A Call for Reparative Action

Estimated Read Time: 5 minutes

This has been a tremendously difficult time for the DCSD community. We have watched the BoE majority pass a resolution requesting to change the Equity Policy, while our community and district administration fought to keep it as is. We learned that BoE President Mike Peterson and VP Christy Williams met privately with Superintendent Wise about his future in DCSD without consulting with all of the other BoE Directors. Two Directors communicating with their only employee about his job security without a collective position as a Board shows intent to circumvent Sunshine Laws and illustrates dirty politics. Last week’s finale with the firing of Superintendent Corey Wise was a public display of a pre-written agenda that defied logic and eradicated trust with DCSD staff and the community. The ultimate blow and indication of the current state of DCSD was the resignation of Sid Rundle, Special Education Services Officer, who was a beloved DCSD veteran, serving as a teacher, principal and central office cabinet member throughout his 28-year career.

Sid Rundle, former Special Education Services Officer

The actions of Directors Peterson and Williams speak louder than their words. When these two officers (just like former board directors Meghann Silverthorn and Judi Reynolds of the Reformer era), broke the trust of our community and staff, it became clear they held the positions for political purposes, rather than to advocate what is best for our students, schools, staff, or community. As School Board Officers, President Peterson and Vice President WIlliams hold important positions for the Douglas County School District, where they have the ability to control the narrative, regardless of facts presented. They were elected to lead with integrity and compassion for the aggregate of the district. 

Right now, many voices in the DCSD community are speaking out and being ignored. Despite each email, letter, public comment, last week’s rally, and this week’s student walkout, the BoE majority is failing to listen to the pleas and strong opposition to the way they are leading our district. Trust continues to diminish with each action they take.

The conversations these two BoE Directors had with Superintendent Wise about his employment have not only alarmed the minority BoE directors, the shockwaves have been felt in the district and throughout the state. This disrespectful and outside-the-established-process treatment of a beloved and highly respected leader who has dedicated more than 25 years of his career to the district, instills fear and distrust among teachers and staff. Their quick and controversial actions, just as things begin to have a semblance of normalcy after two years of the disruptions of a global pandemic, create instability and fear for our students and teachers. 

Hours after the BoE majority fired our superintendent, a well known and highly respected cabinet member resigned. Sid Rundle has a 28-year career in DCSD for unparalleled integrity and leadership. The illogical and unethical antics of removing Superintendent Wise was too much for him, a man of principle who acted on those principles. We should all be paying attention. 

Perhaps the one fact all agree on is that in order to retain our teachers, their compensation needs to continue to be increased. The 2018 MLO provided funds to improve compensation through the next two years, but if an additional MLO is NOT passed in 2022, the district will not be able to fulfill the salaries of our staff beyond the 2023-2024 school year. To successfully implement an MLO in our county, the BoE needs the support of ALL the pro-public education supporters as well as a large percentage of the supporters of the new board majority members to vote for it. Each and every move they are making indicates that they are not interested in passing an MLO. They ignore those who did not vote for them, and they refuse to speak to any local mainstream media, instead only appearing on far-right platforms like Fox News.  It is difficult to trust anything they say at this point.

This begs the question - do they even want to increase teacher compensation, or is it a charade and they are just pretending to support an MLO/Bond?

Where do we go from here? How do we have confidence in a school board majority that turns its backs on teachers and students? How do we find our way back to a place of compromise, where dignity and collective opinions are respected? There is a way, but it only can happen with restorative action. 

Photo from ConflictCenter.org

As officers on the BoE, Peterson and Williams have both conducted themselves with a lack of integrity and shocked and alarmed the entire community. It is time for them to demonstrate ethical behavior through their actions, and not just their words. 

One of them should resign their officer position as a symbol of commitment to healing, collaboration and bringing the community together. Installing one of the veteran minority board directors into an officer position would show that the Board majority values the entire DCSD community and demonstrates that it respects the experience and expertise of the minority board directors.  This could be a meaningful first step to begin to repair the distrust and chaos, and an opportunity to be modeling the very values we want to instill in our students. President Peterson has expressed a desire to move forward and not focus on the past, but with such significant damage to the DCSD community, compromise will be necessary to move forward collaboratively.

Taking ownership of one’s actions, even when it’s difficult, is a sign of a true leader. Our current board majority has an opportunity to change the course of division in our district and our community, so DCSD can once again return to its status as a destination district.