Monday, November 2, 2015

In Denver suburb, a school board race morphs into $1 million ‘proxy war’ - The Washington Post

 

When voters cast ballots Tuesday in a school board race in suburban Denver, it will mark the climax of a two-year battle over public education that has reverberated well beyond the Rockies.

Spending on the school board election in Jefferson County, Colo., is expected to top $1 million, with money pouring in from Americans for Prosperity, the national organization founded by the Koch brothers, as well as a libertarian think tank and teachers unions.

The contest is actually a recall election, with activists trying to kick out three conservative members who won seats in 2013, becoming the majority power block on the five-member board.

“This is not a school board race, this is a proxy war,” said Jon Caldara, the president of the libertarian Independence Institute in Denver, which wants to keep the three conservatives in power. “This is a proxy war between education reform and union power.”

Tina Gurdikian, a parent who helped spearhead the recall effort, agrees that the election is a stand-in for a larger national debate about public education and she said she sees it as an ideological fight.

“This is really part of a national agenda by special-interest groups like Americans for Prosperity to privatize public education,” said Gurdikian, who has two children in the Jefferson County public schools. “We have a nearly $1 billion budget, and I think a lot of people look at that and want a piece of it. Privatization can work for some things, but not really public education. It really is a common good.”

All five seats on the school board are in play: The three conservatives face a recall, and the two other seats are being vacated.

Lynea Hansen, a political consultant to the activists trying to push out the conservatives, said a recent poll shows that the race is tight. Recall efforts are notoriously difficult to pull off, and in interviews, neither side has expressed confidence.

The most recent campaign finance reports filed with the state show that candidates and political committees have raised more than $450,000. But that does not include spending by Americans for Prosperity and other tax-
exempt nonprofit groups that are not required to report political contributions.

Michael Fields, state director of AFP-Colorado, said that his group is spending “in the low six figures” on cable television ads, mailings and canvassing in Jefferson County.

The skirmish has been tense, with alleged death threats, social media clashes and attacks on talk radio.

“It’s gotten a little ugly. People have been fighting back and forth,” said Esteban Arellano, a 16-year-old high school junior and founder of the Bright Futures Coalition, a student group that supports the recall.

John Straayer, a professor of political science at Colorado State University, said the events in Jefferson County mimic similar battles elsewhere in the state.

“This didn’t just pop up,” Straayer said. “It has a history to it, some organization to it. There are people who have long been pushing the charter schools, who are anti-teachers associations, who want pay for performance. In Jefferson County, it’s just sort of spun up and up and up. You’ve got this subterranean mixture of school politics, inside Republican politics, the school board takeover, the pushback, and all the players are starting to jump in.”

The discord in Colorado’s second-largest school district started soon after Julie Williams, Ken Witt and John Newkirk were elected in 2013. The trio aggressively moved to change district policies.

They passed a merit-pay system for teachers that uses a controversial evaluation system; they equalized funding for public charter schools, so charters receive the same amount as traditional schools; and they pledged to create more school choice for families.

“This is about power and control,” Williams said in an interview. “This is the first time there’s been a conservative board in 40 years, and the union bosses don’t like it. . . . They don’t like the changes. And the changes are good. In any business, if you don’t perform, you don’t get a raise, and you’re lucky to have a job.”

Activists behind the recall effort say the three board members have violated open-meeting laws, spent lavishly on legal expenses and hired a new superintendent at a salary significantly higher than his more experienced predecessor. They say the conservative majority is to blame for higher-than-usual teacher turnover, and they created a Web site that carries resignation letters from scores of teachers.

These board actions and the hostile work environment they have created are the sole reason I am leaving Jeffco,” Shannon MacKenzie, a former English teacher, said in a resignation letter posted on the Web site.

Susan Harmon, a lawyer, active participant in the Parent-Teacher Association and mother of two children in public schools, is running to replace Newkirk; she said that she was motivated to run after seeing too many good teachers leave the county. Harmon said that she has been surprised by the amount of attention and outside money flowing into the race.

“I think a lot of people are looking at this as a way to test the waters for what might take place in other areas,” Harmon said. “To me, this is an in­cred­ibly important election about moving public education in the right direction, not toward privatization.”

The conflict that drew national attention to the growing disputes came last fall, when Newkirk, Witt and Williams indicated that they wanted to “review” the content of the AP U.S. history course taught in county high schools because it failed to promote patriotism.

The College Board, which administers exams to students upon the completion of AP courses, revised the history curriculum for the 2014-2015 school year in ways that angered conservatives, who say it paints a darker picture of the country’s heritage and undervalues concepts such as “American exceptionalism.”

Newkirk, Witt and Williams said that they wanted a committee to review the curriculum with the goal of ensuring that courses, Williams said, “present positive aspects of the United States and its heritage” and “promote citizenship, patriotism, essentials and benefits of the free-enterprise system.”

Williams also said in a written proposal that “materials should not encourage or condone civil disorder [or] social strife.”

But that’s exactly what happened across the county last fall. There were teacher “sickouts” that shut down two schools, walkouts by thousands of students and a massive community protest.

In Denver suburb, a school board race morphs into $1 million ‘proxy war’ - The Washington Post

Keystone pipeline company wants pause to the bid process - BBC News

 

The company behind the Keystone XL pipeline has asked the US government to put its review of the controversial project on hold.

TransCanada says the pause is necessary while it negotiates with Nebraska over the pipeline's route through the state.

The move came as a surprise as TransCanada executives have pushed hard to get approval.

Environmental groups oppose the 1,179-mile (1,897km) pipeline, saying it will increase greenhouse gas emissions.

President Barack Obama is expected to reject the project, which has also been undermined by falling oil prices.

On Monday the White House indicated that it would rule on the project before the end of the president's term in office in January 2017.

Political complications

But a delay to the government review might leave a decision in the hands of President Obama's successor in the White House.

In February 2015, the newly Republican-led Congress voted to begin construction immediately, but Mr Obama vetoed the bill, saying it undermined the necessary review process.

"Our expectation at this point is that the president will make a decision before the end of his administration on the Keystone pipeline, but when exactly that will be, I don't know at this point," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters on Monday.

Map of pipeline

In a statement on Monday TransCanada chief executive Russ Girling said: "We are asking (the US) State (Department) to pause its review of Keystone XL based on the fact that we have applied to the Nebraska Public Service Commission for approval of its preferred route in the state."

The Keystone XL pipeline is a proposed 1,179-mile (1,897km) pipe that would run from the oil sands in Alberta, Canada, to Steele City, Nebraska, where it could join an existing pipeline. It could carry 830,000 barrels of oil each day.

The oil fields in Alberta are landlocked and the pipeline would give their output access to international markets.

Many of North America's oil refineries are based in the Gulf Coast, and industry groups on both sides of the border want to benefit.

But environmentalists say the pipeline would boost the emission of greenhouse gases and local community groups are concerned about accidents and pollution.

An added complication is the victory of Canada's Liberal Party in last month's election.

New Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been supportive of the pipeline, but it is thought he might not pursue the project as aggressively as his predecessor Stephen Harper, who said he wouldn't "take no for an answer" from President Obama.

Keystone pipeline company wants pause to the bid process - BBC News

Peaceful veteran stand down will begin at 7 a.m.

 

BELVIDERE-In less than 24 hours a Facebook post has been shared over 300 times and still counting.  What kind of post would draw this much attention and support?

Bryce Trevino is a Belvidere High School graduate Class of 2008.  He served four years in the United States Marine Corps finishing his service as a Corporal.  Bryce is the younger brother of Branden Ramey who was a Belvidere High School graduate Class of 2001 and also a Marine.  Three days before Veterans Day Lance Corporal Branden Ramey was killed on Monday, Nov. 8, 2004 while serving his country in Iraq.

On Oct. 30 Bryce Trevino posted the following on his Facebook page.

“CALLING ON ALL VETERANS!! PLEASE LIKE AND SHARE …

To all veterans and all supporters:

District 100 of Belvidere Illinois has decided to be disgraceful and disrespectful by NOT allowing the students Veterans Day off for the first time in decades. This now means that the Veterans Day parade is cancelled, the parade in which we HONOR all veterans. This is a day where we should be showing students to put all differences aside and come together as a community.
We cannot allow this type of action to continue in our community! TAKE A STAND and show your support against this decision! On the date of Wednesday November 11th we can take stand outside of the Belvidere High School along East Avenue. We will show the kids that we are here for them and proudly stand for the men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice and those continuing to serve! PEACEFUL VETERAN STAND DOWN WILL BEGIN AT 0700
Show that you are proud of your veterans and proud of your country!

We cannot allow this kind of action to continue in our community.  TAKE A STAND and show your support against this decision.  On the date of Wednesday Nov. 11 we can take stand outside of the Belvidere High School along East Avenue.  We will show the kids we are here for them and proudly stand for the men and women who have given the ultimate sacrifice and those continuing to serve!  PEACEFUL VETERAN STAND DOWN WILL BEGIN AT 0700.  Show that you are proud of your veterans and proud of your country.”

Ryan H. Curry is friends with Bryce Trevino.  Ryan served 12 years in the United States Marine Corps and reached the rank of Sergeant.  He became disabled after being injured in 2006 while serving his country in Iraq.  Ryan is a Belvidere High School graduate Class of 1998 and has been friends with Branden Ramey and his family for many years.

“Semperfi-‘Always Faithful’.  That’s what we are in the Marines,” Curry said.  “The ‘Peaceful Veteran Stand Down’ and I want to emphasize ‘peaceful’ is not just about Branden, but for all our Veterans here locally and across this nation.  I don’t want our community and my hometown where I grew up fading away from remembering our Veterans. I give Bryce all the credit.  It was his idea.”

“It’s crazy how fast it took off and so much support has already been given,” Bryce Trevino said.  “I disapprove of the decision for Belvidere Schools to be in session on Veterans Day.  As a result, the Veterans Day Parade has been cancelled and will have only a minimal amount of students from the high school bands in attendance.  I served and had a brother who served and was killed in action in Iraq.  We are also Belvidere High School Alumni.  His funeral was held in the Belvidere High School gym.  I find the decision by Belvidere School District 100 and the Belvidere Educators Association to be offensive.”

“This is not a gathering to protest or run a picket line.  Instead, we want to show the students that we are standing in honor, holding flags in support of them as students and also for our Veterans.  I would like to see our Belvidere/Boone County Community defend their Veterans as we have defended them by joining us Nov. 11 at Belvidere High School at 0700 or 7:00 a.m.,” Trevino added.

“I want Belvidere School District 100 and the Belvidere Educators Association (BEA) to see how much the community disapproves of their decision to be in session come November 11th rather than honoring a Federal Holiday set purposely aside for our veterans,” Trevino said.

“It is an embarrassment to say the least that we even have to go through this. Veterans Day should be the top priority day that students have off! They should be able to observe those men and women walk down State Street in their parade in Belvidere.  The parade is to not only honoring the living but honoring those who are no longer with us.  Together, as only a community should.”

Belvidere High School is located at 1500 East Ave. in Belvidere.

Peaceful veteran stand down will begin at 7 a.m.