School Resurces Used to Promote Political Agenda

MEDIA RELEASE

Sunday, October 16th 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Jen Raiffie
720.987.7620

ANOTHER JEFFCO SCHOOL PRINCIPAL USES SCHOOL RESOURCES TO PROMOTE POLITICAL PROPOGANDA AS BALLOTS ARE BEING RECEIVED
ARVADA, CO:  Another email has surfaced; this time from the principal of Arvada High School sent to parents promoting political propaganda and lies in an effort to influence the school board election.

In the email, Arvada West High School principal Rob Bishop promotes two documents that provide "very accurate and truthful information." The email indicates there is some "inaccurate and gloomy information being circulated."  Parents receiving this information should know that the data provided to them contradicts the data within JeffCo’s own legal report known as the CAFR - Consolidated Annual Financial Report.

Specifically, the email indicates the annual cost per pupil is $7,900 which just includes spending from the general fund.  What the principal and the district fail to point out is that the annual district spending is just under one billion dollars and when divided by the student enrollment of 85,971, you get over $11,500.00.  Their game of funny numbers and spun data should be an insult to the parents and community members they are trying to fool. If their number is accurate, where did the gap get spent?

Both documents refer to the district's Return on Investment – ROI, a “green” rating of which JeffCo Superintendent Dr. Cindy Stevenson is so proud.  What they fail to highlight is their "green" rating comes from a study performed by The Center for American Progress and so far, I have yet to validate that JeffCo was even part of the data pool for that study.  Regardless, since when did a known left extremist Socialist group become the standard of measure for public education? 

The letter does not specifically refer to any of the candidates for school board, but the information directly contradicts the campaign messages of the conservative candidates Jim Powers and Preston Branaugh, known as "The Dads."  The attachments in the email (just the facts and Q&A) had been posted on the school districts website since just prior to the ballots being mailed, but were removed from the site Friday without explanation.  This is clearly the desperate attempt of the union-controlled board and administration to use their school resources to influence voters in order to maintain control of their billion-dollar budget.  JeffCo does have some things to be proud of but, they must not continue to ignore the crisis situation affecting the students.  

In addition to the email sent from Arvada High school, a similar one was sent last week from the principal of Lakewood High School.  The JCEA teacher's union also sent a third email on the school's network initiating coordination of their GOTV effort and included a message to its membership to "remember, this election is about protecting your contract and owning your profession."  So much for putting the needs of the students first.

Should using school resources to influence the school board race be considered interfering with the fair election process?  Is this moral?  Is this legal?  Parents should be outraged at the blatant deceit against them.  Will they vote for the union backed status quo candidates or vote for the fresh outsiders deemed, "the dads?"  Remember, the definition of insanity is doing things over again and expecting different outcomes.  If parents want more for their kids, they must elect leaders who will first admit there are problems, else nothing will ever change and our kids will continue a negative trend in public education.

                                                                              
-###-