BSVDWatch.org

Since you all have an active interest in the Boulder Valley School District, we want to share with you something very important and potentially one of the most dramatic effects we could have as a community on BVSD.  

For the last few years there has been a quiet movement growing that would like to make BVSD a smaller school district. We have been talking about it at BVSDWatch.org for a while, and over the last six months we have decided that now is the time to move ahead and support such an effort. This is not an idea we take lightly, and we believe any questions you may have, we have the answers. Much of the logistical, economic and technical details are completed and ready for your review. Please visit www.bvsdcape.org for more information. In a nutshell, we feel BVSD has become too large to manage, and at this point we do not think BVSD is reaching its full potential, and therefore neither our the kids in their charge. We are mobilizing a petition drive this summer, throughout Boulder County, to bring the issue to the voters this fall.

Here is what we could have with a smaller school district:

    • Higher performing students (nationally proven).

    • School boards and management who are accountable and responsive to the community, rather than dismissive of it.

    • More involvement by parents and community members, rather than being shut out.

    • Reduced impact on traffic and community services.

The Boulder Valley School District is changing in many ways, placing greater challenges on managing it, and greater stresses within the communities it serves. Size has become the greatest obstacle to improving the quality of our schools and the education of our children. Here are some examples of how BVSD is no longer serving its constituency:

    • Louisville M.S. and Casey M.S. remodel controversies.

    • The closure of Mapleton and Washington schools, and the sale of Washington.

    • Failure to improve conditions for our ESL population.

    • “Big box, one-size-fits-all” approach to school construction and operation without regard to diverse student needs.

    • Poor management of technology, as indicated 2008 audit by outside auditors.

Please join us by starting a public discussion. This document provides additional detail on the motivation for this petition, the process, and a list of a few of our current supporters. If you are willing to support this, please allow us to add your name to that list, and be willing to sign the formal petition when it begins circulating.

We have lots of great support from fellow Boulder Valley citizens (east and west sides of the county), city council members (past and present), teachers, and many other movers and shakers within the community already. We have been on the phone for the last month gathering support and I feel we have enough support at the top of the community food chain to allow for a serious discussion. Now we need your help. Please let us know what you think. When this petition drive gets going (and we are 90% there) we will also need active supporters, petitioners, and donations. If you can help in some way let us know. This won't get far without local support.


Thanks for your time and I hope we can earn your support.

Mike McDaniel

BVSDWatch.org

Lots of neighbors and community members pitched in last Sunday to help clean up the park around Mapleton School. Many hands and many tools made for quick progress, just a couple of hours! Thanks to everyone who participated in the event, and a special thanks to Kelly Wyatt who put the event together!

Here are a few photos:

Great Turnout! 

Mapleton Alumni

Pulling the Weeds 

 The best part!

Our own Louise Benson has a guest opinion in Tuesday's Daily Camera about how the trend towards school consolidation has backfired from its original theory of saving money and creating a better education for our kids. We know this is a trend BVSD subscribes to, however BVSDWatch agrees with Louise that small is better (plenty of stats to support that idea too).

Click here to read the full article.

Article intro: 

"When small Boulder schools closed in 2003, many in Broomfield approved, thinking, "Finally some east-west equity," and some of the savings would come our way. Others here yawned, thinking, "That's not us." Our schools had been bursting at the seams for years, and had older textbooks. Our son's elementary school had 700 children, and his fifth-grade class had 33 kids with a beleaguered teacher who gave little homework.

Our aging subdivision had district-owned land for an elementary school that never got built; we got a K-8 after Broomfield threatened to form its own district with the new city and county. This K-8 school was five miles away by bus. So for middle school, we open-enrolled in a charter school promising small classes and rigorous academics, and some neighborhood kids enrolled to the existing middle school and rode their bikes.

Alas, our charter school adventure turned out poorly, and along the way I became a school activist and learned a tremendous amount about educational ills and reform, both locally and nationally. I began to see that small neighborhood schools with small classes, adequate resources and good teachers were the real answer to achievement and safety."

Click here to read the complete article.

This Friday PLAN Boulder County is having a public meeting (in a panel format) and we encourage people interested in hearing about the process moving forward with Washington School to attend. Jim Leach will be there as well as other interested parties. This is not an event to complain about the process, but to listen and participate in a civil discussion.

-- 

Please join PLAN-Boulder County this Friday, April 18th for our Friday Noon Meeting.

Topic:
“Whither Washington School: Where it has been, where it is now, and where it is going.”
 
Panel:
Allyn Feinberg, Community Elder
Mary Young, Washington School Neighborhood
Jim Leach, Wonderland Hill Development Corp.
Charlie Zucker, Senior Urban Designer, City of Boulder
 
LOCATION:
Boulder Public Library – MAIN BRANCH
Creekside Room
 
When: Noon to 1:30 p.m.
 
This is a brown-bag event.
 

BVSDWatch-Broomfield Meeting

WHAT: Broomfield arm of BVSDWatch will meet to discuss Broomfield issues in BVSD. Bring your concerns and kudos!

WHEN: Tuesday, April 22, 7-8:30pm. Free, refreshments provided.

WHERE: Mamie Dowd Eisenhower Library, 3 Community Center Drive, Broomfield. Eisenhower Room on 2nd floor.

MORE INFO: Louise Benson, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Help us make BVSD better!