Video: More students, less funding, happy teachers

While you may all think this sounds great, the reality of the situation in Douglas County Schools is vastly different. Unfortunately, the leadership of our school district are theorists without the ability to implement those theories. Staff morale is at an all-time low. We have had 99% of our administrators, 71% of our principals, and 46% of our teachers turnover in the last few years during this “reimagnination” of public education. Our schools are filled with inexperienced new teachers who mean well, but have no idea how to be effective.

Our public neighborhood schools have been starved of funding to manufacture a crisis. Our high school students now go to school part time and do not have the same opportunities to demonstrate a rigorous schedule as they apply to colleges. The funds that were previously used to educate our children have been diverted to projects based on theory rather than practicality, such as data mining systems that do not require parental agreement, more assessment beyond the deluge required by the state, and a teacher and principal evaluation system that is so full of “edujargon” that it is impossible for true professionals to understand or meet the requirements. Most teachers have chosen to actually educate their students rather than shoot for a highly effective rating, since that requires so much administrative work that the teachers with any experience see that our children are being robbed of a good education.

I have seen the education of my very talented children deteriorate over the last few years. My oldest son graduated a year early to remain challenged and be accepted by a good college. My sophomore daughter is likely going to do the same thing, and my children are not the only students making these choices. Some may think this is an indication of a good school district, but my children were gifted before ever stepping foot in these schools, and because of the deterioration of their opportunities in Douglas County, I had to send my son thousands of miles from home at the age of 16. I cringe when I think what this flawed, theoretical approach to education has done to all of the students in our community.

We live in the 7th wealthiest county in the country, so our students are already privileged. This corporate education reform has counted on the already good scores of our students to boost their statistical data about reform, but rather than scores improving, they have remained steady or declined. If you really want to know how this reinvention of education is going, ask an informed student, parent or staff member in Douglas County. I really think Dr. Fagen believes things are going well, but like most theorists, that is only in her mind, and not in the reality of the situation. Click on this link to see what a teacher and her highly talented four children say about how their education is going in Douglas County: http://highlandsranchherald.net/stories/Family-concerned-about-school-changes,151766. Just because theorists think things are going well, does not mean that they actually are. Get educated about the destruction of corporate educational reform. This is not a political thing. Both democrats and republicans are trashing our children’s futures with these reforms. Make sure to know the facts and don’t just listen to what comes out of the mouths of the highly-paid administrators who are focused on their own notoriety and not what is in the best interests of our students.

Utopia?