CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (KDVR) — The Douglas County School District canceled classes in the district Thursday after more than 1,000 teachers called out sick. Many of those teachers instead rallied for more transparency from their school board and in support of their superintendent.
People from the community came out after hearing Superintendent Corey Wise’s job may be up in the air, with some starting a petition calling on the school board to keep him in place, but parents and students say they are pushing for much more. A number of teachers, parents and even some students came out to voice their opposition to recent activity among the county school board.
“I think we want structure. We want things we believe in and we believe teachers need a better environment to teach, and we always put kids first and that’s what we are here about,” said Bailey Morse, a teacher in the district.
Some believe a part of creating a good teaching environment would stem from equity policies enacted by the previous county school board, a policy new members of the board recently voted to change.
“I think we need equity. I think we need fairness, the equality. I think everyone needs what they need,” said Jackson, a student within the school district.
With the district cancelling classes Thursday, some were upset with teachers walking off the job. But parents and students who went to support them say the day off was worth the lessons missed.
“To go through the right channels, the legal channels, to make sure things are done the right way, that’s what I want to be teaching my children. And I think that valuable lesson is more important than I think a single day of school could ever do and that’s what the teachers are standing up and saying as well: is that doing the right thing is more important than a school day even to them,” said Kaci Nice, a parent of DCSD students and a former student of the superintendent.
No decisions have been made on Wise’s job thus far.