PARKER, Colo. — It’s been a long week at Legend High School in Parker and it’s only Wednesday. It’s not the classwork or meetings or homework or tests that have made the week feel so long but the politics that are creeping into the classroom.
On Tuesday, educators there received an email from the district informing them that a Colorado Open Records Act request had been filed with the district and it planned on releasing the names of all of the teachers who called out sick on Feb. 3.
That list includes those who took part in a sick out to protest the firing of superintendent Corey Wise but also those who were legitimately sick or who had to take off of work for other reasons.
Then on Wednesday, teachers at two different Douglas County schools found letters on their cars. The letters read:
“Most Teachers Are Good and We Appreciate Them! You Are Bad! Get Out and Leave! All Teachers Unions Are Bad! Teachers Unions Are Not For The Kids and Not For the Parents! The Whole Nation Sees That! Douglas County Parents, Grandparents and Taxpayers OWN the Schools! Remember That! We Approve The Curriculum, NOT YOU, NOT the Teachers Unions.”
The letters were found on cars that had their windows painted in support of Wise at Legend High School and Iron Horse Elementary.
“It's been jarring. It's been heartbreaking. So many different emotions to cycle through. This was aggressive. It was a cowardly act, it just felt really uncomfortable,” said teacher Megan Gray. “I also just think that this is just not the way to handle conflict.”
Gray says the letters feel like an intimidation tactic to get teachers to stop talking and stop expressing their opinions. She agreed to speak with Denver7 on camera because she says it’s important for her to set a good example for her students.
“I really do believe that most of our community is with teachers and supports teachers, what I don't like is see that there is a risk of our students losing some really incredible educators,” said Gray.
This district is special to Gray; she graduated from Legend High School and her husband proposed to her on the stage of the school.
Gray says she would feel perfectly happy spending the rest of her career teaching here. But that was before all of the politics. Now, she’s not sure what her future holds.
“We are in this job because we love kids. We love students, we believe in their power and ability to shape our future generations in our world. We believe in them so much, that we are continuing to stay even in conditions that don't feel fair,” said Gray.
Other teachers who spoke to Denver7 anonymously say they are worried about their safety and about potential retaliation, particularly from having their names released publically.
“I understand if you are an elected official that your information is public, who you are what you say, what you do is public. I was not elected to be a teacher, I chose to be a teacher, I love being a teacher, I love my students,” one teacher told Denver7.
They tell Denver7 it’s scary how politicized education has become, and they feel like they are being silenced and unfairly targeted.
“It's just interesting to me that I have conversations with my students who seem to do really, really well talking about differing opinions and policies and the way that things are run yet adults don't seem to be able to manage to do that,” said Gray.
Denver7 reached out to the school district and was sent a statement saying district security and law enforcement are looking into the letters.
However, the Parker Police Department sent Denver7 a statement saying the fliers were investigated and the police determined no crime was committed.
