The Douglas County School District canceled classes on February 3, after an estimated 1,000-plus teachers staged a sick-out protest after three members of the Douglas County School Board claimed that four colleagues were involved in a stealth plot to fire or force the resignation of superintendent Corey Wise, apparently over his willingness to enforce COVID-19 mask protocols.
During a highly unusual Zoom meeting on January 31, Elizabeth Hanson, Susan Meek and David Ray, the more progressive members of the board, contended that colleagues Becky Myers, Mike Peterson, Christy Williams and Kaylee Winegar may have violated Colorado Open Meetings Laws — a claim Peterson energetically denies.
A special board meeting has been called for 5 p.m. today, February 4 — but soon after that was announced, Fox31 raised the question of whether the session ran afoul of state statutes. Colorado's so-called Sunshine Law specifically requires that a local body must post notice of such a gathering "at least 24 hours prior to the meeting" — a rule that can't be met if measured by the initial public announcement, which was tweeted at 6:14 p.m. on February 3. However, Paula Hans, spokesperson for the district, says a notice was posted on its website during the "late afternoon" on February 3 and printed copies were posted outside the board room and near the front door of the DCSD headquarters in Castle Rock at 4:55 p.m., avoiding a potential violation by five minutes. The district considers the physical copies its "official posting," Hans notes, adding that any alerts on social media are offered simply as a "courtesy to our community."
That posting followed the sick-out, which affected approximately 64,000 students at more than eighty schools in the Douglas County system. Meanwhile, a rally held at the DCSD offices at 1 p.m. yesterday drew closer to 100 participants than the 500 predicted. While Arctic temperatures and dicey road conditions certainly didn't help the turnout, those who made the drive made it clear that they stood behind Hanson, Meek, Ray and Wise.
For his part, Peterson released a statement on February 3 that blasted the Douglas County Federation, the union representing teachers in the district, and said that he and his colleagues are acting on behalf of children and parents and not playing politics:
There was an election last November that clearly showed that parents were dissatisfied with the current direction of the school district and the negative impact it has had on our children’s education. For example, 58 percent of Douglas County students in grades three through six are not proficient in math. Over and over again, and throughout the community, I have heard that parents want change. Tomorrow night, the DCSD Board will have a public discussion about the direction of the school district and how to get our children back on track so they are ready to solve the tough challenges they will face throughout their lives.Click for details about the 5 p.m. special meeting of the Douglas County School Board.
I believe our school district must prioritize our students in every decision. However, it appears as though some organizations view Douglas County as some sort of a conquest – a way to ‘take back power’, according to the union. That labor union held our kids hostage by using its power to close our schools, robbing our kids of another day of their education. Today’s cancellation of classes, after all the school that our kids have missed due to COVID and weather, was not an example of putting our kids first, rather it was a classic union tactic. In addition, I want to reassure our teachers and staff that I am committed to supporting all of you.
It also is important to note, because of inaccuracies reported in the media, that at no time, did I or any of the majority board members, violate any laws related to the discussion of any personnel matter. I will conduct tomorrow’s meeting with the grace and respect that any employer-employee conversation should warrant. The union may have other ideas, but I am committed to restoring peace and unity to our school district with a renewed focus on educating our children.
This post has been updated to include the Douglas County School District response to suggestions that today's meeting may not have been announced in time to comply with the Colorado Sunshine Law.
