September 24, 2014 02:16 PM UTC

New York Times USA Today covers Colorado / Jefferson County Student Protests

• 2 Comments
• by: wade norris

In Colorado, the newly conservative Jefferson County School Board has made headlines because the board seeks to remove information about civil disobedience from the High School AP history class. Ironically, this has actually created real time civil disobedience among students.

And this story is no longer local, it is being covered Nationally by the New York Times

As well as in USA Today
From the New York Times

A new conservative school board majority here in the Denver suburbs recently proposed a curriculum-review committee to promote patriotism, respect for authority and free enterprise and to guard against educational materials that “encourage or condone civil disorder.” In response, hundreds of students, teachers and parents gave the board their own lesson in civil disobedience.

“It’s gotten bad,” said Griffin Guttormsson, a junior at Arvada High School who wants to become a teacher and spent the school day soliciting honks from passing cars. “The school board is insane. You can’t erase our history. It’s not patriotic. It’s stupid.”

From USA Today

“I think it’s awesome that students understand and recognize their First Amendment rights and they’re taking action,” John Ford, president of the Jefferson County Education Association, told KUSA.
“Trying to create a board that in some ways purifies our curriculum is a little bit concerning and somewhat chilling,” Ford said.

I learned a word in High School – irony – or ‘poetic justice’ which is what I think this next sentence sums up…

(Mr. Witt) said that some had made censorship allegations “to incite and upset the student population.”

That would be your doing sir.

Almost from the outset, the three conservative newcomers to the five-person board clashed with the two others, and a steady stream of 3-to-2 votes came to represent the sharp divisions on the board and in the community. Critics of the new majority have assailed the board for hiring its own lawyer, calling it a needless expense, and accused them of conducting school business outside of public meetings….

“We’ve had conservatives on our board before,” said Michele Patterson, the president of the district’s parent-teacher association. “They were wonderful. These people, they’re not interested in balance or compromise. They have a political agenda that they’re intent on pushing through.”

(As of this post the USA Today article has over 1700 Shares and The New York Times has over 900 comments)