A couple of weeks ago, we reported that the war waged by the Jeffco teachers union against school district staff, particularly those in the communications office, was the most vitriolic in history. We couldn’t figure out why the union would be such abusive bullies to staff members – not even elected officials. And, now, the reason is clear. Documents recently uncovered show that the teachers union and other school staff were using the Jeffco Schools communications department as a de facto campaign headquarters – and had been since at least 2003 (see last picture of memo).
With a contentious election coming up, the union desperately needs the communications department to help shape and promulgate its messaging as it did in 2012. The communications shop, for the first time in history, is filled with folks who haven’t sworn allegiance to the crumbling union. The union needs this asset back under its control.
Below are emails from the department in 2012 when the communications department used school resources to rally the troops to pass a mill levy (read: property tax increase) to benefit…the school district. If this isn’t illegal, it certainly isn’t ethical or right. Jeffco taxpayers should be up in arms.
Read the emails for yourself, PeakNation™. It’s worth noting that the school district pulled some of the propaganda it put out in order to comply with campaign regulations, which shows that even they knew it was wrong. Nonetheless, next time you see the union and PTA beating up on staff in Jeffco, remember how important this asset is to them when they are campaigning.
As we noted before, Melissa Reeves was an employee in the Jeffco Schools communications office as was Veronica Bennett. Lynn Setzer, cc’d in the emails below, was the head of the communications office. One has to assume that this illegal campaigning went on with her blessing, which shows how corrupt the communications office was under her leadership.
What’s interesting about the document below is that the Jeffco employees sent all of these pro-mill levy documents and articles out to staff and encouraged staff to campaign on behalf of the mill levy to their friends and neighbors. The email below shows the original email send to employees as well as the version redacted for violating the fair campaign practices act. The second story, which also went out to all Jeffco staff, features current board member Lesley Dahlkemper in a piece that also was taken down due to potential campaign finance violations.
As promised, we included documents to show that 2012 was not a fluke, but that campaigning out of the Jeffco Schools communications office is a regular occurrence. Below is a memo from 2003 that shows Jeffco communication staff (and, hilariously, someone named Rick Roll) participating in meetings and using school resources to push a tax increase on taxpayers.
Again, just remember this when the union starts complaining about staff in Jeffco school district. It’s because the union needs to take back the communications shop.
Loving how Peak Politics got completely buried by the facts (read these comments). Nice try.
Where is the mysterious Union in these emails?
I am pretty sure when research was released that smaller class size improves learning outcomes it was the Teacher's ASSOCIATION who fought for smaller class sizes for the benefit of the kids.
I'm pretty sure when the research showing library media teachers were helping raise scores because of all of their collaboration with teachers, that it was the teachers ASSOCIATION who fought to keep these wonderful teachers so kids would not miss out on all of their specialized expertise in research. Unlike some charter and private schools Jeffco Media Specialists all have a master's degree in library science. They have volunteers to check out books and they teach research and information literacy skills. It's a very specialized field of knowledge that can't be done by parents or volunteers or even teachers who don't have the degree. There have been hundreds of times when teachers fought for what is best for kids and cling vouchers would be better is just not knowing what really goes on in our schools.
Please do a bit more research on this issue. After asking some questions and doing some looking online, here is what I found:
1. Veronica Bennett and Melissa Reeves worked in the Ed Center and are not part of the union.
2. The communications department did not coordinate with the campaign. Talking points about what could be said as staff members answered questions from parents were absolutely sent out to ensure that staff did not cross lines. That is absolutely legal. Principals and any staff are allowed to answer questions from the community during a mill and bond, that is legal!
3. If you look at the dates of communication, all of this is BEFORE the board officially approved the mill issues on June 7th. District resources can be used until the ballot provision is passed by approval of the board; after that campaign laws kick in.
So, no violation of campaign laws, no involvement by the "union" in the above communications, no story.
None of the Communications staff who composed these emails are teachers in schools. Please be clear about source, purpose, and authorship before participating in more teacher-bashing.
Again, another attempt to make the "union thugs"…mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers, brothers and sisters… who teach our children, pay taxes and raise families in Jeffco look like criminals. You might want to check the accuracy of your statements before you publish. Oh, wait, every article you publish misconstrues the truth in some way, shape or form.
This looks to me like qualified, dedicated employees meeting to coordinate information to the citizens, district staff and public about the projects planned for the upcoming bond issue. Good planners, conscientious stewards of the public resources preparing information for the Superintendent, so she has the correct info for the public. Wish it worked that way now.
I have read and re-read this article and all the attachments and I fail to see JCEA involvement anywhere. Dr. Stevenson was not a member of the Association, nor were Lynn Setzer or Melissa Reeves. These communications came out of the DISTRICT communications office. Dr. Stevenson was very interested in a mill passing in order to fund a variety of programs. Whether you agreed with her approach or not, she was pushing the mill levy for her agenda. While JCEA supported the mill for a variety of reasons, these communications are not from the "union." JCEA has its own email list of employees. I receive all communications from the Association on my PERSONAL email that I provided to them.
I'm failing to find the "red handed" part. There's this part…
"Below are emails from the department in 2012 when the communications department used school resources to rally the troops to pass a mill levy (read: property tax increase) to benefit…the school district. If this isn’t illegal, it certainly isn’t ethical or right. Jeffco taxpayers should be up in arms."
But I don't understand how it's wrong for the DISTRICT (not the union) to have talking points about a mill and bond that directly affect the school district.
it appears it was wrong for the DISTRICT (not the union again) to promote the Citizens for Jeffco Schools group and when the "horribly corrupt" communications department realized this, they redacted the parts of the stories that promoted the group.
Any help finding this perceived Evil Unioning would be helpful.
The first thing that jumped out at me when reading the emails: poor grammar and sentence structure. We're paying these people are teaching our children?
I believe in their existing agreement give the Union access to these resources, but it is supposed to be sued for Union communication purposes, not for campaigning. Might be worth looking at the contract
Galen I beg to disagree just a smidge. The teacher unions represent what is best for the teachers UNION, not the teachers or the students.
I think you are correct that vouchers will help but ultimately government run indoctrination must be abolished.
The teacher unions represent what is in the best interest of the teachers, not the students or it would be called a student union. Have government fund but not supply education, demand vouchers