This is in response to another candidate’s letter to the Daily Record: “Our Schools Have Lost Their Focus”
Voters have a big decision to make. It will decide the trajectory of our schools. On that, we agree.
Our schools have lost their focus? Respectfully, I disagree. Our focus has become clearer over the past few years. I have three concerns after reading that candidate’s letter.
Issue Number One: He says academics have taken a back seat? Let’s take a closer look.
Our district believes that every school, every grade level and every district employee plays an integral part in preparing our kids for an uncertain future. When they walk across that stage at graduation, they take a part of each of us with them, and we are so very proud of all they are taking out into the world. Let’s take a closer look at what we’ve been sending out into the world.
Let’s take a look at what is happening before our kids get to CCHS. Molly Merry and I recently visited each of the schools in our district. With all this political hype, we wanted to see and experience each school first-hand.
What great visits we had! Combined they offer a variety of choices. Without exception, at every school, we saw kids engaged in a variety of core curriculum lessons. We found incredible leaders who are passionate about where the district, and their school, is heading. When asked what they each need from their school board, without exception they shared that they like where the district is heading and want continued help to get there. We learned so many great things that I want to share with you now!
I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention some of the other note-worthy accomplishments that our district leaders, including our superintendents and school board members, have championed for our community!
I could go on about what is really going on with academic achievement and the overall care for students in our district. I love our schools! This list just scratches the surface. In the end, I think I can say this without hesitation, there is not a better rural school system in the state of Colorado. We are held up as a model by other schools and programs throughout the state, and whenever we are in the room with state thought leaders and policymakers, they ask “how can we make more Cañon Cities?”
Issue Number Two: Our voices aren’t heard?
I would like to clear up a claim made by other candidates in a recent radio interview. Their complaint was the only way to address the Board of Education with their concerns is during a 5-minute timed presentation where the protocols do not allow for discussion.
I’d like to remind everyone a board of education meeting is the time the board gets to conduct their business. Thus, public input needs to be limited.
However, the district website has current contact information for all the school board members as well as administrators. People who are seeking to solve problems reach out to them constantly with concerns. They arrange phone calls, one-on-one meetings, and they always respond to correspondence. All school board members are highly visible at a wide variety of school and community events and have always been approachable about concerns. You can often catch them working one-on-one with kids in our schools. They are accessible in many ways, and they listen and respond to concerns from students, parents, community, and staff. This is a fact that is not up for debate.
Not only that, but I have not met a principal of a school who doesn’t want to hear from a parent who has a concern. Of course, they will ask you if you have shared your concern with the teacher. The same could be said for the teacher working with your child. They want to hear from you!
Do we hear the folks asking about Critical Race Theory? A clear message has been delivered by the district that it doesn’t teach it. I’m afraid this is a politically motivated topic, coming from both ends of the spectrum, aimed at drawing attention away from what is most important, our kids and our schools! We teach kids that if you want to be heard, you also must be willing to listen. Collaboration is impossible without it.
Do we hear the voices regarding COVID mitigation and masking policies? Let us first agree that EVERYBODY is tired of COVID, and we have all been impacted by it. I know exactly how much our kids and teachers have lost. I was teaching during the 4th quarter of the 19-20 school year when we were forced to shut our doors. I was at the Board Development Academy meeting when Mr. Welsh said the district would have done some things differently knowing then what we know now. All along the way they have been doing the best they can based on the information they had with the overriding goal being to keep the district’s doors open to students and staff every day.
Consider that in September of 2020 only 18% of schools opened for in-person learning in place. We were one of them. That number never grew above 38%, yet we stayed the course! We kept in-person learning in place throughout the entire year while also offering a virtual option for those families who did not feel safe sending their kids to buildings. That decision was implemented, despite the difficulty of managing both in-person and virtual options through quarantines and contract tracings. District administration, supported by our school board, insisted we give our community these options. We maintained both virtual and in-person instruction all year long because our leaders listened to the community and worked hard to sustain it.
This year they continue to listen. Though many voices in our community had been asking for mask mandates by contacting board members and administrators directly, our district leaders considered state requirements and the concerns voiced by others who oppose them. In the end they made it a choice, not a requirement. It troubles me to see Mr. Welsh criticized, even asked to resign his position, for doing exactly what the candidate who asked him to do so claims he does not. He solicited input from all sides. He allowed them to be heard.
I try to find the JOY in all things. The initial response to the pandemic after the mandatory shutdown of 2020 was incredible. While many schools went without, our leaders quickly got technology devices in the hand of every student and staff member in the district. They worked providers to supply affordable internet for students in need. While we surely experienced loss in some academic areas, there are many positives that came out of how we responded as a district and community. Students and teachers had no choice but to integrate technology into instruction. This gave all the opportunity to practice and model the traits we value such as knowledge, innovation, tenacity, agency, agility, civility, and integrity. Our district targeted these outcomes BEFORE the pandemic hit. The pandemic has shown us why they are so necessary.
Do these joys outweigh the negative impacts of the pandemic? How could they? People we know lost loved ones. Their quality of life forever changed. I choose to focus on the people, the kids, and the JOY. This leads us through the dark times. This is what our district leaders and school board members have done for my entire career. Through financially difficult times, frustratingly political times, and even a few unfortunate scandalous times, our leaders have pulled together and led us through each while taking great care of our schools. They did this without personal agendas or infusing partisan political beliefs. Rather, it has been with an understanding that what works best for our kids and our schools means coming together and reaching consensus while respecting the system it is built on. Our leaders never stop listening. They consider all the information, and then they act. They lead with a steadfast focus on what’s best for Our Kids-Our Schools-Our Future!
Issue Number Three: We must take a hard look at why so many of our good teachers have left our schools to teach in other districts? Figure out ways to retain good teachers and not be afraid to get rid of the bad teachers?
If you haven’t noticed, there has been a nationwide shortage of teachers for years. In fact, in the 2020-2021 school year, 235 teaching positions have remained unfilled in the state of Colorado. Additionally, 893 positions were filled through shortage mechanisms like long-term substituting. Our district, although experiencing some of the impacts of this shortage, is far better off than many that surround us.
The reasons for the shortage are simple. The job is extremely stressful, and teachers do not get paid enough, especially considering the number of hours it takes beyond the regular school day and school year to be effective. Kids are not flocking to teacher education programs because of this. Thus, the pool has become smaller. Rural districts (like ours) and those at the short end of the funding system (like ours) have had difficulty addressing this issue even before the pandemic hit.
However, let’s look at what has been done to attract and retain high-quality staff by our district leaders and school board members in conjunction with teachers and community members.
Do people leave? They always have for many reasons. Several, including myself, retired due to COVID. Some leave for more money. Bigger districts in large communities often can pay significantly more. It’s also true some leave because our community doesn’t offer many of the amenities and conveniences a metropolitan area does. To imply many teachers leave our district because they are dissatisfied is simply wrong. Might there be some? There could be. However, that number pales significantly in comparison to those who choose to stay and choose to be part of our amazing schools. The retention rate for new teachers prior to COVID was 92%--an amazing number for any school district!
Can we do more? From my vantage, our leaders have never stopped trying to do more. But let me tell you about something that sets our district apart from others. When I was first hired at Cañon City High School I had a rough first year. The kids were great, but I had some discipline issues that were difficult to navigate. I had money stolen off my desk from a fundraiser. I was in an accident while driving from a festival on an icy Highway 115 in a school vehicle. It was concerning for a first-year teacher who loved his job but feared he might not be making the grade.
I’ll never forget the lesson I learned from my principal, Ron Minty. He called me into his office one to tell me he knew this year had been rough. He knew I’d been through some experiences that might leave me to feel like my job might be tenuous at best. He assured me of these things:
1. We see you! We see how hard you work, and how much your kids love working with you.
2. We (Cañon City Schools) invest in our people. We don’t toss them aside because they make mistakes. We help them grow through their mistakes and trust that they will be better for it.
3. He told me hiring me was the best decision he ever made in his career! He repeated this claim to me over and over through the years. I knew he probably told that to all his hires, but I spent the rest of my 30-plus years trying to prove him right.
So no, the district’s primary focus isn’t on getting rid of bad teachers. Is there a process for teachers to leave the district if all efforts to help them learn and grow have failed? You bet. But, here in Cañon City Schools, we continue to invest in and develop our greatest resource, our people. That focus comes directly from our leaders, and although I acknowledge we, like everyone else, have a teacher shortage problem, I’m confident our district will model the tenacity and resiliency we expect to see from our students as we continue to address it.
This has been a long read. I thank you for taking the time to hear me out. We are all in this together. In Cañon City we believe every staff member, regardless of title, is an educator and can positively impact the lives of our kids. Bus drivers, teachers, health techs, custodians, operations staff, support staff, administrators, and yes, school board members, all contribute to every young person’s walk across the stage on graduation day. I’m incredibly proud to be part of what we offer our kids and what it means to be a graduate of Cañon City Schools. Effective leadership brings people together. It does not tear them apart. I believe that district’s focus is right where it should be, Our Kids-Our Schools-Our Future!
Voters have a big decision to make. It will decide the trajectory of our schools. On that, we agree.
Our schools have lost their focus? Respectfully, I disagree. Our focus has become clearer over the past few years. I have three concerns after reading that candidate’s letter.
Issue Number One: He says academics have taken a back seat? Let’s take a closer look.
Our district believes that every school, every grade level and every district employee plays an integral part in preparing our kids for an uncertain future. When they walk across that stage at graduation, they take a part of each of us with them, and we are so very proud of all they are taking out into the world. Let’s take a closer look at what we’ve been sending out into the world.
- CCHS is the number 1 school per capita in the state for earning Early College credits for our students as reported by the higher education commission. Some students are able to complete a two-year college degree simultaneously with their high school degree!
- Two years ago (latest data reported) CCHS was the #9 program in Colorado (#1 per capita) for students earning vocational/industry certifications. In the past year it has more than doubled that. This allows our students to enter the work force career ready upon graduation! The 8 programs that ranked above us were all significantly larger districts with multiple high schools and far better funded than RE-1. This includes a Drafting & Design program that consistently not only places nationally but walks away with the lion’s (or tiger’s share in this case) share of the National Awards!
- Our current Pathways and Capstone Programs are being looked at by many districts in the state to model their own programs.
- CCHS is a model school for its intern and apprentice program. More than two dozen schools have visited to learn how to duplicate our program. We are one of the few in the state to mandate a work-study for graduates and are sending over 300 students into the community each year to learn about their career fields from over 150 Fremont County business partners!
- CCHS has been selected as one of only 20 high schools nationally to participate in the Invent2Prevent challenge this school year. A project that is being paired with a new AP Capstone Class where students will earn scholarship money by completing and submitting projects.
- We have robust arts programs K-12 that culminate at CCHS with several AP Visual Art, Practical Art, and Art History classes. An award-winning Instrumental (Current Regional Championship) and Vocal (Current State Show Choir Championship) programs.
- We have a model alternative learning program at CCHS Tiger Open Pathway that is proving to be very effective for the participants and making a difference!
Let’s take a look at what is happening before our kids get to CCHS. Molly Merry and I recently visited each of the schools in our district. With all this political hype, we wanted to see and experience each school first-hand.
What great visits we had! Combined they offer a variety of choices. Without exception, at every school, we saw kids engaged in a variety of core curriculum lessons. We found incredible leaders who are passionate about where the district, and their school, is heading. When asked what they each need from their school board, without exception they shared that they like where the district is heading and want continued help to get there. We learned so many great things that I want to share with you now!
- This is BIG! McKinley Elementary (and in true Canon City School’s Spirit, Mr. Morton gives credit to his entire staff) has worked their tails off! They were just recently notified they received an expedited School Performance rating from CDE moving from Turnaround to Performance status based on CMAS testing data from last year; a COVID year! They have grown the district’s pre-school offering to SIX different options where each student receives an IPAD with age-appropriate instruction and, in addition to regular academic instruction also receive Physical Education, Music, Technology, and Social Emotional Choices.
- Mountain View Core Knowledge is a model charter school that works in partnership with the district. Not only do their students consistently show academic growth, but their culture also supports the district’s goals and core values, preparing students with 21st Century Skills to live and work with a global perspective.
- Cañon Exploratory School has long been a pioneer school incorporating Project-Based Learning, Multiple Intelligence considerations and Multi-Age Instruction long before those concepts were introduced to other schools. Their culture, utilizing Choice Theory to develop personal responsibility, continues to be a highly effective place for students who thrive in such an environment. This is supported by their consistently high test scores.
- Lincoln School of Science and Technology is making great strides to become a STEM elementary school! I was so impressed as I watched students in an art class integrated with the mathematical principles of architecture and learned about the robotics program available throughout the year.
- At CCMS, the excitement of breaking in a new building is palpable among students and staff alike! The students who presented at the last school board meeting were so proud to talk about all the great things going on in their buildings! A long-time friend, whose class we visited, asked the two of us if we would mind helping out with their first ever Falcon Cup Day, and I am so glad we said yes! We saw up close the district’s Traits and Skills being applied and reinforced as students collaborated and problem-solved with civility to achieve each goal. Collaboratively, they practiced agency, innovation, and tenacity!
- At Washington Elementary the excitement of their new building was evident, especially for our 5th grade tour guides Angel and Jyan. They were so proud to show us around, even if it meant delaying their lunch! Washington has a brand-new principal who shared that she chose to come to our district because of its people, its vision, and the district’s core beliefs! She knows a good thing when she sees it!
- At Harrison K-8 School it was a joy to get to meet Dr. Barkett and hear his hopes for the program! Again, we have a new experienced administrator choosing to come to our district because of its vision, its Core Values and its people! Like any good administrator, he is spending his time getting to know his work family and his kids, and seeing him interact with the students as we took our tour was truly heart-warming: kids spontaneously offering fist-bumps, hugs, and high fives, and there were many that couldn’t wait to share their stories of weekend adventures or what they were learning about at that very moment!
I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention some of the other note-worthy accomplishments that our district leaders, including our superintendents and school board members, have championed for our community!
- Through the persistent legislative advocacy of our superintendent, Mr. Welsh, CCS has received $2 Million in additional revenue over the past 4 years through Rural Sustainability Funding, and extra dollars get funneled to rural school districts all over Colorado.
- By adopting a clear plan and gaining public support for a mill override, they were able to follow through on their promise to place a keyboard and screen device in the hands of every student and staff member.
- They secured a Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) grant that secured more than $56 Million to improve facilities. This is why each building has a new roof, new windows, secure entries, and we have sparkling new facilities on the CCMS and Washington properties.
- They, in partnership with community leaders, led an initiative to pass our first-ever mill-override that boosted employee compensation, increased access to instructional technology, updated curriculum resources, gave us more funding with which to improve facilities, boosted support for our charter school program, and increased funding for preschool programs. AND they have followed through on ALL these promises.
- They supported efforts to help pass Mill Equity legislation, a very unpopular and very complicated issue to explain, but one that will bring an additional $400,000 in funding to the school district each year moving forward and likely allow us to access more dollars each year for the mill-override we already have in place, at no additional cost to Cañon City taxpayers! At one time OUR superintendent, George Welsh, was literally the only superintendent of schools in the room to advocate for this measure of taxpayer fairness!
- Won a bond election that, in conjunction with the BEST grants they secured, provided more than $75 million in facilities improvements at a cost of only $18 Million to our taxpayers.
- Have in the last 8 years secured approximately $70 Million in funding over and above what we are allocated by the state, thanks to grant acquisitions.
I could go on about what is really going on with academic achievement and the overall care for students in our district. I love our schools! This list just scratches the surface. In the end, I think I can say this without hesitation, there is not a better rural school system in the state of Colorado. We are held up as a model by other schools and programs throughout the state, and whenever we are in the room with state thought leaders and policymakers, they ask “how can we make more Cañon Cities?”
Issue Number Two: Our voices aren’t heard?
I would like to clear up a claim made by other candidates in a recent radio interview. Their complaint was the only way to address the Board of Education with their concerns is during a 5-minute timed presentation where the protocols do not allow for discussion.
I’d like to remind everyone a board of education meeting is the time the board gets to conduct their business. Thus, public input needs to be limited.
However, the district website has current contact information for all the school board members as well as administrators. People who are seeking to solve problems reach out to them constantly with concerns. They arrange phone calls, one-on-one meetings, and they always respond to correspondence. All school board members are highly visible at a wide variety of school and community events and have always been approachable about concerns. You can often catch them working one-on-one with kids in our schools. They are accessible in many ways, and they listen and respond to concerns from students, parents, community, and staff. This is a fact that is not up for debate.
Not only that, but I have not met a principal of a school who doesn’t want to hear from a parent who has a concern. Of course, they will ask you if you have shared your concern with the teacher. The same could be said for the teacher working with your child. They want to hear from you!
Do we hear the folks asking about Critical Race Theory? A clear message has been delivered by the district that it doesn’t teach it. I’m afraid this is a politically motivated topic, coming from both ends of the spectrum, aimed at drawing attention away from what is most important, our kids and our schools! We teach kids that if you want to be heard, you also must be willing to listen. Collaboration is impossible without it.
Do we hear the voices regarding COVID mitigation and masking policies? Let us first agree that EVERYBODY is tired of COVID, and we have all been impacted by it. I know exactly how much our kids and teachers have lost. I was teaching during the 4th quarter of the 19-20 school year when we were forced to shut our doors. I was at the Board Development Academy meeting when Mr. Welsh said the district would have done some things differently knowing then what we know now. All along the way they have been doing the best they can based on the information they had with the overriding goal being to keep the district’s doors open to students and staff every day.
Consider that in September of 2020 only 18% of schools opened for in-person learning in place. We were one of them. That number never grew above 38%, yet we stayed the course! We kept in-person learning in place throughout the entire year while also offering a virtual option for those families who did not feel safe sending their kids to buildings. That decision was implemented, despite the difficulty of managing both in-person and virtual options through quarantines and contract tracings. District administration, supported by our school board, insisted we give our community these options. We maintained both virtual and in-person instruction all year long because our leaders listened to the community and worked hard to sustain it.
This year they continue to listen. Though many voices in our community had been asking for mask mandates by contacting board members and administrators directly, our district leaders considered state requirements and the concerns voiced by others who oppose them. In the end they made it a choice, not a requirement. It troubles me to see Mr. Welsh criticized, even asked to resign his position, for doing exactly what the candidate who asked him to do so claims he does not. He solicited input from all sides. He allowed them to be heard.
I try to find the JOY in all things. The initial response to the pandemic after the mandatory shutdown of 2020 was incredible. While many schools went without, our leaders quickly got technology devices in the hand of every student and staff member in the district. They worked providers to supply affordable internet for students in need. While we surely experienced loss in some academic areas, there are many positives that came out of how we responded as a district and community. Students and teachers had no choice but to integrate technology into instruction. This gave all the opportunity to practice and model the traits we value such as knowledge, innovation, tenacity, agency, agility, civility, and integrity. Our district targeted these outcomes BEFORE the pandemic hit. The pandemic has shown us why they are so necessary.
Do these joys outweigh the negative impacts of the pandemic? How could they? People we know lost loved ones. Their quality of life forever changed. I choose to focus on the people, the kids, and the JOY. This leads us through the dark times. This is what our district leaders and school board members have done for my entire career. Through financially difficult times, frustratingly political times, and even a few unfortunate scandalous times, our leaders have pulled together and led us through each while taking great care of our schools. They did this without personal agendas or infusing partisan political beliefs. Rather, it has been with an understanding that what works best for our kids and our schools means coming together and reaching consensus while respecting the system it is built on. Our leaders never stop listening. They consider all the information, and then they act. They lead with a steadfast focus on what’s best for Our Kids-Our Schools-Our Future!
Issue Number Three: We must take a hard look at why so many of our good teachers have left our schools to teach in other districts? Figure out ways to retain good teachers and not be afraid to get rid of the bad teachers?
If you haven’t noticed, there has been a nationwide shortage of teachers for years. In fact, in the 2020-2021 school year, 235 teaching positions have remained unfilled in the state of Colorado. Additionally, 893 positions were filled through shortage mechanisms like long-term substituting. Our district, although experiencing some of the impacts of this shortage, is far better off than many that surround us.
The reasons for the shortage are simple. The job is extremely stressful, and teachers do not get paid enough, especially considering the number of hours it takes beyond the regular school day and school year to be effective. Kids are not flocking to teacher education programs because of this. Thus, the pool has become smaller. Rural districts (like ours) and those at the short end of the funding system (like ours) have had difficulty addressing this issue even before the pandemic hit.
However, let’s look at what has been done to attract and retain high-quality staff by our district leaders and school board members in conjunction with teachers and community members.
- All frozen experience steps caused by past funding cuts have been restored.
- Staff have also received consistent experience increases.
- A base health plan for staff is in place, fully paid for, and has even been expanded. This was not the case only three years ago.
- A new reduced cost preschool/childcare program is now available for CCSD employees.
- Our district has designed the most progressive parental leave program in the state, meaning new mothers and fathers actually get time to bond with their children.
- A two-year new teacher induction program, a model for the state, provides a mentor and a development coach for all new teachers.
- The district implemented an alternating 4-day/5-day week schedule, a suggestion that first came from community members who hoped to draw young families to our area who would enjoy the occasional three-day weekends to take advantage of all the out-door amenities life in our community has to offer.
Do people leave? They always have for many reasons. Several, including myself, retired due to COVID. Some leave for more money. Bigger districts in large communities often can pay significantly more. It’s also true some leave because our community doesn’t offer many of the amenities and conveniences a metropolitan area does. To imply many teachers leave our district because they are dissatisfied is simply wrong. Might there be some? There could be. However, that number pales significantly in comparison to those who choose to stay and choose to be part of our amazing schools. The retention rate for new teachers prior to COVID was 92%--an amazing number for any school district!
Can we do more? From my vantage, our leaders have never stopped trying to do more. But let me tell you about something that sets our district apart from others. When I was first hired at Cañon City High School I had a rough first year. The kids were great, but I had some discipline issues that were difficult to navigate. I had money stolen off my desk from a fundraiser. I was in an accident while driving from a festival on an icy Highway 115 in a school vehicle. It was concerning for a first-year teacher who loved his job but feared he might not be making the grade.
I’ll never forget the lesson I learned from my principal, Ron Minty. He called me into his office one to tell me he knew this year had been rough. He knew I’d been through some experiences that might leave me to feel like my job might be tenuous at best. He assured me of these things:
1. We see you! We see how hard you work, and how much your kids love working with you.
2. We (Cañon City Schools) invest in our people. We don’t toss them aside because they make mistakes. We help them grow through their mistakes and trust that they will be better for it.
3. He told me hiring me was the best decision he ever made in his career! He repeated this claim to me over and over through the years. I knew he probably told that to all his hires, but I spent the rest of my 30-plus years trying to prove him right.
So no, the district’s primary focus isn’t on getting rid of bad teachers. Is there a process for teachers to leave the district if all efforts to help them learn and grow have failed? You bet. But, here in Cañon City Schools, we continue to invest in and develop our greatest resource, our people. That focus comes directly from our leaders, and although I acknowledge we, like everyone else, have a teacher shortage problem, I’m confident our district will model the tenacity and resiliency we expect to see from our students as we continue to address it.
This has been a long read. I thank you for taking the time to hear me out. We are all in this together. In Cañon City we believe every staff member, regardless of title, is an educator and can positively impact the lives of our kids. Bus drivers, teachers, health techs, custodians, operations staff, support staff, administrators, and yes, school board members, all contribute to every young person’s walk across the stage on graduation day. I’m incredibly proud to be part of what we offer our kids and what it means to be a graduate of Cañon City Schools. Effective leadership brings people together. It does not tear them apart. I believe that district’s focus is right where it should be, Our Kids-Our Schools-Our Future!