After a tumultuous year in Jeffco schools (remember those union sickouts?), the bullies — er, unions — are back at the playground, according to meeting minutes found by Complete Colorado.  The published minutes of a Boulder Valley Education Association (BVEA) meeting are a thinly-veiled war cry to converge on Jefferson County to try to force a recall vote of three conservative Board of Education members. John Ford, President of the Jefferson County Education Association (JCEA), said, “We have a unique opportunity to beat these bas_ _ _ _ _ back.”  Not that the blank spaces leave anyone guessing.

Sounds like the unions plan to shuttle in their armies via buses:

“Just know the fight is on….A recall has to be organized by the community… We have to think big for our protests and pull people from all over the state.”

As for timeline, we direct you to Ford’s rallying cry via YouTube, “I’m telling you, the fight’s going to start in January.  I want you with me.” In case his viewers abhor subtlety, the boxing gloves in the background really pound the message home.  Don’t be deceived that this is a powerful offensive, though. It’s more like a panic button – and the union isn’t fighting for quality kids education either. What else do you call it when the Colorado Education Association (CEA) dips into its “Crisis Fund,” and both the CEA and JCEA hire professional organizers? They’re terrified of a Douglas County 2.0, where the Douglas County teachers’ union was decertified.

Let us be clear, Jefferson County is the site where unions will either live or die.  When Douglas County Schools neutered the unions, union membership plummeted.  Jefferson County is either the largest or second-largest school district in the state, depending on the year.  Colorado has the opportunity to either send the unions packing or double down on the status quo.  But, make no mistake, this could be the union’s Waterloo.

And, the unions should be worried. On the same night in 2013 when Jeffco elected three reformers to the board, DougCo voters retained its own group of reformers to the Board of Education — probably because DougCo has picked up award after award for its student achievement – drawing awards for lifestyle and jacking up property values across the county.  It might just be time for Jeffco’s bullies to hang up their boxing gloves and let reformers actually deliver the kind of education that kids deserve.