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My daughter is a student at a Jeffco High School. She has participated in protest activities at her school. She participated during her off block, and lunch. I asked her about her participation and why she chose to participate. This is what she told me:
The proposal I'm protesting says the schools need to ensure they promote respect for authority, patriotism and citizenship and do not condone civil disobedience. I have two issues with that idea. One, how in goodness sake can they avoid teaching about civil disobedience and still teach ANYTHING about the American Revolution? That was the ultimate act of civil disobedience to their rulers, the British crown. They could've been hung for the Declaration of Independence! They fired on British troops! How is that showing respect for the established authority of the time? Without civil disobedience, with blind adherence to authority, we'd still be part of Great Britain. Women would not be able to vote. Minority children would still be sent to separate, poorly funded schools, poll taxes would be in place, workers would still be working 12 hour days, 7 days a week, for a dollar a day! This country is great because of civil disobedience! And they now want to take that out of the curriculum? How is that teaching us? Heck, how can they teach us WHY America is great without giving significant time to those who fought to make it great? The signers of the Declaration, Martin Luther King Jr., Elizabeth Cady Stanton, they made our country better and stronger. And this proposal, if enforced fully, would require their removal from the curriculum. I have a problem with that. And for everyone who might say we just want to skip class...I WENT TO all my classes today. This is a big deal, though, and important to me. So I didn't hang out with my buddies. I didn't go check my email or text people during my off block. I went out and did something that hopefully will MATTER. I emulated MY American heroes. People who stand up for what they believe in. And if I get in trouble for what I did in my off-block, so what? A lot worse happened to women who fought for my right to BE at this protest. This is a big deal, and I won't let the Board damage my education without a fight.
What she didn't get into, and what is a bigger issue, is that this proposal could potentially remove Jeffco Schools from the AP US History (APUSH) program. This is an internationally recognized program, and the College Board, who administers it, can remove both teachers and entire schools from the AP program for a particular course if it is not meeting the requirements of the curriculum. This would, in turn, remove the IB designation from Jeffco High Schools, since APUSH is a requirement for IB. This proposal HURTS our students, significantly. It creates a strong possibility that students cannot receive college credit at a lower cost (and with the cost of post-secondary education these days, that makes a HUGE difference!), student who have been following the IB curriculum would have all the extra work they have done for naught.
My daughter is not a mouthpiece for anyone but herself. I have taught her to think critically, and think independently, and to not be afraid to disagree (respectfully!) with her teachers, provided she can use clear logic and facts to back her arguments. I have seen her do this. I've been called to school by teachers because she would not sit back and accept what the teacher said passively.
Don't judge these students and their reasons for participating in this INCREDIBLY appropriate display of engaged citizenry. Many of these students are old enough to vote. And I appreciate their choice to become informed on issues that affect them, and their choice to participate in their constitutionally protected right to assemble peaceably. More power to them, I say!!
By law aren't you forced to go to school until you take the steps to drop out? I know that's how it is in some states and if you don't show up your parents are legally responsible. If so they aren't protected by the constitution for just walking out of school. Also if they miss so many days they will be forced to make it up during the summer, I'm sure all the fun and games hanging out on the side of the road will be over by then.
By law aren't you forced to go to school until you take the steps to drop out? I know that's how it is in some states and if you don't show up your parents are legally responsible. If so they aren't protected by the constitution for just walking out of school. Also if they miss so many days they will be forced to make it up during the summer, I'm sure all the fun and games hanging out on the side of the road will be over by then.
It is quite clear that you have little idea how schools work...
- Attendance is mandatory, but schools are not responsible for ensuring students go to class. In Jeffco, teachers mark a student absent, and later in the evening the parents will receive a call telling them their student was absent. Parents have the option to excuse the student's absence if they wish.
- Schools may punish students who are absent and unexcused, but schools may not impose an academic penalty on the students. Even if the student skips class, the student is entitled to make up any work missed on the day of the absence. The school may set make up work parameters (eg. students have 1 day to make up missed work), but they may not deny the student the chance to make up the work. This is state law.
- Many schools have an open campus policy that allows students to leave school during their off periods. This is what ALStafford's daughter (and many other students as well) did.
- Students ARE protected by the Constitution. There are several SCOTUS rulings affirming students' right to free speech. Students are allowed to protest on public property as long as the protest doesn't interfere with the operations of the school.
- Students do not make up class time in the summer. The entire school may be forced to make up time in the summer if the school was closed for an extended period of time.
I agree it is embarrassing. Not the students walking out though, that is not the embarrassing part, but that the reason they are walking out. These students are being used by the teachers as their mouthpieces to fight the school board, and it pisses me off that teachers care more about their own struggles then they do about the students not destroying their school records.
Fact is I do agree with the teachers about history, the entire history should be taught, not just the parts that make the US look good, but that is only a part of the reason that students are walking out. Nope the other reason is that they do not feel like teachers should be graded and get raises based on performance. Now why would students care about that? Unless their teachers are teaching them that they deserve to be paid based on time and not how well they do their jobs.
I will say though that I think long term this will back fire on the teachers, and their union. People across the country are watching this and realizing just how brainwashed many of these kids are getting by their teachers. Never once did I or any of my friends worry about what or how our teachers were paid, now teachers are having kids fight their battles, and I as a parent and many others I have talked to about it are pissed.
I don't know what is sadder, that you believe that the teachers are behind this or that the students don't care.
Ken Witt has put forth the notion that the teachers are behind the protests, but he cannot point to any single instance where this has happened, nor is there any investigation into any reports of misconduct by teachers.
He, and people like you, seem to think that the students are too stupid to understand this issue. That the leader of the school district has such little faith in that district's students' abilities is very disturbing.
For the record, I have yet to hear any student complain about the teacher pay proposal.
Here is a more likely scenario:
BOE is elected, and starts a campaign of tyranny by the majority by doing things like:
- forcing old superintendent out, and hiring a controversial pick as the new superintendent.
- running meetings in a way that disregards public input and comment.
- pushing through a controversial pay plan and teachers are upset.
- and, finally, proposing a plan to review curriculum that could hurt their chances at gaining college credit by taking APUSH and passing the APUSH test.
The first few things students didn't know about or care about. However, when the curriculum change was proposed, it got their attention, and they started asking questions. After being blown off by the superintendent and the board, kids took things into their own hands and the protests were born.
Faced with the backlash from the students, the BOE and the superintendent went on the offensive and blamed the union hoping to deflect the criticism of their actions.
From 9news.com. Williams is the one that wrote the original proposal:
"I'm not saying let's not teach history accurately," Williams told 9News in a phone interview. "What I'm saying is let's not encourage our children to disobey the law."
When we asked for examples of historical events she fears are misrepresented, Williams couldn't point to one.
"I'm not familiar enough with everything that is in AP history to make that judgment," she said.
I am proud of these kids for taking a stand here. I get a smile every time I see another national news story on the topic. Millennials are so often portrayed as apathetic, it is incredibly encouraging to see that Colorado kids are willing to stand up when things matter.
It's laughable to blame this on the teacher's union and not the insane revisionist history agenda that is causing the problem. Teaching our kids about American exceptionalism, while glossing over or completely leaving out the ugly chapters of our history, does them and our nation a huge disservice.
I am proud of these kids for taking a stand here. I get a smile every time I see another national news story on the topic. Millennials are so often portrayed as apathetic, it is incredibly encouraging to see that Colorado kids are willing to stand up when things matter.
It's laughable to blame this on the teacher's union and not the insane revisionist history agenda that is causing the problem. Teaching our kids about American exceptionalism, while glossing over or completely leaving out the ugly chapters of our history, does them and our nation a huge disservice.
Go kids!!!
Completely agree. I'm very curious though, why is Julie Williams only taking issue with the AP curriculum? Watch out for the smart kids, they can really create some civil unrest with those bright minds of theirs!
I am proud of these kids for taking a stand here. I get a smile every time I see another national news story on the topic. Millennials are so often portrayed as apathetic, it is incredibly encouraging to see that Colorado kids are willing to stand up when things matter.
It's laughable to blame this on the teacher's union and not the insane revisionist history agenda that is causing the problem. Teaching our kids about American exceptionalism, while glossing over or completely leaving out the ugly chapters of our history, does them and our nation a huge disservice.
Go kids!!!
IIRC, the Koch Bros are behind efforts in many states, Colorado included, to destroy any and all unions, especially public employee unions, which the Koch's ancient John Birch Society ideology believe is a horrible commie crime. Koch supported anti-union school boards are now in place in Douglas County and JEFFCO school districts and are wreaking havoc. Map of the Kochtopus political machine.
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Last edited by Mike from back east; 09-27-2014 at 02:13 PM..
Did they try to influence the school board election like the Koch brothers did?
They were pushing inBloom which fortunately, parents found out about and fought hard to stop it in it's tracks.
I brought this up in response to Mike's comment about the Koch Brothers. It seems like this district (among others) is being influenced by outsiders on both sides of the political spectrum and their influence is creating a lot of controversy and chaos. We need to pay attention when outsiders start giving large sums of money to our local school districts as large sums of money rarely come without strings attached.
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