Teachers unions’ support of Jefferson County school board recall

“Teachers unions gave huge sums of money,” Dec. 30 news story.

Now that the truth is out, we find that teachers unions were by far the biggest supporters of the recent Jefferson County school board recall election. So, instead of a “grassroots” campaign, this recall was mostly about money. It is too bad that “Jeffco United” was effectively a union front going under the guise of a popular movement. The public was significantly misled.

BBB According to Chalkbeat Colorado, here is who donated money to Jeffco United for the school board recall:

• National Education Association: $150,000

• Colorado Education Association: $113,500

• Jefferson County Education Association: $20,000 • All other individuals: $3,115 And the recall advocates have the nerve to call this a grassroots action. Please! Jeffco parents just got fooled and their children shortchanged.

BBB The Denver Post reported what we already knew: Teachers unions substantially supported the Jeffco school board recall. In fact, thousands of Jeffco parents and residents like me collected signatures, walked neighborhoods and donated from working-class incomes to address a dysfunctional process propagated by the board majority.

Our motivation? As a parent of two Jeffco graduates, I believe the academic, social and civic guidance that district teachers provide our kids is a bargain that our community should recognize. For the passion and devotion they bring to our schools, these teachers deserve respect, not a stick in the eye delivered by the board majority.

It was entirely appropriate for the teachers to engage in the recall.