Could any of these be the teachers from the sick outs?
So much for the transparency that the Jefferson County Education Association (read: Teachers Union) always demands. A parent from Jeffco Schools has CORA’d the names of all the teachers who walked out last fall under the guise of protesting a proposal from one member of the Jeffco School Board that would have reviewed a new framework for AP U.S. History. But, the union filed an injunction preventing the School District from releasing those names.
It’s not hard to understand why the teachers union is shielding its members. While the teachers claimed the sick outs were due to the almighty God of censorship, the reality was that the sick outs had already been planned and were really due to the fact that teachers didn’t want to be evaluated on (and pay tied to) effectiveness. You know, like the entire rest of the world operates….
Here’s what Golden parent Kathy Littlefield told the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition about the rationale behind her request:
“I don’t want them teaching my kids. I don’t think they showed much respect for the kids, doing what they did. If you’re going to (protest), do it on your own time…. [the teachers should] take responsibility and show who you are. Why are you hiding yourself?”
The union claims handing over those names would be an invasion of private information in personnel files. This is simply a ruse, and Littlefield is right. If there’s nothing to hide, why not just turn over the names? Everyone knows the truth behind the sick outs, so the union might as well own the fact that it disrupted classes for days and compromised education in an attempt to score political points. There’s no way to come out shining here now.