Beyond the Rhetoric: Choosing Reason Over Ideology in Colorado’s School Elections

By Laureen Boll | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

If you’re reading this article with ease, consider yourself lucky. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 28% of adults in the US have low literacy skills, struggling with tasks like understanding complex texts or making inferences. Sadly, that’s a more favorable statistic than what we see in Colorado’s youth. Per the latest Colorado Department of Education statistics, 42% of 11th grade students have low literacy skills. 

Our public education system is failing too many kids. School board elections in Colorado are happening November 4th, which begs the question: should we continue to fight for public education and its mission to prepare students for active citizenship, economic self-sufficiency, and personal development in a democratic society?

Or do we continue to let the teachers’ unions have their way—with their focus on social justice activism and ‘equity’ (also known as ‘equal outcomes’)—and watch the system burn and destroy the futures of thousands of children whose families don’t have an alternative to a failing system? I don’t begrudge those who fall in the latter category. It can be exhausting to exert years of effort trying to fix an education system that’s vital to the functioning of a democratic republic to seemingly no avail.

In a recent Substack article, Peter Boghossian argues for letting an academic system—universities, specifically— burn to the ground. “There are few better ways to delegitimize academic institutions than to help them delegitimize themselves.” If you’re in the former category and still believe that Colorado’s public education system has a fighting chance, this article is for you.

I’ve been a resident of Douglas County for over 30 years, raised two children who attended Douglas County public schools, and fully appreciate the implications of decisions made by an ideologically-captured school board. 

During the COVID panic of 2020, Douglas County School District (DCSD) board members supported the Superintendent’s recommendation to keep schools closed and mask children when the schools re-opened. In spite of the hundreds of parents who pleaded with the school board to review the emerging evidence that children were not being harmed by the COVID virus and to appreciate the emotional harm being inflicted on their children because of DCSD’s COVID policies, the school board stood their ground because they chose to follow the advice of ‘the experts’. In this case, the experts were Tri-County Health government officials. 

We all now know that the decision to keep children isolated not only negatively impacted their learning, but it caused immeasurable harm to their emotional wellbeing. So imagine my surprise when, during a school board candidate forum held on September 16, the progressive DCSD school board candidates answered the question “if there were another COVID, would you shut down schools and require masks?” as follows: we would listen to the experts’ advice. The non-progressive candidates all responded with a resounding “no.”

There are four seats up for election in DCSD this November, and each seat has two candidates in the running. The slate of candidates who align with progressive values are Kyrzia Parker, Tony Ryan, Clark Callahan and Kelly Denzler. 

The slate of candidates aligned with Enlightenment principles are Matt Smith, Keaton Gambill, Dede Kramer and Steve Vail. The answers given to questions during the candidate forum illustrated, in stark detail, the differences between these two worldviews: one based on blind loyalty, the other rooted in truth and reason. 

Although my observations specifically address Douglas County school board candidates, the fundamental differences between these worldviews reflect a wider truth relevant to every school district board election across Colorado this November. By cutting through vague and unclear statements often made by candidates, I aim to reveal the core beliefs shaping their decisions, helping all Colorado voters make informed choices based on clear understanding.  

Spoiler alert: blind loyalty to teachers’ unions is a big problem.

The Role of Parents

Parental authority starts in the home, and it saddens me to see our culture shift to one in which this authority has been willingly outsourced to schools and “experts” in the field. Too many parents have been conditioned to doubt their ability to help their child through a difficult situation, and the comments I heard from the progressive school board candidates confirms that they, too, don’t believe that parents are qualified to educate their children.

“How do we improve academic performance?” Progressive DCSD candidates replied with: reduce teacher turnover; listen to the experts (teachers); disaggregate data and look at groups that aren’t succeeding; and focus on tech literacy. The truth-and-reason DCSD candidates—who refer to themselves as the Common Sense Alliance, replied with: strengthen partnerships with parents; partner with parents to understand the needs of students; and remove distracting ideologies.

It’s common sense that parents are the prime motivators for children excelling in school:

• Children spend far more time at home than in school
• Parents set the tone for a child’s motivation through their own behavior and expectations
• Parents provide the emotional foundation—stability, encouragement, and confidence— that underpins academic effort
• Parents are the primary enforcers of accountability—ensuring homework is done, attendance is consistent, and behavior aligns with academic goals.

No matter how much teachers wish to be the saviors of children, they just aren’t going to be.

Laureen Boll is a Douglas County resident, retired healthcare executive, and champion of classical liberalism. As founder and CEO of MeritFirst Solutions, she draws on over 20 years of experience in organizational strategy and human capital development to help businesses refocus on their mission and reward achievement. She has served on the Douglas County Libraries Foundation board since 2019, underscoring her commitment to education and community. A Coloradoan since the 1970s, Laureen is a parent and advocate for individual dignity and academic excellence in K-12 education, dedicated to preserving the independent spirit of her home state.

Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part commentary. Next week’s installment will explore how schools, unions, and the broader debate over objective truth shape Colorado’s elections — and why the stakes couldn’t be higher for parents and students alike.

Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.