BLOG: Adams 14 schools shortchange our kids — again

As if the long-underperforming Adams 14 school district wasn’t already struggling to provide Commerce City students a decent education, Adams City High School had to go back to virtual learning Wednesday. No, it wasn’t due to a resurgence of COVID; it was a “sick-out” staged by some teachers that shut down the school.

The local education news site Chalkbeat Colorado reported:

The action was not organized or sanctioned by the teacher’s union in the district, but by a group of teachers in the high school who are frustrated by a lack of prospects for teacher raises. 

A letter circulated by staff that is signed by “Adams 14 District CTA Membership” — implying it is from members of the teacher’s union but not union leadership — states the concern is about how pay is affecting teacher retention.

Tension grew as the district’s $250,000-a-year superintendent, Karla Loria, and the ring leader of the absentee teachers went at each other in letters obtained by Chalkbeat:

“Your conduct and comments with me and certain cabinet members were unprofessional and disrespectful to the point of being abusive,” Loría wrote. “Your conduct was aggressive and defamatory (several times you claimed that the district was lying about the budget and “hiding” money), and you directed personal attacks against me while mansplaining matters of which you are wholly unfamiliar, while pointing your finger at me several times.”

…The teacher leader, who did not respond to an interview request, said Loría’s letter had a “perceived retaliatory tone,” and that he plans to seek legal counsel.

It’s probably a matter of opinion as to who holds the high ground in the standoff. Regardless — and even if the teachers deserve a raise — what’s clear is the kids came out the losers again. 

As we pointed out here last August, the latest annual statewide student achievement tests that are used to measure how well Colorado’s schools are preparing our kids more or less flunked Adams 14. The Colorado Measures of Academic Success, or CMAS, test scores revealed our city’s district ranked near the bottom — of the entire state.

Maybe the school district’s adults should try resolving their differences without costing the kids a day in class. Commerce City kids deserve better.