Last night, Douglas County STEM High School students and supporters packed the sidewalk out front of the Castle Rock Douglas County School District headquarters, as union-owned school board members considered slashing the renewal term for the STEM charter school to just one year, launching the school into a situation of deep uncertainty.
Eager to turn gun violence into a moment of political opportunism, the Democrat-dominated board backed away from an informal agreement to extend the charter for three years. At Tuesday night’s meeting, they put off renewing the charter over a variety of concerns, including safety and parent communications. STEM High School leadership has six days to respond to the Board’s questions.
The newest slate of directors were elected on a promise to listen to the community. But it is becoming clear that they do not want to hear from the school choice community. This aggressive move was made just a few months after a Douglas County parent was escorted out of the meeting room by law enforcement during the question and answer period simply because the board did not want to listen to what he had to say.
In case there was any question, veteran director Anne-Marie Lemieux has made her view on charter schools known for a long time. “We are not the board of charter schools,” she claims. That is a disappointing approach for students trying to cope with a dangerous and tragic situation.