. Yes, the committees are more inclusive of community members, (parents and students) along with teachers and content experts. The committees now also are required to produce minutes and records for the sake of transparency, which wasn’t done before. How is that so bad?

        3) You may not like the board attorney’s other affiliations, but the only thing different that’s been shown about what he has done is that he was hired in an open, public meeting. All legal expenses continue to be reported on the district’s financial transparency website, and the district redacts some items on CORA requests for attorney-client privilege or privacy issues.

        4) It’s hard not to bring the teachers association (in this case, a union) into the discussion, because of their highly contentious role since this board was elected. When the National Education Association imports nearly 50 operatives into Jeffco to test messages that end up being used by the recall campaign, and the local union president says “The fight is on” and “we need to beat the bastards back,” well, how do you ignore that?

        To the point, the Aurora Sentinel ought to be ashamed of this heavily factually-challenged drivel. Look forward to seeing corrections for its multiple errors.

      2. The Aurora Sentinel is ‘big government’ ‘big labor’ ‘big union’ PERIOD. Dog in the fight? Cut it out.

    1. You are really obsessed with this Cindy Stevenson. She’s gone and she’s not coming back. A better question is who is going to be the next superintendent.

  5. I commend the Aurora Sentinel. This editorial is a refreshing dose of sanity not typically seen in the right-wing controlled media such as the Denver Post. It largely reflects the thinking of the overwhelming majority of parents in Jeffco including a considerable fraction of conservative parents who are getting a first hand lesson in the destructive effects of education policy driven by extremist partisan ideology.

  6. I support ALL the conservative board at Jeffco has done and will do. We should be proud of America, the America that rose up and beat back Hitler and the Nazi’s, the America that welcomes all, apparently now even illegals. I agree with getting rid of teachers unions, and so should teachers, qualified teachers don’t need a union to protect them for poor work habits and skills. There is nothing ‘egregious’ about anything these 3 have proffered, they are all meant to improve the quality of education in Jeffco. The union money has come into play, with students marching (brings to mind the protests in Ferguson Mo. for nothing but a black thug) Oh, all of you protesters will get your way, the others have, in the meantime, our kids get poor education, education by union.

    1. You really don’t understand unions at all. They do way more than you suggest. Why is it that everyone believes the union has only one job-to keep bad teachers teaching? You are being absolutely ridiculous if you believe teachers support that.

      1. Why in the world would you want to teach the worst of America and not the best? Unions? Not for me. I know teachers, all union members, most of the ‘honest’ ones, will tell me that unions are poor, they have no conscience when it comes to actually teaching and keeping their membership in line. So, not for me ‘teach’.

      2. From 1947 to 1950, I worked in two unions. Coal Miners union and I got paid the magnificent salary of $13.05 for 8 hours shift, in slope coal mine, Leesville Ohio with 44 inches of coal vein. When the coal is taken out, and a header (timber about 4 x 7) long enough to fit across the width of vein, to hold up shale top, we did not have much clearance for equipment, walking, and our ponies were very small (about size of German Shepherd). I still have a scar in middle of my back where my bent back hit on those headers, if I got in a hurry. Which was often as stuff changes fast underground. Mother sewed pockets inside my shirts in that area, stuffed with cotton or cloth) to give some protection, but that got rubbed away in time. Doctors in military did not quite understand that when they checked me, until I explained. About size of half dollar even yet at age 85. I was 18 then. As for union, was ruled by Tiny (guy about 300 lbs) who tried to kill one of the miners in local pub with cue stick. Crippled him for life, but Sheriff came, said “Union business” and that was end of that. I worked with Harry on electric wire-hanging crew who was from Kentucky, killed a man in mine there with pick axe over union argument, and Harry bragged he would do it again. He spent 6 months in Kentucky prison, released on bond for a rehearing, and jumped border to Ohio. In 1947, Kentucky was not coming to get him. So I kept my mouth shut around Harry.
        Korea came in 1950, and changed my career, and I stayed in military for 26 years 18 days. — Retired and went to school on GI bill, then worked 2 more unions. ———————-Samsonite being last one, where my wage was $8.00 an hour, while Electricians got $25.00 an hour in Denver in 1979-80. $35.00 an hour if they supervised anyone. I did not intend to go to school to get Journeyman license in Colorado, when Samsonite considered me a Journeyman electrician. Would have paid me more, but Rubber Workers union (required) decreed $8.00 an hour. So I worked 7 days a week, 12-14 hours a day for a period (overtime double and triple) but Denver charged me $3.00 a day head tax, City and County charged me income tax, State and Federal charged me income tax, and my Air Force Pension was taxed for two years under Romer. State of Kansas was told by Federals they had to treat their non-state retirees, same as in-state retirees, but Roy Romer decreed he would wait for Federals to tell him. So now I get a tax reduction on my CO 104, same as in-state, was $20,000 a year, now $24,000. —So I have news for all unions. Especially the civil service employees. That is a federal union, and therefore joining additional unions giving you unfair 2 bites at the apple. So I vote against all increases, and will continue that. Especially when teachers are using Common Core, which teaches to slowest in class, and retards the ones who could advance to their own abilities. I taught in military, and taught to my students needs, and the curricula to ensure they could produce. That is not goal of Common Core. Educating activists, and demonstrators.

        1. But you can’t hold a whole union responsible for the behavior of a few, sick twisted individuals. For if you do, then shouldn’t we blame the whole teaching system? And if the whole teaching system is guilty, then isn’t this an indictment of our educational institutions in general? I put it to you, gofastgo – isn’t this an indictment of our entire American society? Well, you can do whatever you want to us, but we’re not going to sit here and listen to you badmouth the United States of America. Gentlemen!

          1. There were no ‘teachers unions’ when I went to school, I got a fine education in our history, English, math, current events, and respect for others. Now, our public education system is fraught excessive spending and our kids are not learning to think, at least not good thoughts. They teach ‘individual rights’ and ‘civil rights’ and ‘tolerance and acceptance’ in our public schools. No discipline, no dress codes, sloppy, flip-flops, sneakers untied, t-shirts, hats, why, that’s their ‘right’ to be individuals, I disagree. Elementary education is where you go to learn, not inform others of your ‘rights’ to act like a moron.

            Yes, this is an indictment of our ENTIRE public education system, and this society as a whole.

    3. gofastgo, Are you sure you don’t live downwind from a Marijuana grow? How does spending $90k a year on a separate attorney for WNW or removing subjects from US History that are inconvenient for the tea party, like the fact that minorities existed, help my child learn any better?

      You suggest that recall supporters aren’t proud of America. Well we are. America is a great country to be proud about. But we are not perfect, sometimes we make mistakes. Part of what makes America great is that we learn from them and do better the next time around. We should also be proud of America because we work together and help others. Something that the three board members don’t have a clue about.

      1. The Tea Party. ‘taxed enough already’ but you knew that I suppose.

        Don’t you think it better to promote the good America has done, and not linger on it’s failings? Your way is what’s causing protests, protests over nothing more than thugs who attacked police officers and were killed doing so, that warrants a protest?

        It goes on nearly weekly now, so I suppose you would be on board with doing away with most welfare, it hasn’t, and won’t work, we have more poverty now than before we spent $50 Trillion on it over 60 years or so.

        I know this, I can read, write. and know the multiplication tables, abilities I use daily, without aid of an electronic device, can you say that for the students in school today? Please don’t, I’ve seen and heard them speak and tried to decipher their spelling, I’m certain they can’t use brain power to calculate either. And no, I won’t be ‘surprised’.

        ‘the next time around?’ the pendulum has swung too far the other way, now ‘any’ behavior is not just accepted, but celebrated, daily, across the world via internet, strange behaviors are now the ‘norm’, but are they really? We have put misfits on magazine covers, given them celebrity, prestige, and to what end? The end of common sense, a period on civilization.

        I entered into a discussion with those who think, without ever mentioning the victims, not once, the ‘event that must have happened to drive this nice young man to become mentally ill enough to mass murder members of a theater audience. They are more worried about this individuals mental health, than those he murdered, do you find anything suspiciously missing from that mindset?

        But I digress, I’m against unions, their existence was needed 75 years ago, they are outdated, and out of place.

        1. I think we should look at the good America has done, which is quite a lot, but also analyze our mistakes so that they are not repeated. To say that honestly reflecting on our successes and failures as a nation is causing protests is ridiculous. Of course, protests have never happened in America before this. The Boston Tea Party never happened nor depression era protests, nor the civil rights protests.

          I don’t share and completely disagree with your disdain for the younger generation and their abilities. I see that they hold promise and potential. There are many that are smart, conscientious, and much more aware of the world around them than a lot of the previous generations were at their age.

          We need board members who can see this and help our kids develop and reach their full potential. Instead the board majority shares your view and that our kids are nothing more than mindless pawns.

          I don’t really care if our teachers are in unions or not. I want good teachers. The tea party thinks that unions are the source of all problems. While unions can sometimes be problematic, in Jeffco thats not the case. Its quite evident the problem is three extremist crackpots who have demonstrated time and again that they favor political ideology over whats best for the students not to mention basic common sense.

        2. goo man is a great patriot can read, write, do his arithmetic without the aid of a calculator. Wow. What a self anointed blowhard. If only his sanctimony weren’t so deep, he probably would not be digressing with every sentence.

          Poor thing.

    4. goo goo obviously has a problem. “Black thugs, illegals and unions”. Sound familiar?

      “Education by union”. Now there’s reason to whine. No wonder goo goo is batty. Poor thing.

  7. So my question is — why did these three individuals get elected in the first place? Could it be that the citizens of Jeffco just didn’t do their homework on the candidates or just didn’t take time to vote? Where were the 100,000 people who signed the recall initiative when it came time to vote? There was plenty of information available about the candidates and what they stood before the election and there were other capable candidates running. This is a wakeup call for all of us – could it be that sometimes we get what we deserve? By not voting a group not popular with the majority was elected. Now we know very clearly that school boards do matter – both at the local and the state levels. Let’s hope this is a lesson well learned by all of us!

    1. At the time of their election, Jeffco schools was working on a data collection system to make teachers more efficient. These three ran together and declared this data system would put Jeffco kids’ information out where it could be accessed by others, which was not true (though I’m not sure who’s interested in a kid’s reading level other than teachers). They stirred up fear in some parents, and that along with their minority ultra-conservative supporters got them elected. Many voters didn’t research enough. Newkirk, Williams, and Witt ran on vague stances on large issues. It was also an off election year, few other representatives’ seats were being decided, and, yes, Jeffco voters got lazy. Many didn’t vote. That created the perfect storm for Jeffco Schools. The lesson here is every election is important. As voters, we must stay abreast of the issues and the players and make ourselves heard. I believe Jeffco has learned that. Otherwise, I don’t think the recall effort would be moving like it is.

      1. Yes, I agree Kristine with your comments. However, I believe there were people and groups who tried to raise concerns about these candidates. They appeared to be a lot like ones in Douglas County. But voters all over are getting lazy. It leads to situations such as this. I hope this will be a wake up call but I’m not optimistic. . .

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