My decision to vote no was based on hours of discussion, research, and careful thought. I was torn for a long time about it, but once I finally came up with the plan I felt was the right one, I felt very passionately about it, and I expressed that passion up through the final vote. At the end of this post you will find the proposal that I wrote this week and read at the meeting as my first comments. It explains the reasons for my vote and the action I felt the District should take in regards to Crawford.
Once the final vote was taken, I made a comment that I believe is very important, especially to the citizens of Crawford: The decision is done. The choice is made. There's nothing more we can do now. So we take that decision and run with it, and we make it a good thing. We throw all of our support behind making the transition smooth for students and staff, and we do it with optimism. Sure, it was not the outcome I would have chosen. But now those 7th and 8th grade students need to see that their parents, teachers, and community members have faith that this can be a good experience for them. And it can be.
A comment on my fellow board members: I disagreed with most of them tonight. But I firmly believe that we ALL put a lot of thought and effort into our decisions. We all tried to look at the situation objectively, not with the bias of what community we represent. I am sure I will disagree with them many more times while I am on the school board, but I continue to respect their decisions and know that they always do what they believe is best for the District.
For your interest, here is the proposal I presented:
Crawford Consolidation
I am NOT in favor of consolidating any part of the Crawford school this year. However, I do think some action needs to be taken. The Crawford middle school, as it currently is, is not sustainable, and the luxury of small class sizes is unfair to teachers in Delta who are continuing to make budget sacrifices while teaching large classes. In deciding whether or not to make such a permanent closure, however, I feel that the topic of conversation needs to change. Since the issue has been debated by the Budget Task Force, the focus has obviously been whether or not it is worth it to consolidate the school and save the money. I think we need to shift the conversation to how we can make more efficient use of this asset, the Crawford school. It IS an asset, and if there is a way to use it more efficiently, I think it is our responsibility to try.My Proposal
I propose that we immediately establish a Crawford Task Force, whose charge is to fully examine any ideas to make the Crawford school more economically efficient. This task force will be made up of volunteers—mostly from Crawford, with participation from Hotchkiss and Paonia—who will take the suggestions and comments that we have received, as well as find new ones, and come up with detailed, feasible recommendations to present to the Board of Education. The following are just a few examples that I have taken from comments at meetings and letters I have received, which can be included in the task force’s agenda:
- Discontinue bus route from Hotchkiss High to Hotchkiss K8
- Change/cancel/restrict open enrollment policy
- Find out why more than 50% of Crawford middle schoolers are NOT attending school in Crawford, and address those needs if possible
- Explore revenue generating options: building sharing, fundraising, etc.
I am confident we will find more than enough people willing to participate, given the activism we have seen from Crawford in an attempt to save the school. I also think this task force can work on its own, without the constant presence of a District administration staff member, so as not to overburden the central office staff with multiple task forces. The group can, of course, direct questions to and ask for information from the District staff.
I propose we establish this task force as soon as possible and give a deadline of January 2012 to present recommendations. A January deadline gives the schools more time to prepare for consolidation, if that is the outcome. If at this time the task force is unable to present viable recommendations to the Board’s satisfaction, I would support consolidation of the Crawford middle school.
This is not a stalling effort. As was mentioned at the BTF meeting this Monday, it seems as though several controversial topics have again been “pushed off” for another year. This proposal, in contrast, is an attempt to take action now. I feel it is a necessary step to take before we make such a big and permanent change.
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