001Good afternoon everyone and welcome to the Bolder Valley School Candidate Forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters. My name is [Name], and I am a proud member of the League and will be moderating the forum tonight. The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan organization. For over 100 years, we have encouraged women's voting participation and, through our advocacy, we remain non- partisan. We do not promote any political parties. All candidates will also be supported by the Bolder County School District Parent Council. This council is made up of one representative from each school and meets once a month with the district superintendent to discuss relevant school district matters. The meetings are open to the public, and you are invited to participate. The organization Impact in Education supports nearly 30,000 educators and provides 4,000 community funding
002to close the opportunity gap and enhance educational opportunities. We thank these organizations for their planning and coordination work and, of course, for the work you do daily in support. From our School District, and now we begin with the forum for the November 7th municipal election. Voters will be asked to fill four Board of Education vacancies. These are volunteer individuals representing seven geographic areas of our community. Voters will cast their vote for each of the AC district candidates. They will represent each of these districts, but they will represent all of them. Each candidate will have one minute for an opening statement. After that, we will continue with questions that have been submitted electronically, and also with our audience this afternoon. Members of the public will be able to ask their questions, which will be brought in
003by our volunteers. I thank these volunteers; they will help ensure that the question on each of the topics is clearly understood. We will ask each candidate to answer each question as much as time allows. We will also share with all the candidates those questions that we don't have time to ask tonight. I understand that one minute is a very short period of time, but we want to cover as many topics as possible. We may need to expand that time depending on the question. To members of the audience, please refrain from applause or exclamations of approval or disapproval. Because this is a distraction for the candidates and may cause delays. Thank you all in advance for respecting the candidates and this space that welcomes us tonight. This forum is being recorded and is being published in
004both English and Spanish. The candidates are seated in the order they appear on the general election ballot, and now we will begin with the opening statements. Again, you have one minute, and please pay attention to the people keeping track of the time. We begin with candidate Anger. Good evening, everyone. Thank you for having us. And thank you to our League of Women Voters. It's wonderful to be here with my colleagues. I have spent 25 years improving public education for all students. I started as a teacher in California County, and it has been a transformative experience for me to see the challenges that education presents. We started with 40 students who didn't have a playground or enough desks, but it is my life's calling. I have worked in this field for 25 years as an educational
005administrator. I worked in the State Senate to improve educational policies. Now I have three children in the district. The 3-year-old will be here for many years. I have also volunteered. SAT and we address educational challenges in the best way. Candidate Fisherman, thank you and thank you all for being here tonight. My name is Alex. I have a university degree in geology. My daughter also has a degree in BBS. As a parent, from elementary to high school, this is what it means to belong to this district. I have worked at the social level on social justice issues and have had successes and challenges. Thank you. Public school women from kindergarten to high school. My mother is an educator. I understand what education is. I have been in the Bolder Valley School District for 25 years. My
006daughter started from kindergarten through high school and my son is still here in the district. I have a diploma in astrophysics and astronomy. I am an astronomer and scientist by training. I am an advocate for mental health and I want to ensure that equity is ensured in such a diverse district. Thank you. Candidate name is Alex. District C. Thank you for this opportunity. Since 1992, my children, ages 21 and 22, have attended school with us. I advocate for public education. I am concerned about issues and topics related to early childhood education and guidance towards serving all students. Students and the promotion of social justice. My children, some of whom are students, have learning disabilities and face difficult academic content. We have to fight for everyone, and we have made progress in that area. I like
007to work on equity for all students and support everyone. Thank you for supporting me as a candidate. Good evening. My name is Cyon. I have two students in BSD. I have a PhD from Stanford University. As a concerned parent, I do n't see all the social needs of our children being met. I have confidence in public education in the district. Only 9% of kindergarten students took the assessment, but I'm concerned. I have mixed feelings about the direction educational policies are taking, and we want our education system to serve everyone and put students' needs first. My name is And. I have two children who have been here this time. I started my career as an investigative journalist. I entered the cybersecurity field as a hacker. What is the question? Please continue. I wanted to talk about
008how this affects the reason why I want to participate in this election. Schools need someone who will fight for them, who can present innovative solutions, for example, with discipline problems and enrollment issues in the district. I graduated in 1993. My children went to the District. I have worked as a volunteer for an organization that works with [unclear - possibly " ... The reduced-price or free lunch program I want this District to represent. I want to represent all students. Candidate Chávez. My name is Jorge Chávez. I am running for the district and have served on the SIU University Council. Education is transformative. I can say this because education transformed my life. When I came here, I didn't speak English, and I have progressed thanks to education. As I have been a volunteer in the district since
0092019, at the SAC level, and also in the Family Educators Federation. Together, I have been Vice President of the Council. I have come to know this district, and it is necessary to know the district well in order to improve it. Thank you all for your statements. The first question will begin with candidate Frishman of the district. The question is: Are the district's students diverse by identity, color, or immigrant background? How do you feel the District is practicing equity and inclusivity, and how can it improve in this area? Thank you for this question. As a man, I believe in bringing different life experiences, and there is a high proportion of diversity in this district. I want students to see this not only in the student population but also on the Board of Trustees, and to see
010different ways in which decisions are made. The decisions and how to make schools safe are welcome to everyone, and that they can express themselves in general. Thank you, candidate. It's an excellent question. The district is geographically very diverse, socioeconomically speaking, religiously, etc. What the district has done well is receive additional funding. And in doing so, we see how to differentiate the funds to determine which schools really need this additional funding, and we also see how the performance of each school should determine additional support. I would like the members of this council to continue that in terms of what can be improved. Having forums like this is very important, not only here in the district but also in the mountain schools and other schools, and to listen to the district's population. Thank you. I would like
011to speak to the students with disabilities in the district, those who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). I work to fight so that students with disabilities do not suffer discrimination. In Colorado, we don't have to ask about these special needs before they enroll, and the district adapted quickly to this change. It really is a good place for students with disabilities. All districts should be able to serve these students. Thank you, candidate. I would also focus on students with disabilities. I believe the district has done a great job introducing these tests earlier for students with dyslexia, as approximately 12 percent of the population has it. We have early testing in first grade, and they really should be doing it in kindergarten if possible. Regarding other students with disabilities, I attended some meetings this spring where parents
012of children with autism and other disabilities who require individualized support from a paraprofessional for a full part of the day are having a lot of difficulty because there is a national shortage of paraprofessionals, and parents were being asked to take their children home early. I believe we need to support these students. Thank you, candidate Brand. I'll start with a personal story. My two children identify as non-binary, and my experience in the district has been very welcoming. We have been welcomed, and the other students they hang out with have been good. It has been good to improve the number of students in the district who are neurodivergent or from underrepresented groups, and there are disparities in discipline and achievement among those groups. I believe the district can improve in that area. For these groups, thank you,
013candidate. I believe the policies where the district has done a great job are the anti- bullying policy. And we have the AC GU E3, which gives protections to staff and students who do not conform to a gender. Where we can improve, or what needs a review, would be the library policies, instructional materials, and adopting instructional materials. That needs to be informed by the American Library Association because we need students who can read. As a candidate, I support that, and it's something we absolutely need fixed in our district. Thank you, candidate Zameni. I am the mayor of District 3. We have been doing great work in terms of equity and inclusion, and also supporting resources for this. Where we can improve is in reducing achievement gaps, funding appropriately, and ensuring that certain groups accelerate and close
014the gap. Candidate Lord, I'm going to mention something that hasn't been mentioned: the representation of who is teaching in the classroom. In terms of diversity, educators need to be diverse. My daughter is in her senior year, and I asked her if she has had a teacher from a diverse background, and she said no. So I believe we need to diversify. Our staff must ensure that all students benefit from a diverse staff. I asked my daughter, and I hate to say it, but she feels like everything has been white for her, and we need to increase staffing. And if we have commitments and policies, we need to ensure that the people implementing those policies represent the diversity of the community. Candidate Chávez, thank you. Our district does a great job of having a diversity policy, but
015the difficulty is implementation. For example, the issue of restorative justice is tied to outcomes, achievement gaps. But our Black and Latino children are the ones who are in education, or who are learning other languages, or who receive the benefits of free lunch, and we need to invest more time and resources to address that. Thank you, thank you, candidate. Thank you for the question regarding Anders' example and differentiated funding. I taught at an underfunded school for children who come in without the advantages that other children have. That would be a priority for me because it is very important; it is a high priority. One thing we can improve is by listening to my colleagues. We have good policies; we have strong values. We need to ensure that the implementation of those values aligns with those values
016in Creekside, for example, where my children are in SAC. We have a diversity, equity, and inclusion committee, and that has been helpful for parents and staff to ensure that children can see themselves represented on the walls, in the library books, and in various places around the school. And I believe we can do more to achieve our values. Thank you, thank you all. For the next question, we'll start with candidate Steffel. If elected, how will you support and secure funding to make our schools more climate-friendly? On the ballot is Proposition HH, which will increase funding to schools, specifically for climate. We receive a large portion of our funding from the state. We would be advocating to the state and the federal government for more funding. We have a great education program teaching children about climate and
017how petroleum-based fuels have changed our climate. Thank you. One reminder, please, if you could lean into your microphone so people can hear you. Candidate Medl, my same question. I worked in children's policy and education, including the Colorado Children's Campaign. I believe Colorado has a broken funding system. K has been a leader in the state to change funding, and I would like to continue that work. Eventually, Colorado, hopefully, can end Taber and act like a normal state. Until then, it's going to be very difficult to get the funds to adapt to climate change. We need to have a big change. It's better than many places, but that's not a reason to stay where we are. We need to change what's broken and work with other districts on change. Thank you, candidate Nesen. I am a climate
018scientist by profession, and I have raised millions of dollars for climate research. I haven't thought about how to apply that to schools, but I certainly have a lot of experience with it at the local level. I have supported the Trip Tracker program, in which my children have participated, and public transportation. In the 30 years I have lived in Bolder, well, it's unfortunate that my own son in high school has to drive to school. I believe in educating high schoolers about the importance of public transportation and biking because they still like to drive to school. Thank you, candidate Brand. I'm very glad you asked me that question because I have a lot of interest in it. I have photovoltaic solar panels on my house. I have a very strong opinion that Taber is... Ending funding and
019priorities in schools and states, I would still support denying or removing taber in the future. We would need to do things, for example, increase solar panels on school buildings. We would have to improve the capacity to compost and recycle as much as possible in schools. Schools have been a hub for recycling materials, and I would like to continue that approach for other areas in the community. Thank you, candidate. Colorado has been very low in per-student funding for a long time, and we have to take careful care of the money we receive. We have a duty as a board to do that. It is important to recognize that what we do reflects our priorities. If the priority is taking care of the climate for future generations, I support that. What I can do close to the
020budget... I do support HH. It will decrease property taxes and increase funding, but it is not a perfect solution. We have to put people on the board, like Lori Albright and Kathy Gebhard, who are in the legislature requesting the funding that schools need. Thank you, candidate Sareli. I also advocate for this proposal. HH. That will increase funding, but it is not enough. I believe we can push the state for more funding. But as individuals, we have to make it as social as possible to do our part. Thank you, candidate Lord. I support the proposal. I believe that education has the power to transform our students. We have to advocate for more funding. We have to be honest about taxes. We have to seek grants so that schools compete so that they have programs that support
021the environment. I love fundraising; I've done it. We have to raise more. We have to get legislators involved. I know that people don't want to raise taxes, but if we want to improve the future of our students, it is important that we increase funding for our students. Candidate Chavez, like many of my colleagues, I agree that we need to increase funding for schools in Colorado. I support repealing or removing taxes. What we can do as a district is have electric buses. Think about what our schools will do to impact the environment and prioritize that in our decisions. As for the students, they are the leaders. The students who were on the board in September were there to talk about climate change. They have a lot of energy, and we can do that together by using
022their voices. Thank you, candidate, district. I want to do what Jorge mentioned. This board that spoke two weeks ago, the students who were speaking so passionately about the new green deal, it's shocking that this is the first question we've had in four forums and many other questions. I think we're in the middle regarding funding. There are federal funds right now, and they're for electric buses and solar panels. I understand federal policy. So I would make it a priority to seek those funds to tell the students that we are responding to their concerns and that we are addressing the climate crisis. Candidate Fishman, thank you for the question. I believe that climate change is the existential crisis that we have to face as a district, as a community, and funding is also important. I support this
023proposal, and beyond that, I have read and participated in the district's green projects, and I support the district's green initiatives that have been published. We have to do something instead of just looking at them on paper. I support the electric bus fleet by 2025. We need to listen to the students. The students are screaming for a better curriculum that addresses climate change. They are begging for it, and we have to do something about it. Thank you all for... Your answers to the next question. We'll start with candidate Beder. How do you define school safety, and what is one thing you would do to prioritize safety for all students in the district? Thank you. I believe safety is the primary responsibility of the school, but it's multifaceted, and we've talked a lot about homeless encampments. We
024have to work in partnership with social services to ensure everyone is safe. We also had the evacuation of Monar and the security there. Meanwhile, inside the schools, we have to protect children from bullying and foster a sense of belonging to the community. We have to monitor all those aspects of safety, use data, and be accountable to the community. Thank you, candidate Denver. I do support safe zones for going to school. I bike to work, and I've experienced harassment, and students shouldn't have to face that going to school. Also, speaking of the issue of officers in schools, I'm probably the only candidate who is open to having officers back in schools, and I have concerns about that line from schools to jail. But what happened in Denver at East High School, where they shot at... Two
025teachers and they had to bring the police officers back. I live near King Super where the shooting happened several years ago, so I think we need to prioritize student safety. Thank you. I am very grateful to the current council for bringing the police back. That program is... they are doing a great job bringing students together and increasing community confidence in each school they serve. I also think that two is not effective and is very expensive. For that reason, I think safety is a three-dimensional program. We are starting to solve at least aspects of this problem, but we want to implement measures that will continue to be effective. Thank you, candidate Quinan Agueda. I could talk about safety all day, but I think we can agree on something: there are threats from outside and from inside
026schools. Regarding safety, I have a lot of work to do. We need experts in the community to help us be safer and let the teachers do the job of teaching our students. For example, there are organizations that are experts in these matters. I specifically want us to use those resources because we can't ask our teachers to be in charge of that. Also, candidate Sir, safety is a... There is emotional security, the security of feeling safe in their shoes. There's one aspect to it, and another is talking about the data we have that we have to analyze. And as Cia said, we can't give teachers the job of electricians. But we can regulate and get more training on what is necessary. We also have safe zones, or for example, when they walk or bike to school,
027establishing bike paths. Thank you, candidate Lord. Thank you. I think our 30 students don't feel safe coming to school. We have to recognize that. Safety begins when our students feel heard, seen, and valued. We have training, we have restorative justice practices, and we work collaboratively to continue working and know what it means to be safe in our schools. It's a project for the schools, for our community partners. Candidate Chávez, this is a very important question. Safety is at the center of children's well-being. You can't have a school without safety. We have safety as a central focus, depending on the jurisdiction of each school, but we have invested in proactive strategies and in restorative justice to find the strategies and tools and how to react. We try to solve the problem from The root cause of
028keeping our students safe is the candidate. Yes, we are all parents here. Every time I take my children to school, I worry about their safety. We all think about it here. There is nothing more important than the responsibility for the safety of our children. We have that occupation, and I have heard it throughout this campaign. I have tried to meet with parents from all 56 schools, and the safety issues always come up. And how do we handle evacuations? We have seen the problems at the high school. We have to improve in terms of communicating what the district has done and highlighting what works and has a positive impact. Thank you for this question. To begin, I truly support what I want. To place the police officers and the... there is a great deal of trust
029from the students when they became SSA because this is a multidimensional problem that affects everyone in the school. I cannot emphasize enough how important the District's policies around the issue of safety are in terms of their implementation, as we have seen from the data we have analyzed. Candidates, safety is a... It is vitally important if you don't feel safe as a teacher, as a student, as a staff member; you're not going to function as you should. For that reason, safety is very important. It's a program with several dimensions. December 30, 2020. My house was burned down by the Marshall fires. There's only one way out and one way in, and there were classes, but we had an evacuation plan. The program has proven to be very successful. We have a long-term plan for this to
030continue working. The next question will begin with candidate Neon. Under any circumstances, would you consider banning materials in school libraries? Why? Why not? For a minute, maybe for consistency, but generally, no. I believe that parents should know about the privacy law. They can review their children's educational materials. And in terms of censorship, both on the left and the right, the pressure we have on the Biden administration is to censor anything that doesn't align with their policies. I think a large percentage of the population says that the Constitution should have limited authority. They should know about freedom of expression, especially since it's fundamental. I'm not going to talk about this because I'm an expert. But why do I oppose banning books in the Libraries, parents have the ability to prevent their children from participating in certain
031educational materials if they don't want to be part of it. I support that, and in my family, we've done it from time to time. I see a disconnect when the decision prioritizes the quality of the school's reading material. I want to encourage our school provider to present the materials so that families can choose to participate instead of... But they can decide if they don't want to. Well, last summer it was very successful to make the banning of certain books illegal. I would like to see the same legislation in the state. I don't support the banning of books in any way, and the reason is that the entire educational program is located here. If it has one, I have no concern that any part of the academic program is inappropriate since with the standards next year
032we are going to review it, and I am sure that we will have the correct content. I don't support the censorship of books. Information should not be banned; the content should be reviewed by experts. That is my opinion. I strongly oppose the imprisonment of books, especially because we have the law that should ensure that... Our children should grow up with an education where they have access to other cultures and other groups of people, and have the confidence to get to know different populations. Therefore, we want more cultural diversity. Candidate Chávez, thank you for the question. This is a critical question. I oppose all prohibitions on access to educational materials, and how are we going to educate our children as good citizens? They should read what they want [Music] to read throughout the country in the
0332022 school year. Well, it's a dangerous path if books start being banned. Candidate, I agree with all my colleagues. Our district has a very transparent policy, and every parent has the right to request that their child not participate in certain learning materials, educational issues, or representations of other children. I strongly oppose banning books, and no parent should have influence beyond their own student. Candidate, I also support us because students benefit greatly from having a variety of books and videos that present different viewpoints, and this material should somehow reflect who they are as people. I want to thank the School District Council for taking this position and supporting our teachers. To ensure that they can operate according to their own academic knowledge and they can determine which books will be available to students according to their
034age. The question is, are there any materials? Of course, there are some books that have no place in a school, but I am totally against censorship of books. As long as they are age-appropriate and meet the standards reviewed by librarians, it is very important that students from different backgrounds see themselves represented in the curriculum and academic program of our district. But I also want to say my two seconds that it is not true that the district has banned any reading material. I agree with my colleagues here and I am against banning books. All materials could be age-appropriate and in accordance with the academic program. I believe in science, but not what opposes science. Every student should see themselves and their family represented in books and teaching materials. We don't want this to be limited. Other
035members of the community can determine that their child does not participate in certain practical materials. We have reflected a lot and we are resisting ideological and other forms of censorship. Thank you. There's a large audience tonight, and among them we have young students. I want to take this case. We're going to answer simultaneously. Raise your hand if you have Legos. The next question is about the budget. We'll start with an important candidate for our council. When making decisions about positions, what are the three values that should be created when resources are limited? It's a big question. I'd like to say, my guiding values as if I were sitting on the council are equity, inclusion, and the promotion of high-quality, data-driven education. Speaking of the budget, the district council has traditionally viewed funds as, and they've
036relied on this for many years. As a council member, I would look to diversify where the funds come from to support other programs. There are federal government funds, but there's also collaboration and work we can do with the private sector to explore other options. Candidate Quein Nahua, as we discussed earlier, the budgets will reflect the priorities of the council and our community. Academic achievement is a priority for me; it's a value. I've been spending time reviewing, before the pandemic, and also, for example, math in fifth grade. Only 60 percent is reaching the benchmark. We're going to have, uh, uh, additional money to see and make sure that it's put where it's needed. We need to make differentiated spending, to put aid where it's most needed. I think my time is up. Thank you, candidate Soreni.
037I agree with the line: differentiated funding closes the gaps in the demographics that need it, and also in terms of location, as we have in the Netherlands. Two days ago, the number of students has different difficulties, but the funding is the same per student. It's more difficult for these demographics in those areas. Those are two. I'm also part of the funding committee for school bonds and the funding that comes from the community, and how we're going to spend it. It follows us for 5 years and in the schools and other assets for the School District. Candidate Lord, it has been said before that a budget needs to reflect our priorities. So when I think about the priorities for schools, diversity, equity, and inclusion has to be one of the priorities, but also recruiting teachers, resources
038for teachers, how we're going to support educators and teachers, and diversifying staff and having differentiated funding to close some gaps in our schools, which will lead to more funding for our schools in the mountains. Thank you, candidate Chavez. Thank you for the question. I know this doesn't allow us to have written information here. inside but I have them outside but equity is important we have to ensure that every student in the school has what they need transparency I was on the school accountability committee several years ago and now we have dashboards with information about discipline, state exam scores and accountability with funding We have pilot schools that have shown promising results and we need to expand those programs at the district level and also transparency and accountability Thank you candidate Anger Thank you for the
039question I have three things in mind as Jorge the lens of equity justice take into account the needs of the entire district not just the loudest voices or other parts of the district and also raise the bar for all students is important We have a challenging curriculum but we need to improve it for all students and address the gaps there may be gaps in achievement in discipline and if we do it with differentiated funding we have to look at the data to ensure that we are addressing those gaps in terms of funding Thank you candidate Fishman from a funding or budget perspective in the context of declining enrollment we have to pay attention to certain things During this process transparency equity and participation Transparency meaning The board needs to work with the community during this
040declining enrollment process. Everyone needs to be informed; they need the right data regarding funding and the student population. Transparency is one of the most valuable parts of the process because the more transparent one is, the fewer surprises there are in the future. I want to advocate that the board works with the schools to hold open meetings so that parents in the mountains, the plains, or the cities all have equitable access and know what the board is facing and what they are trying to do to achieve equity. Thank you, candidate Stefo. As I said, I really have three priorities: addressing mental health needs, safety, and equity. And what has happened to mental health between the Marshall fire, COVID, the King Super shooting, and all of that is affecting our students a lot. 41 percent of high
041school students were so depressed for two weeks or more that it impaired them from doing their normal activities, and that is incredible and very sad. We need to address that in our schools. We have to include wellness centers; Monark already has one and has expanded to other schools. Safety—we've already talked about that; we have safety associates in schools and programs to reduce bullying. And finally, equity. It's important that we have differentiated funding so that all children have access to resources. Thank you, candidate Medler. Thank you. It's a complicated question. I'd like to echo a few things. I believe in equity, rigor, and also fun. That's the ability to always enjoy. In the gaps, we talk about logos and not opportunities, and we're going to face difficult things, but we can't lose our focus on the
042children's smiles. We can't forget those things because rigor is very important. We need rigor, and parents are concerned that children aren't receiving what they need. And children, or parents with children who are working at a higher level, have occupations that the children aren't receiving. We have to understand that parents have to pay a lot to participate in certain things. We don't want to perpetuate or continue inequities in the system. Candidate Nesen, I agree with much of what you've said. I don't know if you can see my sign here, but the way we're funding schools comes from a mix of property taxes in Boulder. Many of these taxes come from the local area. We have to rethink what we 're doing because those high taxes are contributing [Music] to making That families can't live here and
043that's hurting the schools in my district. That was the biggest concern I heard from parents when I was walking around my neighborhood. My priorities are small class sizes and also a focus on teachers and administrators because I think there are too many administrators in the district. Thank you all for this next question. We're going to start with the candidate. Another topic in the news is how the district should address declining enrollment and the potential need to close schools. I'm going to start with something: we ca n't change the price of housing. What we can do is change the attendance boundaries. That can be very... Or it may not yield many results. We can have Alex mentioned the survey that had been sent out. We have to think about what the parents want. The parents want
044more rigor, more services for talented and gifted children, more science education. If we're talking about what we can do, we can address those different issues, but we're going to have to make difficult decisions. One has to choose a board member who you think will make difficult decisions and do so transparently and by talking with the community. Thank you, candidate. Personi is multifaceted. And there are many factors that contribute well, and there are things we can't avoid, like the cost of housing, which we can't change much. But things we could do are add more housing. But it's also a big battle to fight so that people can afford to live here. I came from a school district in California, which is similar to a high cost of housing. Nobody comes here because of the high cost.
045We include these out-of-school funds for clubs. We had to make difficult decisions, consolidate resources, and make better use of what we have as a last resort. Thank you, candidate. Lord, change. It's difficult. I believe that if one has an open and inclusive process where everyone feels included, people support what they believe in. I support the recommendation. From the enrollment committee, but I also believe, as a board member, that working with the superintendent, working with the community through meetings, an advisory committee that reports quarterly to the board, and we need a superintendent who has a portfolio of thinking about best practices around enrollment, hosting conferences, reimagining enrollment and managing it—I believe that if we engage with the community, people feel included, and local communities can make decisions about their schools or reclaiming them. They will participate
046and support. Thank you, candidate Chavez. Thank you. That is one of the most difficult challenges the district faces: losing students. When you lose students, you lose funding. We have to face that because we can't wait any longer. They weren't prescriptive. We have to re-evaluate district attendance, re-evaluate the open enrollment policy, and have this communication with parents. Last night we had a meeting to see what other districts have done in those situations and what we can do for this district. We need to continue that work. Thank you, candidate Anger. I agree with many of the ideas my colleagues have raised, and also the recommendations of the long-term advisory committee. We have to look at the open enrollment policy and how it contributes. And there's a decline in births. The cost of housing is out of our
047control, but one thing is for parents: we've lost children to private schools or other districts. We need to know why those children left and what it takes to bring them back. That could be a richer curriculum, other services we can provide, class sizes—those are things we can do, and it's going to be a measurable change that will bring back the students who have left. Thank you, candidate Fishman. Thank you for the tough question tonight. That enrollment isn't unique; it's a problem we 're facing. By the way, we've been down 8-9% in recent years, and we're going to lose 1.5% every year for the next five years. We have to face that, but to be able to do that, we have to think creatively. Washington and Mapleton— we had to close those schools. We have to
048think about things from another perspective. The long-term visionary AV committee did a great job, but that's a starting point. We need to solicit direct participation and engage with the schools and parents. I'm going back to holding board meetings in different locations so we can talk to parents in their environment instead of waiting for them to come to us. Come here. Thank you, candidate. Thank you. It's a difficult question. I believe that in the long term, this is the most serious problem that will affect us in the last 5-10 years. This low enrollment is very difficult to address. As Jason and others mentioned, the causes are really out of our control. We have to work with the community to solve the fundamental reasons that are out of our control, but we can have an effect. We
049have to be as transparent and open as possible, reach out to the communities, ensure that parents can have their say and that they are heard. We have to ensure that we have sustainability in the budgets for these programs. The reality is that we are going to have to make difficult decisions in the coming years. Thank you, candidate. I echo what many have said: total number of students. How can we slow the decline, or the number? And we also have to see how we are going to reduce services. Many schools are focus schools; they are not always neighborhood schools. There are schools that parents want and that do things for parents. We have to do more of that. That's why they are leaving. In the future, we have to create designs so that we can support
050great educators and give parents the schools they want. We don't want to increase this; we want to ensure that we are fostering equity in all of this, but I can't talk about everything tonight. Candidate NEV, excuse me, I agree. Tax issues are out of our control. We have more control. By my calculations, 20% of students are dropping out because children are choosing not to send them to school. A week ago, there was a presentation by Magellan Strategies that showed that 20% of parents with young children hadn't decided not to send them to the district, and four have decided not to. It's not difficult to know what to do with that information, but I've had conversations with parents of older children in public schools, and they say they would prefer more focus on academics than social
051support. And I think we have to address those parents' opinions, or are we going to continue losing parents? Thank you, candidate. Thank you. Obviously, this is going to be the main issue for whoever gets elected. How can we address this? I have a very long list of things we could talk about, but I only have one minute. We've already mentioned the advisory council and the decisions they make. That's a model the district has to follow. This involves a lot of community involvement, but we also have a very long list of things the district can To do this without being drastic and closing schools, more than 50% of Colorado districts can only afford to send students 4 days a week. To do that, we have to think creatively and outside the box. Thank you, time flies.
052We're going to try two questions, two rounds of questions, but only 30 seconds each. Candidates, voters don't expect Council members to agree all the time, but they do expect them to work well together. Can you tell me what you would do if you were elected to address the conflict of interest issue for the benefit of all students? With this question, we begin with the candidate: Regarding my job responsibilities and leadership, I predict, I act as I predict, collectively listening to solutions and proposing what we should do as a team. Teamwork is a priority, and that's what I believe in. Candidate Lord, I would focus on what we have in common and what we are dedicated to: ensuring that our students have the skills to graduate and become successful citizens, and that we find time for
053them to have fun, not take each other so seriously, and get to know each other, value each other, and when we have conflicts We stopped to listen carefully, candidate Chávez. I've changed on the responsibility committee, and my focus is on collaboration. These candidates have very good intentions, above all, what is best for our children, and keeping that in mind. Who are they, who do we work for? Our students, our staff, our teachers. I've sincerely enjoyed meeting my colleagues and spending a lot of time together at forums and events. As you said, it's a group that works well, no matter who is elected, through consensus, collaboration, and areas of disagreement. We look for common ground and the common good in mind. Participation with the committees has been great. Of course, collaboration is a requirement, and this
054requires trust and honesty. We all have this in mind, given that our focus is on the students, the schools, and the staff, not on us candidates. Thank you. As my colleague said, regardless of who has been selected, four of the members have a majority of the council members who are already here. We've gotten to know each other well. Most of us could repeat each other's opening statements, but we realize why we are passionate about education. And well, my time is up, candidate Miller. I've really enjoyed working with everyone who is here today. I have 30 years of experience working in non-profit organizations and leading boards like this. One of the secrets to working well is efficiency and repeating what they've just said. Listening is key, and when meetings are efficient, giving feedback, imitation can be
055even more efficient. I'm a good board member. It's very good to have diversity of opinion. That's why, having said that, I have genuine respect. I've been a specialist in various areas, particularly in the environment, and I know people with different political viewpoints. I'm a very good listener, always respectful, and I base my decisions on data. I would work very well with any board member. Thank you. In my professional career, I work in two roles. Basically, I'm the center of a group of people. We have to move towards the same goal. For example, we have a company that's like the United Nations Cybersecurity. We're here to protect everyone. We all know we work for schools. That's my name. I believe in collegiality and professionalism. I believe we have candidates in each of these seats who believe
056in collegiality and being professional and personal, a community agenda. Thank you. And the last question: we're going in opposite directions. Raise your hand so you know who is representing which district. There are many parents who say they already have reasons to vote. What is the reason for those people who can vote but don't have children in the district? You have 30 seconds, candidate Chávez. Our schools belong to everyone; they belong to our society. We can't do this alone; we need everyone. We need our children. If we achieve something beyond ourselves, then how are we going to do it? I want to encourage everyone, even those with children, to look around and realize that we shouldn't be left to work alone. Candidate, education is the cornerstone of our society and our democracy. When we invest in
057our children, we invest in our future. We all have teachers who care about us and students who have adults who care about them. We will achieve a quality society that progresses and makes a difference. Candidate, today's children are tomorrow's citizens. We have to invest in our citizens for our country and build the infrastructure and the economy. These are the men and women who will lead us tomorrow. Today they are our students, and now the candidates of District D. Raise your hand. Thank you, candidate. Personal belief: It's that the Public education is fundamental to our community, and even if you don't have children, collectively we are educating the future citizens of our global economy. We want it to be strong, to have academic values. Candidate, schools educate the students who will manage the affairs of tomorrow.
058Do you want to live in a fair, productive, healthy society? These schools have to produce great, intelligent innovators for the future. And now, candidate, District C, raise your hand. Candidate quotes: What is taught in the classroom becomes a philosophy. It is taught in schools. It is where all children from different backgrounds come together and learn, and we should all care about what happens in schools. Our voices must be heard, and we must stop parents from pulling students out of schools. We have to make Bolder a better place where every child should be. It should be a society where... Well, I live in South Bolder, but that applies to everyone. Well, yes, it seems they focus more on dogs and roosters than hens, but I have both. But we want Bolder to be a great city.
059Look, your quote: schools are a vital part of our community, and we all agree on that. The truth is that schools don't... It's the only place where children are educated; they also learn from those who don't have children. The counties of [counties name] and [county name] have so many things to offer. They can be part of the solution that can be offered for our children. We couldn't successfully solve the problems without them. Many district candidates remind me that I am very passionate about ensuring that public education remains a viable option for the future. Everyone I've spoken to agrees that we all benefit from an education, a well-educated society, and that all schools can provide that. We want to ensure that this continues in the future. I was discussing this with someone and pointed out that
060we have an education system; it's the foundation of our democracy. We can see it in real time. We also have high hopes for this generation of children. It's very inclusive and open-minded, and we want to continue nurturing that and encouraging all parents and even those who don't have children. Thank you all on behalf of the league and our collaborators at Impact Education. Thank you to our candidates; we appreciate their willingness to serve the School District. Thank you to the Volunteer Forum; please raise your hand. Channel 2 for your essential help. Thank you to the interpreters. Sponsors María Dolores, thank you to our extraordinary audience, those who are here and those watching online. We hope this forum has been informative. A big round of applause for our candidates! Have a good night.