What’s churning:
Parents and community members in Douglas County get their first chance tonight to weigh in on a voucher proposal being mulled by school board members.
Board members spent much of Friday and Saturday hearing reports from seven subcommittees of a School Choice Task Force, but vouchers – also known as option certificates – dominated the conversation.
Tonight’s board meeting begins at 5 p.m. and the community hearing is set to start at 7:15 p.m. An hour has been allotted but Susan Meek, the district’s communications director, said speakers may be allowed to run over that time or asked to complete their remarks at the end of the meeting.
The meeting is at district headquarters, 620 Wilcox in Castle Rock. The full agenda is here.
In case you missed it, here is an evening update from yesterday’s churn:
Denver Public Schools contract attorney Martin Semple countered an opinion from attorney Mark Grueskin saying that three school board members facing censure did, in fact, attend a meeting closed in violation of the Sunshine Law.
“It fell without question under the aegis of the (state) open meeting law,” Semple said at a school board work session Monday evening. “The only question…is whether it was convened to discuss public business that would be public business of the school district.” And that, was in fact, the case he said.
Earlier yesterday, The Denver Classroom Teachers Association posted on its website a legal opinion stating three school board members facing censure did not violate the state’s Sunshine Law. The opinion from Grueskin states that, “Put simply, there is no requirement for public notice at a gathering where three or more board members are in attendance. The only condition to such a meeting is that it be open to the public.”
Meanwhile, it appeared likely that a vote to censure school board members Andrea Merida, Jeanne Kaplan and Arturo Jimenez for attending the meeting in question would be delayed beyond Thursday’s board meeting so it would not distract from a crucial vote on a school transformation plan for Far Northeast Denver. And board President Nate Easley, who is bringing the censure motion forward, lacks the four votes needed to get it passed. See this blog post by board member Mary Seawell explaining why she does not support the censure motion.
What’s on tap:
Aurora Public Schools’ board of education also meets tonight at 6 p.m. at the usual place, 1085 Peoria St. Here’s the agenda, which includes a discussion of the district’s progress in meeting the goals outlined in its strategic plan, VISTA 2015.
Good reads from elsewhere:
- DREAM-like decision: The California Supreme Court says undocumented students should get in-state tuition. The New York Times
- Battling over boobs: Moms sue Penn. district over ban on “I Heart Boobies” bracelet. USA Today
- Tight squeeze: Failed tax levy initiatives leave districts cash-starved. Education Week