CALLING ALL JEFFCO STUDENTS, JEFFCO ALUM, AND JEFFCO
PARENTS:
YES, THIS IMPACTS YOU.
I myself am
a Jeffco graduate. I don’t know about you, but I am extremely blessed and
humbled at the fact that I have had the privilege and opportunity to go to the
schools I went to. I now attend a local
university and have received three scholarships because of the education, help
and encouragement I have behind me. Here are a few reasons why I am so proud of
my Jeffco Schools:
Jeffco Schools are
SO Strong:
1.
“Out of 154 schools, Jeffco has 10 option
schools, 16 charter schools, 17 neighborhood high schools, 22 middle schools,
and 90 elementary schools. Special programs include International
Baccalaureate, STEM, Gifted and Talented, On-line, Special Ed, Warren Tech and
much more!”
2.
“2014 Jeffco graduates earned over $79 million
in scholarships, 32 of those Jeffco schools received John Irwin schools of
excellence awards and 20 schools were awarded The Governor’s Distinguished
Improvement Award.”
3.
“Seven Jeffco schools received gold, silver, or
bronze medals in the 2014 U.S. News Best High Schools ranking: Four Jeffco
schools were listed by Daily Beast as the best in the nation: D’Evelyn,
Lakewood, Dakota Ridge and Golden!”
Our schools are so
amazing because of our teachers:
1.
Teachers know your learning abilities and
learning types and find different ways to better connect with your learning
style.
2.
They know your quietness and work to give you a
voice.
3.
They see your talent and will not let you give
up on it. In fact, they will take you to the Jostens Yearbook convention in
Seattle and Anaheim so YOU can learn from some of the best.
4.
They spend their mornings, lunches, and after school
planning times to help better your learning.
5.
They are on the sidelines of your soccer game,
football game, your school play, your band or choir concert, your talent show,
cheering you on, BECAUSE they believe in YOU.
6.
They are a shoulder to cry on when you end up
having your third knee surgery as a sixteen year old, when there are family
problems, or you are simply having a rough day.
7.
They are often times coaches after school, so
not only do they teach during the day, they are giving you life lessons that
are carried forward into your future.
8.
They get to school between 6:30-7 am each day
and often times don’t leave till 5pm: go home, work on their lesson plans, make
dinner, go to a soccer game, help tutor someone, watch The Voice, go to bed,
and repeat until the weekend. When the weekend arrives, they are up at the
crack of dawn Saturday morning grading papers, coming up with new games, new
songs, new something’s to get their students excited about learning. They do
ALL of this, while having a family and they make it work because their passion
is teaching.
9.
They buy dozens of boxes of Girl Scout cookies or
Boy Scout popcorn from their students, to let them know they care.
10. They
give you THEIR high school letterman’s coat because they know you cannot afford
one.
Need I say
more? If there is one thing I have learned as a Jeffco alumni, it would be that
I am so thankful for teachers who invested in us, helped us grow and helped us
discover our unique gifts, talents and abilities. They were there: to
encourage, to support, to uplift, to mentor, to love on and to walk through
some of the darkest parts of life with their students. Simply, they had our
backs. Jeffco teachers have always had our backs and will continue to do so.
They would literally lay their life on the line for us. It is our time as
students, alum, and parents to do the same thing for them. We need to have
their backs, encourage them, love on them, and fight for them.
Jeffco
teachers are discouraged now more than ever. How do I know this? I live with one, I used to work at a teacher
supply store, I babysit for some, and I bring Starbucks to others; I love my Jeffco
teachers! They are not doing what
they are doing for the pay, they are doing it for the impact they make
on their students lives. I am sick of the tears, the fact that they are told
they no longer have a voice, and the fact that they are being bullied in their
own classrooms while teaching your students. Stressful much? They are taking
orders from a group of people who came in, hired their own lawyer, have closed
door meetings, who tell people in their meetings that whatever text or tweet is
sent out during the meeting they will know about, and who continually lies to
the community. Did I mention that the
superintendent doesn’t even have his “Superintendent license” or experience? “THE
CURRENT SCHOOL BOARD MAJORITY IS ACTING AGAINST
THE INTERESTS OF KIDS AND THE COMMUNITY.” What the heck? Why are they even in
education??? WE ARE NOT LIVING IN DIVERGENT PEOPLE! We need to get our voices
together and stand up for our teachers because they, “No longer can speak up for
themselves”. It’s our time! I mean, we are their
future, where is our voice?
If you haven’t
kept up with what is going on in Jeffco, here are just a few things you should
know about the majority board of education:
1.
They have demonstrated, “Failure to
support those students most at risk by opposing $600,000 (to extend the
program) for Full Day Kindergarten for students who are Free and Reduced Lunch
(35% and above poverty).” They are wanting businesses to come in and sponsor
schools, making all the students who rely on the free programs only able to go
to a handful of schools, making the public school system a dumping ground.
Every child, no matter what their background, should have the same right to an
education! How is this going to help them get out of poverty anyways?
2.
They want to sensor AP US History.
“Promote citizenship, patriotism, essentials and benefits of the free
enterprise system, respect for authority and respect for individual rights.
Materials should not encourage or condone civil disorder, social strife or
disregard of the law. Instructional materials should present positive aspects
of the United States and its heritage.” –Board documents…. “How about the fact that America was
built on civil disobedience? The Civil War? The Progressive Era? The Women's
Suffrage Movement? Civil Rights?”
3.
For
the voters who voted for change: Failure to keep
promises to voters from 3A/3B 2012 Mill/Bond campaign. They are not putting the
money where you voted. Isn’t that illegal?
4.
“Limiting public comment (May 27th, only 22 out of 85+ people signed up
were allowed to speak); locking building doors in advance of board meetings,
restricting entry to 7-8people at a time; requiring those entering to be
escorted to the Board Room; no signs allowed in the board room, no visual aids
allowed by speakers.”
5.
The board is telling people teachers are getting
raises. This year they are! Although, their pay is being tied to an evaluation
system that is unfair. “We want people to know that we welcome
that change as long as the evaluation system is fair. A neutral third party,
during fact finding, found that we are not there yet. The majority board are
going forward with their new system anyway.” –Jeffco Teacher
The
list of scary, CRAZY shenanigans continues. We are already losing some of our
best teachers and many others are considering leaving. Don’t you want the best
for our future? Your children? Your children’s future? I know I want my little
brothers to have the same experience as I did - with teachers who continually
impact my life today! We need to speak up when others can’t. If we do not do something now, Jeffco is going
to become a dumping ground. With Cindy Stevenson, Jeffco was one of the best
districts around. The fact that teachers have to call in sick to make a point
because they no longer have a voice is scary. There is no trust anywhere. My
Arvada, Westminster, Jeffco community is STRONG. WE are a community that relies
and stands up for one another. WE have been through SO much together. Well, now
is our chance. WE as a TEAM need to stand up for OUR students, OUR teachers and
OUR community! These kids are OUR future, so lets not screw this up! Lets
educate one another, encourage teachers, hold signs, write letters, do what it
takes so that our voices are heard! OUR time is crucial, OUR words are critical,
and OUR voices can make a difference!
For more information check out:
www.supportjeffcokids.org
““Our lives begin to end the
day we become silent about things that matter.”-MLK Jr.
