Hundreds of students from at least five Jefferson County high schools walked out of classes Tuesday and hit the streets with signs and chants protesting school board decisions and proposals.
At some schools, students ran across busy roads, disobeyed police officers and hung out of fast-moving cars proclaiming the same message: Leave our curriculum and teachers alone.
“It was students talking to students talking to more students,” said Red Domonovi, a sign-waving junior at Ralston Valley High School, explaining how the protests came together.
The walkout followed a similar protest Monday by at least 100 Evergreen High School students who left classes to voice their opinions at the county’s school administration building. On Friday, two county schools closed after 50 teachers either called in sick or used a personal day.
Tensions have been mounting in the school district as students and teachers push back against district leadership. Community members are angry about an evaluation-based system for awarding raises to educators and a proposed curriculum committee that would call for promoting “positive aspects” of the United States and its heritage and avoiding material that would encourage or condone “civil disorder, social strife or disregard of the law.”
A majority of conservative candidates was voted to the board last year and hired a new superintendent, Dan McMinimee, to replace the veteran Cindy Stevenson. Stevenson resigned, leaving earlier than planned and saying her work was being impeded by the board majority.
Tuesday’s student walkouts happened at Arvada West, Pomona, Ralston Valley, Wheat Ridge and Golden high schools. Students said they organized the gatherings on Facebook.
Near Arvada West, more than 300 students of many grades gathered at a busy intersection to chant, wave signs and shoot selfies on their smartphones. There were cheerleaders in their purple and white uniforms and a student in a black bandana and hoodie claiming an association with the protest network called Anonymous.
“We want the Jeffco board to listen and pay attention to the community,” said senior Jack Shefrin, who was involved with organizing the event, which he professed was led by students alone. “Most people feel their needs are not being met by the board.”
Several participating students said their parents and teachers either encouraged them to voice their opinions or made no protest about it.
“They told us we wouldn’t get in trouble,” Pomona freshman Jordan Perez said of her teacher’s response to walking out of class.
McMinimee released a statement Tuesday afternoon reiterating earlier calls for calm and open dialogue, again offering to meet with students.
“I respect the right of our students to express their opinions in a peaceful manner,” he said. “I do, however, prefer that our students stay in class.”
McMinimee added: “It’s also important that our community understand that no decisions have been made regarding the curriculum committee.”
A vote on the curriculum committee, proposed by board member Julie Williams, was delayed at a board meeting last week. In a statement Tuesday, Williams said she was surprised by the reaction to the curriculum review proposal.
She said “balance and respect for scholarship” is not censorship.
The new Advanced Placement U.S. history course framework is being used in schools for the first time this year. The College Board, which oversees AP courses, has said revisions are coming by month’s end to make clear that teachers can focus on essential content, including history of the Founding Fathers, World War II battles and the Holocaust.
Critics, including the Republican National Committee, have criticized the framework as omitting key aspects of U.S. history.
A group of about 400 Pomona students gathered at Wadsworth Boulevard and West 80th Avenue, and they told reporters they disagreed with the school board’s political agenda and that they want to have access to the “truth.”
“You can’t make America seem perfect,” one said.
The young protesters chanted, “It’s our history, don’t make it mystery!” Also, they talked of protecting education for generations to come.
“If they are going to contain things of our history now, what are our children going to learn?” student Angelo Coronado asked.
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or twitter.com/jesseapaul
Staff writer Eric Gorski contributed information to this report.
