Parents’ voices should be welcome at school board

Grand Junction Daily Sentinel | October 29, 2021| Andrea Haitz

Most of us have heard the news that the National School Board Association sent a letter to the Biden Administration asking the Department of Justice and FBI to investigate and crackdown on “threats of violence and acts of intimidation” at local school board meetings. The letter was quickly published in the press and obvious outrage ensued.

As of Monday, more than 20 school boards have distanced themselves from NSBA triggering a letter of apology from NSBA. The letter states, “there was no justification for some of the language included in the letter. We should have had a better process in place to allow for consultation on a communication of this significance. We apologize also for the strain and stress this situation has caused you and your organizations.”

The letter goes on to state, “As we’ve reiterated since the letter was sent, we deeply value not only the work of local school boards that make important contributions within our communities, but also the voices of parents, who should and must continue to be heard when it comes to decisions about their children’s education, health and safety.”

The letter, the backlash and NSBA’s response bring up an important conversation about discourse in the “public square” and the fortitude of elected servants. School board meetings have been largely unattended by parents and rather boring until recently, according to District 51 Board President Tom Parrish. But that has all changed as parents are becoming more aware of divisive ideologies, hyper-sexualized curricula and gender confusion creeping into our schools. This has led to anger, frustration and a much more vocal outpouring to school board meetings.

I would have to agree with the Hon. Bob Schaffer, former U.S. House Representative, and current headmaster at Liberty Common High School in Fort Collins, who was recently interviewed on 1310 KFKA’s Mornings with Gail.

Concerning the public square and discourse, disagreeing with those elected, sometimes quite vociferously, is not only protected speech, but appropriate when those we elect fail to represent the interest of their constituents. In this case, parents and other stakeholders.

While threats of violence are never acceptable at school board meetings, upset and vocal parents should never be categorized as “domestic terrorists.” If there is ever an issue, it should be dealt with on a local level with local law enforcement and not by the federal government.

As Schaffer frankly stated, “we need to stop electing wimps.” Heated debate and public outcry have always been an aspect of elected office and sometimes that outcry, especially from parents concerning their child’s education, can be quite vociferous. Those running for elected office need to have a backbone. And to the extent that they can’t handle it, a resignation is appropriate.

Parents are frustrated and need to be heard, more now than ever. Our local school board, after a loud and vocal school board meeting, unanimously voted to limit public input. A sitting board member describing the Aug. 17 board meeting as a “despicable display” by parents, obviously is out of touch with the concerns and frustrations of parents. He went on to say that he “felt” threatened, even though no one threatened him.

I was at this board meeting, as were half a dozen guards and police officers. Nobody was threatened nor was there any violence. Just upset parents. My opponent described the event in a recent article in The Daily Sentinel and her disgust in the lack of civility by these parents. She describes being escorted to her car, along with the other board members by security; escorted through an empty parking lot as they sneaked out the back door and left us, parents, in the board room wondering where they went.

There is no doubt serving on the board of education is a thankless job. It may even be uncomfortable. But this doesn’t warrant violating the public trust. Parents are the primary stakeholder in their child’s education and to the extent the board of education is failing their students, things will get heated in the public square. As well it should. We need new, bold leadership on the board of education. One with a spine, and thick skin, willing to listen to parents even when it’s uncomfortable. Our kids deserve it. Our parents deserve it.

Andrea Haitz is a Grand Junction native, a mom and a business owner who is concerned about our community and kids.