Beyond the rhetoric: Schools, unions, and the battle for objective truth in education

By Laureen Boll | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

In Part One, Laureen Boll examined how literacy challenges, COVID-era policies, and parental authority define Colorado’s education debate. In this second installment, she shifts focus to the role of schools, the influence of teachers’ unions, and the clash over objective truth — issues she argues will shape the outcome of this November’s school board elections.

The Role of Schools

DCSD recently voted in favor of requiring parental consent, or “opt-in,” for students to participate in the upcoming Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, also known as HKCS. HKCS is an anonymous survey that is offered to all school districts in the state every-other-year, and much of the information that’s collected from middle and high school students is deeply personal, invasive, and has nothing to do with academics. Here are a few examples of the questions taken from the survey:

• What is your gender identity?
• Are you transgender?
• During the past 30 days, how often was your mental health not good?
• During the past 12 months, did you ever seriously consider attempting suicide?
• If you had a serious problem, do you know an adult in or out of school who you could talk to or go to for help? (there’s no suggestion in the line of questioning that parents could be a support system)
• How old were you when you had your first drink of alcohol other than a few sips?
• Have you had consensual sex in the last three months?
• During the past 30 days, how often did you worry about your physical appearance more than you wanted to?
• What is the highest level of schooling your mother completed? (not only is this completely irrelevant, there’s no question asking about the father’s schooling)

Some school districts opt-out of this survey (I wish all of them did), while others like DCSD have been offering them with an opt-out provision. In other words, unless their parent actively opts their child out of the survey, the survey will be given to the student. DCSD’s new requirement for parental consent puts parents back in charge and forces engagement on this issue.

All DCSD school board candidates were asked whether they would continue the opt-in provision for HKCS if they were elected. The progressive candidates said “it depends on whether the engagement in the survey drops.” If engagement in the survey did indeed drop, then they would reinstate the opt-out provision. To the progressive candidates, it’s not a matter of respecting the role of parents, but rather ensuring that government-run schools have access to as much personal, invasive information as possible. All of the Common Sense candidates stood firm to their principle of upholding the authority of parents and stated that they would uphold the new opt-in/parental consent provision if elected.  

The progressive world view is one in which schools help students cultivate social justice awareness, and education focuses on social responsibility. This contrasts with the Enlightenment view, which stresses the development of individual reason and autonomy, with schools imparting knowledge based on reason, evidence, and shared understanding. It is not the role of schools to shape a child’s character and virtue. That is the role of parents.  

The Role of Experience

Colorado’s statutes define the responsibilities of school boards, and they are fairly narrow in scope:

Responsibilities to taxpayers

• Identify and approve funding priorities
• Work with district staff to approve a budget
• Approve and renew charter school contracts based on financial metrics and student achievement
• Hold regularly-scheduled public meetings

Responsibilities to students

• Monitor student achievement
• Curriculum decisions
• Approve student code of conduct and enforce school attendance law
• Allocate monies for capital improvement projects

Responsibilities to staff

• The board employs one employee: the Superintendent

DCSD’s progressive school board candidates tout their respective experiences as teachers, administrators, and counselors as being a positive differentiator in the school board election. While their experiences may offer valuable perspectives, their expertise does not directly align with the board’s narrow scope of responsibilities. 

The indirect, “dotted line” relationship between the board and teachers underscores that professional teaching experience is not a prerequisite for effective board service; rather, skills in financial stewardship, strategic decision-making, and community representation are more relevant to fulfilling the constitutional mandate of local school district governance.

The Role of Teachers’ Unions

The collective bargaining agreement expired in 2013. The 2017 [school board] election was one of the most expensive races in Colorado and US history that was heavily funded by the union. And yet the 7-0 liberal board at that time did not reinstate the collective bargaining agreement. Today we have about 20% union membership, and we don’t see teachers asking for this.

— Steve Vail, DCSD Common Sense school board candidate, responding to the question whether he’s in favor of a collective bargaining agreement with teachers

Teachers’ unions have become overtly political in promoting agendas beyond core educational missions. For instance, the Colorado Education Association adopted an anti-capitalist resolution at its delegate assembly in 2023 as part of their advocacy framework. 

At the NEA (National Education Association) Representative Assembly held in July 2025, a resolution that “pledges to defend democracy against Trump’s embrace of fascism by using the term fascism in NEA materials to correctly characterize Donald Trump’s program and actions” was adopted. The drift from their mission of improving teachers’ pay, working conditions, and respect from administrators has become very apparent. 

I would wager a guess that most teachers are not on board with aligning with a political activist group that is disguising itself as an advocate for teachers.

When asked whether they are in favor of a Collective Bargaining agreement with teachers, the progressive school board candidates said they would “be open to having a discussion” about it. This was a disingenuous response to a question that warranted a simple “yes” or “no” response. 

One has to wonder why individuals running for public office are unable to stand firm on their convictions. Voters invested their time to understand the candidates’ positions on hot-button issues, and these opaque responses are very disappointing. 

All of the Common Sense candidates responded to this question with a resounding “no.” 

The Role of Objective Truth

It’s hard to believe that society has come to debate something as basic as what defines a woman, but this is the reality we face today. The dominant belief system in the United States is Progressivism, where the idea of objective, shared truth has been replaced by individual “truths” that we are told must be respected without question. 

Discussion or debate on these personal truths is discouraged because their advocates see them as unquestionable and inherently virtuous.

When asked whether they are in favor of allowing boys to compete in girls’ sports, the progressive school board candidates said: we must follow state law and not spend taxpayer monies on lawsuits; this is not a school board decision; and we don’t know if we have transgender athletes in DCSD. Similar to the question about teachers’ unions, their responses to the question about boys competing in girls’ sports did not shed any light on what their position is on this very controversial topic. 

All of the Common Sense candidates responded to this question with a resounding “no.” 

In Conclusion

The upcoming school board election on November 4th is more than just a local vote—it’s a decisive moment that will affect the future of our children’s education and well-being. Voters must carefully consider the stark differences between the candidates’ worldviews and understand how those beliefs translate into policies impacting parental rights, educational standards, and the role of schools. 

Children deserve leadership rooted in truth, reason, and respect for parents, not blind adherence to ideology or political agendas. 

Rejecting candidates endorsed by teachers’ unions would be a huge step in restoring common sense and prioritizing what truly matters—the success and flourishing of every student.

Read Part One here for Boll’s take on literacy, COVID policies, and parental authority.

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: 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.