In the largest protest this week, at least 700 Jefferson County students left classes Wednesday morning in protest of school board decisions and proposed changes to history curriculum.
The students gathered at the intersection of Ken Caryl Avenue and Chatfield Boulevard by mid-morning, most from rival high schools Chatfield and Dakota Ridge.
Some of the students waved American flags and held signs that said, “Don’t make history a mystery,” which has become a slogan of this week’s walk-outs. Others piled into cars and sped around the intersection honking their horns and screaming out open windows.
Tensions have been mounting in the school district as students, parents and teachers push back against district leadership. Wednesday’s protests meant that students at roughly half of all county high schools had walked-out of their classes in protest this week.
Community members are angry about an evaluation-based system for awarding raises to educators and a proposed curriculum committee that would call for promoting “positive aspects” of the United States and its heritage and avoiding material that would encourage or condone “civil disorder, social strife or disregard of the law.”
Also don’t miss: Jeffco school board curriculum committee idea latest divisive issue
Author: Mile High Mamas
Hannah
Nah, I just think the kids see an excuse to get out of class so they are taking full advantage of it. Half of them don’t even know why they’re out there.
Joyce
want the press to find to 10 kids who really know, not the elevator speech they’ve been brain washed with, but really know what’s going on.
Erin
You would be shocked. These kids know what’s going on better than the public.
Shanna
No one is making a big deal out of what the common core omits from history. Our schools are jacked up. If I have $ I’m sending any future kid I have to private school.
Kara
This kids are protesting because they are trying to take out certain parts of history that shows civil disobedience. They don’t want our future generation to speak out.
Marta
That is what happened. It was more than just the curriculum! It was also about teachers pay, nothing like having kids thinking it was just about a history class.
Sheila
I think the Students in Jefferson County are much smarter then you are giving them credit for. They know when they are being used by the School Board to push the School Board’s agenda. Look at what is happening in other states. Oklahoma is teaching Christianity in public schools and has now lost a big chunk of Federal Funding. Public Education and Public Funding for education needs to kept separate from BAD School Board elected. RECALL the Jeffco County School Board…..Now or Jeffco will be just like Douglas County and inherit all their problems and teachers will walk out next.
Jennifer
After listening to the president of the school board it sounds to me that these students are simply a tool for the teachers union protesting a performance based pay scale. What exactly is wrong with a performance based pay scale?
Patty
Give the kids some credit. They are intelligent and can make informed decisions. Yes, I’m sure some of them are using this as an excuse to get out of class. But others genuinely care about what they are being taught and the accuracy of what is taught. Give the kids a break!
Ben
How many of these kids aware that no decision has been made on even seating any kind of review committee, and that the controversial language was already removed from the proposal? Instead, students are repeating fabrications that the board wants to “censor” U.S. history; and even complete nonsense like the board wants to teach creationism in science class. I’ve also heard kids repeat misinformation that the new board is cutting veteran teacher pay. Where does the misinformation come from?
So why not seat the committee with none of the controversial language — include 3 parents, 3 teachers, 3 students — and get on with it already? The issue of kids walking out on classes has grown out of control. It’s not like there is no basis for concern. It should be about telling the WHOLE story of U.S. history (good and bad). Even the College Board has admitted unintentional bias in the AP U.S. History framework (http://www.frederickhess.org/2014/09/10-thoughts-on-the-new-ap-us-history-framework). Why not have a committee as I described look at it?