Across Colorado and across the country, politicians and special interests are playing games with our kids’ futures. These are people who often don’t even have children in public schools and who have a financial and ideological stake in dismantling the very system that serves over 90% of Colorado’s kids.
Their goal is simple: defund, destabilize, and dismantle public education — and replace it with a privatized system that serves only a few. Groups like the Freedom Foundation and people like Brad Miller and Ken Witt are running a long game. They know that if they can silence educators and divide our communities, they can weaken public schools until there’s nothing left to protect.
But we have something they don’t: people power. When we stand together in our union, we have the strength to take on these bad actors and win.
How We Got Here
Across Colorado, a dangerous pattern is unfolding: school boards and outside political groups are working to weaken public education and dismantle unions. They defund schools, attack educator rights, censor what students can learn, and push privatization.
But here’s the good news — when we fight back, we win.
Educators, parents, and communities have come together time and again to protect public schools: recalling bad boards, overturning illegal voucher programs, organizing actions, and restoring resources for kids. This isn’t random or accidental, it’s a coordinated playbook that we’ve seen before, and every time we stand together, we’ve stopped it.
- Jeffco, 2013: A hostile school board tried to rewrite curriculum, limit educator rights, and silence students. Educators and parents organized, held rallies, and built a massive recall campaign successfully voting the entire board out and restoring a student-centered focus.
- Woodland Park, 2022-2023: The school board adopted a conservative social studies curriculum rejected by the state board, allowed a charter takeover, and cut mental health supports by refusing $1.2 million in grants. Educators, students, and parents spoke out, packed board meetings, and drew statewide media attention exposing the harm and pushing back against censorship and silencing.
- Colorado Springs, 2023–Now: District 11 revoked CSEA’s contract, eliminated payroll dues deduction, and even physically cut pages from health textbooks to censor what students can learn. This time, CSEA members have been organizing school by school, signing up members, switching everyone to direct dues payment, and preparing for a historic strike on October 8th to win back a voice for educators and better learning conditions for kids.
Why This Matters
When bad boards succeed, students pay the price:
- Fewer trusted educators in classrooms
- Narrowed curriculum and censorship
- Larger class sizes and fewer supports
- A future where public schools no longer belong to all of us
What’s happening right now in Colorado Springs could happen anywhere in Colorado if we don’t step up, speak out, and take action.
What Happens Next Is Up to Us
These attacks don’t stop on their own and if we don’t fight back, they will spread. The most powerful tool we have is our collective action. This school board election is our chance to take back control and stop political games in our communities. Here’s how you can get involved:
- Reach out to your local leaders to find out about races in your communities
- Sign up to walk and talk with voters about why school board elections matter
- Share our voter guide with family and friends
When we show up together, we can end these attacks, protect our students, and build the schools every child deserves.
Join the Strike line with Colorado Springs Teachers on October 8th
On October 8, we are taking action. Educators across District 11 are striking for students — demanding smaller class sizes, more counselors, and a voice in decisions that impact kids every day.
When we take action together, we win better schools for students and stronger communities for all of us.
coloea.org/JoinTheLine