Ganahl’s “DougCo Dirty Dozen” puts union power on trial ahead of school board elections

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice

If the union were grading its own influence, the American Federation of Teachers would be giving itself an A+. Parents, on the other hand, are handing out detention slips—and Heidi Ganahl’s “DougCo Dirty Dozen” is the roll call.

With ballots out and school board races underway, Heidi Ganahl has posted six “Douglas County Dirty Dozen” videos asking one question—who sets priorities inside local classrooms? Her focus is the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and four Douglas County candidates backed by $2,500 donations from AFT Colorado each—proof, she says, that national politics are steering local schools.

“These aren’t local debates anymore,” Ganahl said. “The same union driving politics in Washington is writing the playbook for our schools.”

The national machine behind local classrooms

AFT’s political activity dwarfs its classroom focus. Last year, Teacher Freedom Alliance reported the union “allocated almost $44 million for political lobbying and campaign contributions, funded by teachers’ dues” in 2022—money “directed into campaigns and programs unrelated to education.” 

Independent Women’s Forum found AFT’s 2024 convention pushed abortion access and ESG mandates while sidelining reading and math—a trend the American Enterprise Institute called “ideological catechism and class warfare.”

Ganahl points to those priorities and to Douglas County’s ballot—four candidates funded by the same network now asking to run local schools. “They’re not just endorsed by the union,” she said. “They’re funded by the same political network that’s been steering national policy for years.”

Books and boundaries

One thread in Ganahl’s series centers on explicit content in school libraries. Parents say four books—This Book Is Gay, All Boys Aren’t Blue, Jack of Hearts and The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish—as pornographic or age-inappropriate material. They reference the 1973 Miller v. California obscenity test, which defines obscenity as sexually explicit material lacking serious value, arguing these books fail community standards for youth collections.

The AFT and its allies counter with a “freedom to read” framework, portraying parental objections as censorship. AFT’s In Defense of Public Education campaign urges districts to resist book removals and frames such disputes as political attacks on inclusion rather than age-appropriateness concerns.

Independent Women’s Forum found the union’s 2023 TEACH conference followed the same pattern—professional-development sessions on “Affirming LGBTQIA+ Identities in and out of the Classroom” and “Integrating Climate Change Into Your Teaching,” while literacy and civics took a back seat.

For Ganahl, these trends show how academic priorities give way to activism. “Our kids deserve protection—not indoctrination,” adding that “this isn’t about banning books—it’s about boundaries.”

Safety isn’t up for debate

Ganahl argues that politics have weakened one of education’s most basic duties—safety. She warns against replacing School Resource Officers with restorative-justice programs that sound good on paper but leave gaps on campus. AFT calls to “re-imagine public safety in schools,” replacing officers with mental-health staff.

Ganahl says it’s simple: “Parents send their kids to school expecting one thing—that they’ll come home safe.”

Surveys and consent

Ganahl also challenges the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, a state-backed questionnaire asking students about sex, suicide and gender identity. Douglas County’s board now requires written parental opt-in. 

That move, she argues, stands in direct contrast to the philosophy promoted by national unions. And Ganahl has done her research. Freedom Foundation flagged AFT materials encouraging students to “declare independence from parents,” calling the approach a direct challenge to family authority.

She says the issue isn’t data—it’s consent. “This isn’t about hiding data,” Ganahl said. “It’s about following the law and protecting minors.”

The union-backed slate on the ballot

Four Douglas County candidates—Kyrzia Parker, Clark Callahan, Tony Ryan and Kelly Denzler—each received $2,500 from AFT Colorado. 

The union’s resolutions emphasize abortion access, equity audits and gender-identity inclusion—political issues that rarely measure against reading or math outcomes. 

Teacher Freedom Alliance adds that AFT leadership “fervently supported prolonged school closures,” worsening learning loss and mental-health strain still visible in classrooms.

Ganahl says the pattern is plain enough for voters. “Union puppets bring politics over parental rights,” she said. “We need leaders who put kids first, not party lines.”

The AFT playbook, by the numbers

National Review reports AFT and NEA “poured over $40 million into left-wing groups” in one cycle. Magnolia Tribune found 99 percent of AFT’s federal contributions went to Democratic candidates, paired with policy stances far outside education—from a climate emergency declaration to transgender participation in girls’ sports. 

Teacher Freedom Alliance concluded, “AFT’s priorities are a disservice to educators, students and families who depend on public schools.”

Ganahl compares that activism with district results. “Our kids score 63 percent in English and 55 percent in math,” she said. “Those numbers don’t lie. We don’t need national politics in our classrooms—we need to teach our children how to read and think again.”

What matters before voters mark a box

As election day draws near and volunteers work to turn out every last ballot, Ganahl’s message underscores what’s at stake in local races that rarely draw big numbers—but shapes Colorado classrooms. 

“Our schools can’t serve two masters,” she said. “Either we serve our kids and families, or we serve the political machines that fund us. It can’t be both.”

The “DougCo Dirty Dozen” posts are available here:

Day 1 – Book challenges and the battle over explicit content

Day 2 – School safety and the push to remove resource officers

Day 3 – The Healthy Kids Colorado Survey and parental consent

Day 4 – Candidate spotlight: Kyrzia Parker’s counseling practice and ideology

Day 5 – Union-backed slate and political funding in local schools

Day 6 – Unmasking the AFT: national politics inside Douglas County classrooms