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grandcountyuncensored.com Opinion and commentary by reggie.paulk@gmail.com

September 8th, 2011 || Volume 1, Number 10 || Free

ON EGSD

As might be expected, some of the towns have begun slinging mud at the East Grand School District after it was learned the district was able to add $800,000 to its reserve fund last year. If you havent been to Grand Lake since the decision to close their elementary school, you might not know just how angry the townsfolk have become. Its truly a sore subject and one that has left a deep and lasting scar on the community. People have every right to be angry, but the people responsible for this mess are more numerous than just the school district. A walk down memory lane might serve to set the record straight. Many readers may recall Amendments 60 and 61, in addition to Proposition 101, on last years ballot. School districts statewide were screaming about how badly these measures would affect school financing making threats about horrible outcomes should they pass. East Grand was loudly crowing about school closures at the time. But the measures were defeated at the polls, and to celebrate the East Grand School District went out and hired two new high school counselors at a cost of $127,000. About a month and a half later, on January 14th, the district suddenly announced school closures were back on the table. This time though, they threw in Fraser Elementary for good measure. This got peoples attention and over the next two months an adhoc funding committee was formed to provide financing for the supposed shortfall and allow time for solutions to be found. So who was on the adhoc committee? Save for the Town of Kremmling, who wisely opted out of the farce, the county both school districts the towns Grand Foundation Sprout Foudation Rendezvous Foundation Mountain Parks Electric Trust Winter Park Resort and the Winter Park/Fraser Valley Chamber of Commerce all pledged taxpayer funds to the school district. So what solutions did this committee come up with? Youd think, with $500,000 pledged to the district and so many resources available, theyd have come up with more than one solution. They didnt. All these people could do was the same thing theyve been doing forever ask for more money from their already strapped citizens. From the very first meeting, to the last, the only topic of conversation was how to get a tax increase passed in November. Once it was clear voters were in no mood to give more money to the

schools, the committee abandoned the idea of keeping the schools open another year. Legal issues surrounding the mixing of taxpayer funds were already cropping up and this gave the towns a convenient escape route. Except for Granby, the towns essentially left the East and West Grand school districts swinging in the wind while they collectively took their pledges and ran. Many people might have questions as to why the tax initiative was the only plan of action. Did anyone have alternative solutions to a tax initiative and closing down Grand Lake Elementary? Were members of the adhoc committee, including our elected representatives, aware of them? The answer is YES! On February 19th, I wrote a blog entry titled, "How To Piss Off A County." I emailed it to the superintendent, our commissioners and each town mayor. It said in part: The first problem is the district has structural spending, such as teacher and administrative salaries, that haven't even been looked at. We're talking about the majority of the budget problem right there. Preliminary cuts are being discussed, but the clock has already run out.

Programs such as sports, used for political leverage in the past, are now going to become major roadblocks as the cuts start to come hard and fast. Citizens promised programs for votes are going to become disenfranchised, and there will be ugly fallout. Asking for tax increases will only further anger citizens who've done nothing but support their communities. They also serve as an obvious sign that government bodies are out of touch with the economic realities we have been facing for the past three years. There is no more capacity to squeeze the taxpayer, and you in government better pull your heads out of your asses and wake the hell up. The cities, urged by the business community, have overstepped their bounds on the school issue and it's going to come back to bite every one of them. The leadership of Grand County, Fraser, Grand Lake, Granby and Winter Park are all going to be punished. Nothing could be more irresponsible than taking the opinions of business leaders as that of their communities. The representatives have failed their constituencies and, I would imagine, are finished politically. Prepare for school closures and get ready for the fallout folks." Not content with my knowledge of the school budget, I decided to dig more deeply into how Colorados schools are financed so I could answer some nagging questions. I spent days pouring over the budget, line by line. I had numerous phone calls with Mary Lynn Christel, a principle consultant of Public School Finance at the Colorado Department of Education, because the information I was receiving from the district was not squaring with my own calculations. On February 28th, I wrote another blog entry titled School Finance 101. It took dozens of pages of budget numbers and numerous tabs of Excel spreadsheets and boiled them down to a format nearly anyone could understand. I sent a link to the commissioners. Heres an excerpt from that piece: There is other free money that has been coming to the district for the last decade, such as Payment in Lieu and Federal Forest Reserve Funds, but we won't even add those in. So, where do we stand for 20112012? Let's add the $2,144,125 guaranteed funds to the $8,264,856.02 the State says we'll receive for a total of $10,378,981.02.

The district budget last year was a little over $10,500,000... that's only $121,000 dollars differentNOT $1.2 million! And that doesn't even include nearly $200,000 in Forest Reserve Funds the county has been handing out over the last few years. What conclusions can be drawn here? If I were a town or the county, I would probably be wondering aloud why the school closure issue is even on the table right now. I would be wondering why the school district is obfuscating the truth. I would be wondering why the newspaper continues to print absolute rubbish. I would wonder why we're being lied to! The leadership of our communities were made aware of the information above SIX MONTHS AGO, yet they are just now writing hate mail to the district? They all failed miserably. It would be tragic for them to get away with their misguided and grandiose notions of 'leadership' while deflecting the blame to the school district. Every representative who pledged money needs only look in the mirror to find the culprit behind the school mess. This week, the mayor of Grand Lake wrote a scathing letter to the East Grand School District. She even included the towns and county in her tirade for good measure. Continued...

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If you ever watch politicians, you'll notice they deflect blame from their own actions by attacking the actions of other politicians. This is the case with Grand Lake Mayor Judy Burke, who's term expires in April of next year. I sent this message to her way back on February 20th: "Superintendent, Mayors and Commissioners, Here's a summary of what I think is going to happen in regards to the school issue given what I know today. I hope you all prove me wrong. http://grandcountyscoop.blogspot.com/2011/02/howtopissoff

This week, a special education teacher gave me their raw take, from the trenches, on what is wrong with special education and teaching in general. I then asked for solutions. This person asked to remain anonymous, only to say they are a thirdyear special education teacher from a poor community. "Go here for the overarching Federal laws that dictate special education: http://idea.ed.gov/explore/home Since you're never going to wade through all that, this is the gist of it: 1) All kids, no matter who they are, are entitled to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). That means they don't pay for it, and that it is appropriate, ie. it's a legitimate course of study that meets their needs be it teaching a 20yearold how to take a shit or a gifted kid about quantum physics. 2) Special education students are to be taught in the least restrictive environment (LEA). This was a response to the darker days of 'crazy' people in basements, shock treatment, and all the rest. Special education kids are supposed to be taught, to the maximum possible degree, with their peers. As a sped teacher it is my job to teach these kids in the general classroom setting whenever possible (inclusion), and to pull them out into my 'resource' room when necessary. I see both sides of this issue clearly: the kid should be treated like any other kid, period. That's the law of the land. But at the same time, there are disruptions (and sometimes insane disruptions) that may interfere with the rest of the class. Finding that balance, and knowing exactly what 'least restrictive' means isn't cut and dried. And believe me when I tell you there are probably thousands of pending lawsuits surrounding this very issue right this minute. But good luck getting that law repealed. It's been evolving for 50 years or more, with more and more rights given to folks with different disabilities 13 in all. If you're into tolerance and respect for the least among us then the law is a thing of beauty. If you're into maximizing the the efficiency of a general education classroom, or slashing education budgets, then it will cause you headaches. But remember that I've used some extreme examples here, and your examples were extreme as well. Most sped kids just need some extra support and teachers willing to mix up their teaching strategies (again, less angry nun more experimentation).

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

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Take care, Reggie Paulk"

Mayor Burke's letter to the board, dated September 1st, says in part: "I write this letter understanding your position on Grand Lake and the weight we really carry with the EGSD the majority of the EGSD Board of Directors has made it very clear that it doesn't care to listen to Grand Lake and its concerns. However, as this community still provides 28% of the financial resources for the school district, I feel that it is incumbent upon me to let you know that we're still paying attention to you, even though it is obvious and painful that you certainly have not made and effort to pay attention to us." Ms. Burke is painting herself the victim along with all of her constituents. The problem is she and the town council were an integral part of the group that ultimately led to the closure of Grand Lake Elementary. Even when handed clear evidence that the school district may have been misrepresenting the truth, not one of our representatives took action when it would have mattered. They were so focused on solving the problem with money, they failed to look at what the problem was in the first place. Ask any one of these people how much time they spent with the district's budget and I'll bet you'll hear crickets chirping. On May 6th, after the decision to close Grand Lake came back on the table, I wrote another piece titled How To Piss Off A County | Part Deux. The last three paragraphs sum it up nicely:

"Here we are over three months later, having the same discussion that began in January. The only thing thats changed is that East Grand Schools were able to beg the Grand Education Foundation, Mountain Parks Electric and the county for enough money to avoid having to close Fraser for one more year. No strings attached, as Ms. Karas told the Winter Park Town Council. No strings, no accountabilityright? I wonder what happened to West Grand School District? I guarantee their fiscal woes arent on hold for another year, but they were useful idiots when District #2 needed countywide support for their tax initiative. Grand Lake is being handed a golden opportunity to improve its schools. If they choose to do so, that building could be turned into a charter school very quickly, and the district would be obligated to allow the use of the building. And it wouldnt just be k5it could be a K8 school just like Indian Peaks Charter School." No matter what, the citizens of Grand County were duped not just by the school district. They were duped by every one of their representatives who were selling a bill of goods they had no business trying to sell in the first place. When money is the only solution put on the table, you better be ready to be sorely disappointed by whoever is trying to sell you the solution. This November, you have a chance to bring fresh blood into the school district at the ballot box. Next year, you'll have a chance to replace many of the representatives who have brought us to where we are today. Isn't it time to clear the bench in Grand County?

On Wednesday, September 7th, the East Grand School Board appointed Chip Besse to fill in as an interim board member in the vacancy left by Gail Delphia of sub district 4. Thank you for stepping up and taking the time to do a job as difficult and thankless as sitting as a board member. I wish you the best of luck in the upcoming elections!

CONGRATULATIONS CHIP!

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Solutions? None that I know of. Be like China or Mexico and just let those kids drool away in their parents' basements, or become criminals. Actually, one solution would be to bring back intensive vocational programs to teach kids handson skills...many of my kids won't ever go to college, shouldn't even pass high school (even though they try and try) and hate reading. But put them in front of a car engine, or a garden, or a drafting program on the computer and they just might do amazing things. This wouldn't help the kid in the wheelchair with the diapers and tube in his belly, but it would help many of the other special education students, especially those with ADHD or learning disabilities. One more thing: I actually think tenure for teachers is not the best thing. I've seen a number of shitty, lazy teachers who need a fire lit under their asses. They are certainly in the minority, but they exist. And when it came time for cuts, I lost my job while they kept theirs. Teachers should be evaluated regularly, and poor ones should be fired. That said, three things need to happen: 1) Teachers need to be paid more. Admit that the job is crucial to a functioning society and pay accordingly. Start at $40,000 to $50,000 (instead of the high 20's/low 30's) and build up to $60,000 or $70,000 at least. This would attract better folks to begin with...the kind of folks who are smart and creative but don't want to top out forever at $50,000. Also, admit that teachers in povertystricken areas are going to have it harder than those in wealthy schools, and figure out how to compensate accordingly. Shitty schools in dangerous areas have a high turnover rate as good teachers move on to easier jobs in wealthier districts. 2) Evaluate teachers in a variety of ways. Scores on standardized tests can be one way, but not the only way, or even the main way, especially for special ed teachers who are working with kids who have to take those tests but who will probably never pass them. Student growth is more important in many cases than reaching a forever shifting benchmark. 3) Have a number of surprise evaluations by a team of people who look for lesson plans, teaching strategies, assessment tools, basic organization and classroom management. This kind of stuff is way more important than test scores believe me, and the two go hand in hand anyway. If a teacher blows it then offer training, professional rehab or whatever you want to call it. If they continue to fail then can them and hire somebody else.

Contact the editor: reggie.paulk@gmail.com (303)5527963