2023 BoE Campaign Comparisons: “Best DCSD”

DougCo Collective is providing a two-part analysis of the candidates running for school board director positions in Douglas County School District this November.

In this first edition, we examine the group of candidates aligned with a conservative ideology, three of whom are running as a slate called “Best DCSD.” The fourth candidate is the only candidate endorsed by the Douglas County GOP, and although his ideologies align generally with the “Best DCSD” slate, the key difference (and the basis for the DCGOP endorsement) is his opposition to the 5A and 5B school funding ballot initiatives.

“Best DCSD:” At “Best” a Clown Show… at Worst, the Fulfillment of the Reformer 2.0 Agenda

If we could summarize the “Best DCSD” slate of school board candidates (Andy Jones, Jason Page, and Maria Sumnicht), it would be this: little to no substance and complete alignment with the far-right extremist agenda to dismantle public education. 

Their lackluster performance at every public candidate forum (the Douglas County GOP/Parker Conservative forum was not open to the public) demonstrates a lack of fresh ideas for the district and continued reliance on the national moral panic narratives to fill their allotted debate time slots.

We are seeing them recycle the same tired narratives that only have one outcome – creating continued division in the community. All of the old dog whistles and fearmongering have been resurrected in this spectacle… the Equity Policy, comprehensive sex education, teacher unions; they are even recycling misinformation about COVID and masking.

This redundancy in messaging is not surprising, as “Kids First” Campaign Manager Holly Horn is also directing this clown show. We can assume that, as their campaign manager, Horn orchestrated the campaign video from “Best DCSD” that was filmed in the DCSD boardroom. Remember when she created the “keep politics out of the boardroom” slogan for “Kids First”?

The “Best DCSD” slate is also in clear alignment with extremist groups like: 

• Foundation Against Racism and Intolerance (FAIR) which worked to derail DCSD’s equity policy with its misinformation campaign, while claiming to be “pro-human” and “colorblind” as it guides parents on how to disrupt policies meant to be inclusive and protective of minorities.

• Able Shepherd, which advocates for arming civilians in public spaces and quite publicly demonstrated its anti-LGBTQIA+ agenda with its coordinated stunt at Douglas County PrideFest a few months ago. 

• Colorado Parent Advisory Network (CPAN), a “parents’ rights” group that formed last year and includes notable far-right extremist and LPR graduate (2019) Deb Flora. While CPAN claims it wants to improve public education, its most ardent supporters, like Flora, are staunch opponents of public education.

• Grandparents 4 Kids, led by Linda White (LPR graduate in 2022), is another local “(grand)parents’ rights” group with a clear anti-equity agenda as it actively protests DEI efforts and promotes book bans, having hosted the recent far-right-led “See You at the Library,” story hours at three libraries on the Front Range.

Moms for Liberty, a recognized national hate group, which has a presence in Colorado and is currently trying to form a chapter in Douglas County.

Let’s break down some specific notes about the candidates:

Andy Jones – District A

In the absence of using data or evidence-based ideas for improving a school district, Jones tends to use theatrics to garner attention. Remember his infamous public comment during the 2021 school board campaign season, when he made a show of taking off his blazer to fully reveal his “Kids First” campaign shirt and announced there was a “sniper on the roof” of the Wilcox building? At the Student Advisory Group candidate forum a few weeks ago, he dramatically announced that he took his pulse before speaking and publicly accused his opponent, current BoE Director Susan Meek, of sabotaging last year’s campaign for the MLO/Bond ballot issues without providing any evidence. 

Jones is also an elected board member for the Highlands Ranch Metro District, and is interestingly put off by the recent Colorado Open Meetings Laws (COML) lawsuit finding by District Judge Jeffrey K. Holmes, believing that simply following the law creates “shackles.” He appears to have a keen interest in circumventing COML. Makes us a bit curious about how public business is being conducted over at the Metro District.

In an additional gap in integrity as an elected official, Jones is currently named in several campaign finance violations. Two are regarding his current school board campaign, and the other is a complaint filed against a third–party organization by the office of Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser that names Jones specifically. Again, as a current elected official, it is not unreasonable to expect Jones to have a better grasp of campaign finance law than most.

Jason Page – District C

The chosen one of the “Kids First” candidates, clearly selected for his alignment with the board majority and not for any genuine substance, Page dismissed the seriousness of the “Kids First” directors violating COML at an August BoE meeting, flat out blaming the plaintiffs for trying to hold the district accountable for its actions. As a reminder, these illegal actions cost our district more than $1 million. 

Page also seems to be playing the role nicely in suggesting an education reformer agenda of “co-location,” a controversial policy that groups neighborhood schools and charter schools share physical space, the concern being that neighborhood schools are harmed by a depletion of resources. Page touts a teaching background in his campaign materials, but his LinkedIn resume shows that experience was almost 20 years ago and only lasted four months. He also dismisses the data behind social-emotional learning, saying, “...we’re burning a lot of good academic time by talking about racist stuff,” at a recent forum.

Maria Sumnicht – District F

A newcomer to Colorado with no clear connections or volunteer experience with DCSD, Sumnicht’s comments at forums and in interviews make it painfully obvious that she has little to no understanding of how the school district functions. In her public statements, Sumnicht has offered “ideas” that are already in place in DCSD, such as AP classes and CTE programming. Perhaps self-awareness kicked in, as she recently attended her first BoE meeting on Oct. 10, and provided public comment praising the current board and voicing her support for 5A/5B, but her public disdain for the original DCSD Equity Policy, which she said she had not even read, demonstrates her willingness to advance the same national narrative of misinformation and manufactured outrage as the candidates she has aligned herself with.

Sumnicht seemed to be a bit of a wildcard at times, and has surely made the “Kids First” directors and supporters clutch their pearls a few times – she has made statements about energy efficiency efforts and solar panels and even expressed support for LGBTQ students. And despite being hand-picked as a candidate by Jones, she didn’t demonstrate a clear alignment of ideologies early on. But as the campaign progressed, Sumnicht firmly asserted herself in the extremist camp, saying that “I am a conservative. I am a Christian, and my guiding light and my ethics belong to Jesus Christ. So I look to Him to guide everything I do.” She then went on to accuse teachers of indoctrinating students and pledged her support for the "Kids First" directors, claiming they are taking the district in the "right" direction.

David DiCarlo – District C

While DiCarlo is not a member of this slate, he is worth mentioning as a well-known original education reformer. He is vehemently opposed to the MLO/Bond (ballot initiatives 5A and 5B), and has been consistently, since the original reformer years. While DiCarlo opposes increased funding, he also offers no solutions if the MLO/Bond ballot measure fails. 

Additionally, DiCarlo has a problematic stance on the real issues facing students in this district, including racism, homophobia, etc, by proclaiming that he is “colorblind,” and claims that the “college level curriculum” is what the “real” problem is. “College level curriculum” is code for Critical Race Theory (CRT). It appears that DiCarlo wants to bring out the rallying cry of CRT but that particular dog whistle isn’t getting the traction it used to in Douglas County. He completely dismisses the impact of these issues on students and thinks the district’s equity policy should have been revoked. Instead, DiCarlo offers platitudes, including that students should be taught to “do onto others.”

The Bottom Line

Make no mistake, if the three open DCSD BoE director seats go full Reformers 2.0, the students, teachers, and staff of this district will be harmed. For those not familiar with the original Reformer years from 2009-2017, we encourage you to watch Education Inc. to understand the turbulence in store for our community if these “Best DCSD” candidates are elected.

One likely outcome is not seeing an MLO/Bond on the ballot again. While DiCarlo may be the only one who is being endorsed in this election cycle by the Douglas County GOP, all of the “GOP” candidates are emboldened to the agenda of the party, which adamantly opposes school funding measures. Remember, education reformers have one goal – to dismantle public education and privatize it. 

We can also expect to see some of the tactics employed during the original Reformer years, such as backroom policy decisions made in executive sessions, a hostile environment for teachers and staff where they feel silenced, and once again experimenting with school vouchers for private schools. With the current climate, attacks on school curriculum and book challenges are likely to follow, as well as continued alignment with the anti-LGBTIA+ agenda of these so-called “parents’ rights” groups.

Every election has consequences, and this one is no different. But to be clear, if these “Best DCSD” candidates are elected in November, this clown show will not be funny; it will be a lose-lose situation for each and every stakeholder in the district.