Letter to the editor from Joe Morin
Citizens across the nation are voicing consistent concerns about a failing public school system that’s become polluted with political and social indoctrination. Parents and voters in Re-2 are alarmed by the District’s poor ratings, declining enrollment and classroom activism afflicting their schools. In response to these adversities, four talented community members have volunteered to run for school board as a team of conservative candidates. David Rusterholtz, Sue Patterson, Dave Illingworth and Gary Brovetto have stepped up to restore the voice and ideals of local parents into the management of our schools.
The public school establishment holds a perverse incentive to suppress citizen awareness of board elections, particularly when a board aligns more with the preferences of District staff than with those of parents and students. In the last seven Re-2 elections, since 2005, every board seat up for election has had only one candidate. As a result, 6 of the last 7 elections have been cancelled, and the Re-2 Board itself has been able to “elect” its own members by acclamation – without the public’s vote. For the last 14 years, Re-2 parents have lost representation in their schools, and the Board has operated in complete isolation from voter influence.
This year we have an unprecedented 9 candidates vying for 4 seats, and our slate of four distinguished conservatives face a slate of four distinctly left-of-center establishment opponents. Once elected, the conservative slate will encourage parental involvement and investigate problems haunting Re-2 (like declining enrollment), and then methodically develop policy to resolve such challenges. They’ll seek common ground between parents and staff, and even between conservatives and liberals, who all have non-partisan motivations to boost Re-2 enrollment, reduce political distractions, prioritize essential content, and offer broader educational choice through vocational instruction and home school support. Setting an example of such cooperation, both Jared Polis and Barack Obama have crossed partisan lines by advocating for school choice — Polis having founded two charter schools himself.
Holding “conservative” values of faith, family and freedom is not partisan or exclusionary, and this team of four dedicated candidates invites the participation of our whole community in restoring achievement and a positive reputation back to Re-2.
That’s Rusterholtz – Patterson – Illingworth – Brovetto
Sources cited:
1) WPHS rates 3 out of 10 in all three summary categories “below average” https://www.greatschools.org/
2) “Gov. Jared Polis is himself a founder of two charter schools” https://co.chalkbeat.org/2021/
3) “Not so long ago President Barack Obama enthusiastically championed charter schools”https://thehill.com/
4) Election history information from Board secretary Kelley Havin: “November 1, 2005 is the last time we held an election since there was more than one candidate vying for a director position”.
