What a great opportunity in high school to be able to offer our future teachers a pathway, where we can get them some college credit in high school, guarantee them a student teaching placement in Douglas County, and hold onto our own. What does equity mean to you? Fabien Perry, 27, emerged from a home in Aurora holding a high-powered rifle, police said. The lawsuit says Peterson has credited the question with inspiring him to run for school board. Nicole BradyThere was a teacher walkout, partly because of the firing of Corey Wise. And that's a great balance. 
The work that our teachers do is incredible. Erin Kane I'm not really a person who would support banning anything. A lot of our families come to Douglas County and they like to stay and their kids want to work in Douglas County and raise their family in Douglas County. And we're taking care of every one of our babies because that is literally our job. Nicole BradyThere are some people who wanted a different superintendent in this role or who supported your predecessor and are concerned about the process that was used to get here. They're brilliant professionals, and we need to treat them accordingly. Nicole BradyCan you talk about the school district's equity policy?
None, not here. Wise and his supporters say the board met unlawfully and in secret to plot his ouster. Ray, who has served on the board for nearly seven years, said hes had a positive working relationship with Kane in the past, but wishes she had stronger credentials. Leadership matters. With the vote, the district will begin contract negotiations with Kane. Others have been devoted to Marshalls lawsuit. Here in Douglas County, we have great partnerships with law enforcement they are two minutes away. Wises termination was also an illegal act of retaliation against what the board majority perceived as Mr. Wises opposition to its policy preferences but which in fact was Mr. Wises legally protected opposition to discrimination, which he in good faith believed was required by state and federal civil rights law, the lawsuit says. Charter schools are just a really important part of this public school system that we have. And I'm really excited that we'll get to work together as we move the district forward.
Breaking his silence, Wise's lawsuit alleges discrimination, retaliation and illegal firing.
Earlier this month, a judge issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting directors from having one-on-one meetings to privately discuss district business. Would you ever support language around a ban on critical race theory? How to submit an opinion piece to The Sun, Political swings on Colorado school boards spark level of antagonism not seen since desegregation, Douglas County Superintendent Erin Kane steps into new role under spotlight, Community rallies as roughly 1,500 Douglas County teachers call out sick following school board controversies, (720) 263-2338 Call, text, Signal or WhatsApp, Got a story tip? And again what their concerns are, what their hopes and dreams are for our kids. I think for starters we need to be honest about each others intentions and really listen to each other.. Erin KaneYes. Kane was one of two finalists for the job, which became vacant when the Board of Education fired former superintendent Corey Wise in February. Thats a long way off. Support The 74 and stories like this one. Douglas County is a small community. The day-long interview process that Mr. Winsor and I both went through, I think it was seven different panels of 20 people each from students, teachers, administrators, committee members, parents and community members, another public forum. Students are learning well again. Can you imagine trying to teach 30 kindergartners how to read? For all of our employment classifications, we're at the bottom of the metro area in every single area. They've got an incredibly bright future ahead of them. We've seen debates over using officers in schools, armed officers in schools, and we've seen debates over arming teachers and other staff members. DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. In a one-on-one interview, Douglas County School District's incoming superintendent explained how she plans to stay focused amid controversies, the hiring process, and her plan for retaining teachers in the county. The districts motion for the lawsuit to be dismissed was denied. another divisive period for Douglas County School District following the implementation of school reforms, Ask Amy: Fertile boyfriend tries to elude DNA, Colorado's highest-grossing restaurant gets reprieve in liquor license fight, The disputed rocks that led to Sexy Pizza's closure in Capitol Hill may have to move as well, Denver police injure 5 bystanders in LoDo while shooting man who allegedly pointed gun at officers, Video shows ferocity of knife attack on RTD bus, highlighting security problems, New Netflix show How to Build a Sex Room was filmed in Denver with local couples, Dessert and celebrity hot spot bringing $99 sundaes and $150 burgers to Lone Tree, Boulder mansion lists for nearly $20M, well above citys record, Ask Amy: Tragic events lead to a quest for normalcy. How will that play into what you bring to the table of superintendent? fired former superintendent Corey Wise in February.
Kane was asked to apply for the job by board president Mike Peterson earlier this year. The suit is making its way through district court: Judge Jeffrey K. Holmes, who granted a preliminary injunction March 9 to prevent the four board members from violating open meetings laws, said evidence indicates they collectively committed, outside of public meetings, to the termination of Wises employment.. How crazy is that? Brown , Florida Phoenix, Susan Tebben , Ohio Capital Journal, Laura Cassels , Florida Phoenix, Texas Tribune Staff , The Texas Tribune, Jamie Satterfield , Tennessee Lookout, Kate Kealey , Iowa Capital Dispatch, Jennifer Shutt , Arizona Mirror, Molly Smith , El Paso Matters, Clark Corbin , Idaho Capital Sun, Jaden Edison , The Texas Tribune. His superintendent term began on May 12, 2021, and would have ended on June 30, 2024. Here in Douglas County, 75% of our kids attend their neighborhood schools, and 25% of our kids attend charter schools. The school board was divided in its decision to hire Kane, voting 4 to 3. I certainly hope not. But in terms of being the superintendent of Douglas County, as I did for the two years that I was interim superintendent, I will be fighting for all of our kids and all of our schools. Nicole Brady Safety in schools is so important. As you mentioned, I'm not seated as superintendent quite yet. That means we have something for everyone. And no, that's not what we mean.' Caplis is a prominent conservative radio host. She sat down with Denver7's Nicole Brady the interview, which you can read below. Please take our short reader survey to help us learn how to serve you better. We believe vital information needs to be seen by the people impacted, whether its a public health crisis, investigative reporting or keeping lawmakers accountable.
I really think there's so much more that we have in common than that which divides us, especially with COVID. Wise spent his entire 26-year career with the district, beginning as a teacher and climbing the ranks to superintendent. She can bring unity and calm things down in the district.. I'm just very pragmatic. And we do so in a reasonable and pragmatic fashion. Its Been Happening in NYC for Years, Pandemic Babies Are Facing Speech & Social Development Delays. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Danny and I actually maintained a very supportive relationship with each other throughout this entire process. And she cannot be bullied.. In my first four weeks, I have met one-on-one with nearly 100 district and school leaders, visited 30 schools, spoken to hundreds of teachers and staff, and engaged with board committees and community groups, she wrote in an email to The 74. And they know that we are going to do everything we can to support the great work that they do in the classroom and to give them the space and the room to take care of kids, which, like my daughter, is what they've been dreaming of doing since they were young. They should be appreciated. We have a fantastic school resource officer program. named as a finalist earlier this month along with Danny Winsor. We need to make sure that we have competitive compensation, not just for our teachers certainly for our teachers but also for our bus drivers. Board director Becky Myers, who nominated Kane, noted that Kane had a proven track record for leading the district and she gave choice to the parents by offering both in-person learning and remote classes during the pandemic. protests by students and teachers since Wise was fired. Donate hereto support The74's independent journalism. Erin Kane That needs to change. Teaching a child how to read is not just smiling and being sweet. We need to be able to have all of them compensated competitively and have a fabulous work environment. For me, the question really becomes who can provide the calm and stability we desperately need in this organization, Ray said. I'm appreciative of that because I think our community deserves that. What is your position on arming teachers? Erin Kane My priorities moving forward are very similar to what they would have been in 2018. I want to make sure that I talk to people on both sides of that issue. prohibiting directors from having one-on-one meetings to privately discuss district business.
The district has faced protests by students and teachers since Wise was fired and the board is in the middle of a lawsuit that was filed following allegations that members violated the states open meeting law. Kane is a fabulous choice. I certainly hope not. You are Bad! And let's work towards our common ground. Allegations that the manner of Wises firing was illegal surfaced Jan. 31, when the board minority of David Ray, Susan Meek and Elizabeth Hanson publicly claimed the majority used daisy chain meetings to plan Wises removal out of the publics eye, and then gave him an ultimatum to resign or be fired in another closed-door meeting. Gilstrap, a recruiter by profession, believes Kane is qualified even though she does not have a masters degree in education as was initially required by the district. He has more of a traditional educational background, having worked as a teacher, coach and principal. The district has more than 63,000 students. Here in my organization, even with COVID, our teacher turnover for the last two years has been 8%, which is the lowest that I'm aware of in all the school districts in the state. Wasn't expected, but I did serve as interim superintendent for two years. Erin Kane Yes. Several community members begged the new board members to simply tell everyone they wanted Erin Kane and hire her because that was what they were going to do anyway. So I'll just be right up the street. Marshall said the board has continued to operate unethically. Sell the farm for Juan Soto. School leadership matters. I love our neighborhood schools. Danny is a wonderful, wonderful individual who is very dedicated to our school district. What a great opportunity for our kids coming out of high school. saunders hefty superintendent accusations asks thebradentontimes extend Marshall said he and many other community members wanted another candidate, finalist Danny Winsor, who had worked in the district for years, from coach to teacher to administrator. Instead, she has a masters in public administration. Erin Kane I've worked with a lot of them. But with that going into the rearview mirror, what I found is we agree on almost everything.
As superintendent, Kane will be tasked with bringing together a district that is deeply divided on issues, such as COVID-19 policies and equity, and guiding the district through a possible period of budget cuts as schools across Colorado face declining enrollment. She said she does not support arming staff within her district, except for school resource officers or official security personnel. Seventy-five percent of our parents choose their neighborhood school. Still, others say the board and the district are on a solid path. And it truly is. Erin Kane I don't know anyone that is against taking care of every single child in our school district. So I think there's a lot of misunderstanding around that equity effort. If I were running a district in rural Colorado in the middle of nowhere that couldn't afford a school resource officer and had law enforcement 20 minutes away, I might feel differently. Again, this is not the case in Douglas County.. Marshall said the board continues to keep the community on edge by calling numerous last-minute special sessions: Theyve called eight so far in 2022, far more than average,according to board member David Ray. state and federal discrimination and retaliation, sued the school board and the four conservative members individually, U.S. Faces School Attendance and Graduation Crises, Tennessee Students Rebound to Pre-Pandemic Reading Proficiency, Greene: For Students to Get Back to Normal, They Need Support, Not Punishment, Adams: Public Funds for Religious Schools? We need some neighborhood schools. Their decision led to a massive student walk-out and the day before their vote, 1,500 district employees staged a sickout. Can you imagine if every third-grader in Douglas County School District could read, regardless of their background and circumstances? I was so grateful to be able to interview in public and really talk about who I am and what I stand for, and my hopes and dreams for our kids and for our future instead of having other people define that for me. He says things that are alarming. Right now, he said, there are more than 600 open positions in his school district: The next closest district has 300, and its far bigger. Three months after the Douglas County, Colorado, school board fired its popular superintendent in a move that sparked teacher and student protests, the former top administrator has filed a complaint against the district and the board has installed a successor some call unqualified. But full recovery? She was not hired for the post because she did not meet qualifications: She lacked a masters degree at the time and was not among the finalists, district officials told The 74. Before he was terminated without cause on Feb. 4, Wise oversaw Colorados third-largest school district, serving 64,000 students in nearly 90 schools and employing more than 8,000 people. Erin Kane I want to be super clear. Frankly, so many school leaders are exhausted. I do think it's important to dispel the myths. Many teachers feel unheard right now. And make sure they're appreciated. Mr. And you're walking into a position knowing that you have your supporters and those who support the school board members who voted to hire you, and you have your people who supported your predecessor and are even considering launching a recall effort for the new school board. However, as I listen carefully to what everyone is saying, I truly believe that we are much closer together than we think.. Nicole BradyYou're coming from the charter school environment your long tenure at American Academy. Ray, who opposed Wises firing and Kanes hiring, laments the meetings, which have mostly been called by board President Mike Peterson. As a family, more of our resources went to our child with special needs. Erin KaneI know both of them. Some kids are going to need more resources than others. She previously served as the interim superintendent for the Douglas County School District from 2016 to 2018. So, let's just clarify that. Teachers union President Kevin DiPasquale said morale remains low weeks after teachers on three campuses found fliers on their cars admonishing them: Most Teachers Are Good and We Appreciate Them! it read. Their disapproval of Wises involvement in requiring universal masking, and his involvement in a lawsuit the district brought against the masking-mandate-averse local health department, motivated the board majority to unlawfully terminate Mr. Wise, the lawsuit says. Wise, whose base salary was $247,500, had worked for Douglas County schools in various capacities for 26 years. That information was released last week: Michael P. Kane, a partner with Dan Caplis Law and who is not related to the new superintendent, was behind the request. Likewise, another key platform espoused by the individual respondents was hostility and opposition to gender and sexuality constructs, critical race theory and anti-discrimination efforts aimed at supporting racial minorities more broadly, which the individual respondents crystallized into opposition to the districts educational equity policy, it says. And as long as I can look at my other two kids and say, 'Sweetheart, if it had been you, I would have done the same thing' that's what equity is all about, right?