9-R WatchDog Coalition - updated September 28, 2005 and Deja Vu April 1, 2008**
Where we left off during the summer of 2005

" School board to hire consultant to review district's employment practices, procedures"

9-R Board's response to Lynch matter disappoints Coalition
What has happened, by fall 2005? So far, nothing, it would seem..

Durango Herald : "Consultant: 9-R lacks public's trust" August 2005The 9-R Board's extremely limited response to the Coalition's and others' very serious concerns about inappropriate behaviors has been a disappointment, to say the least, especially to those most deeply and negatively impacted by the series of events last spring. Conditions at Durango High School and within the administration continue to need monitoring, especially relating to the challenge of maintaining the high standards that won recognition by the American Welding Society. Until the Board takes responsibility for seeing community values are respected, any semblance of the trust and openness referred to by Mr. Tschirki has little hope of seeing the light of day.

DEJA VU? 2005 to 2008 Barter - protecting our children or overreacting? Should school board members be allowed to visit the high school without permission? How did this come about?

In May 2005 the Herald ran a story with a photograph of students posing with a car they restored in "welding" class. Shortly thereafter Mr. Lynch's contract was not renewed.

DHS Students Restore Dodge; Teacher's contract expires

Deb Uroda, spokeswoman for Durango School District 9-R, recognizes that Lynch has a lot of support from students and parents, which makes it even harder to let him go. But she added: "Why would we want to put ourselves through such pain if we didn't have a really good process and reason?"

Can anyone today in 2008 come clean about the spokesperson's really good process, really good reason??? Only a judge can request tapes of the Executive Session that led to his dismissal. Is it time to go there? Barter's latest reprimand helps energize the rumors again coming from top district administrators, a repeat of 2005. Is anyone at 9-R concerned about liability issues created by the casual attitude of a top spokesperson? It would seem prudent to cease and desist.

May 24, 2005- In closed executive session, the 9-R Board upheld the non-renewal of metal fabrication teacher Paddy Lynch .

June 8, 2005 --Durango Herald: “Group takes up cause of teacher – coalition talks of defense fund for Lynch”

June 9, 2005 --Durango Herald: "District 9-R stands by decision to fire teacher"
June 19, 2005 -Durango Herald "Former DHS teacher raised safety issues"

Although the Watchdog Coalition is focusing on the larger umbrella of district wide - community issues, it was the circumstances leading to DHS Metal Fabrication teacher Paddy Lynch's departure that first sparked this organization. Numerous concerns raised by the Watchdogs have not been addressed to their satisfaction.. Among other things, evidence suggesting a serious breach of conduct on the part of the superintendent has been brought to light this summer. Although the superintendent was under no obligation to provide reasons for non-renewing probationary teachers, she disclosed sensitive and confidential personnel information to at least one member of the public. It would not seem too much of a stretch to assume that Board Members also received similar information from the Superintendent during deliberations in which they voted to uphold her decision. The public information office also has stated to the press that "good reasons" of a sensitive nature exist for letting Mr. Lynch go, and that no public comments can be made.

To counter rumors circulating in the community, at a June board meeting, Mr. Lynch made an unprecedented request that his entire personnel file be opened for public review as a means of clearing his name. The Watchdog Coalition believes that an independent investigation must be conducted for the board to be able to fairly judge this matter. However, coalition members have been dismayed to learn that no such investigation or inquiry is to take place. The board recently announced that it will "not revisit the issue of past non-renewals of any personnel ." Rather than looking further into questionable details of Mr. Lynch's non-renewal, they state that their consultant will only “review administrative processes ... for the purpose of identifying opportunities to create efficiencies and improve processes.”

A Durango Herald editorial on June 12 recommended that the Watchdog Coalition move beyond the Lynch matter to focus on other pressing school problems, especially the mood and culture at Durango High School. With many questions still unanswered, this is exactly what members of the Coalition plan to do, i.e., look at the big picture and the overall culture and pattern of discontent that some individuals have brought to their attention. The 9-R Watchdog Coalition, however, unlike the 9-R Board, has expressed no intention of dropping the Lynch matter and are committed to presenting information that would clear his name from the rumor mill.

Durango Herald Editorial June 12, 2005 Padraig Lynch: Teacher's defenders should focus on improving DHS

To comment on this or other issues: write to us at info@durangoschooltalk.org

9-R WatchDog Coalition Mission/Purpose Statement
The fundamental purpose of the 9-R WatchDog Coalition is to channel the community's concerns, apathy, or anger into informed constructive action. The coalition calls upon people to reinvest themselves in their public educational system, not only with their money, but with their time, energy and commitment.

The coalition shall hold to the fundamental belief that parents and taxpayers are "owners" of the public schools will encourage them to move into the process of change.

The coalition shall strive to restore and expand the much-needed trust between the "owners" and the governance body of the public educational system; by advocating a restoration of the relationship between the school board and its constituents and redefining the relationship between the school board and its community.

The 9-R WatchDog Coalition does not seek to unionize parents and taxpayers. Rather it is committed to introducing new, more effective ways for all stakeholders to connect with their educational system, forge new relationships and partnerships, reestablish a free and open movement of communication between the community and the school governance system in a manner built on mutual respect and trust while neutralizing hostilities and flinging wide open the door that locks many stakeholders out of the change process.

Proposed for adoption June 7, 2005

Formed in the spring of 2005, Durango's" 9-R Watchdog Coalition" has made a commitment to changing the dynamics of 9-R's School Board as it relates to the "owners" of the system, to use the terminology of Policy Governance, the board's governance system.

Why another education advocacy group in Durango?

Because there is a chronic critical need for more straightforward, honest communication coming from District to the community

First Press Release "Community Group Forms"
Public Announcement & Media Advisory From: The 9-R Watchdog Coalition

For More Information: Britt and Betsy Lovelace, 970.588.3381
Wanita Cooper, 970.259.0192
Dr. Doug and Leesa Zalesky 970.259.7118

Community Group Forms to Improve 9-R Schools

Durango , CO ~ Organizers have announced the establishment of the 9-R Watchdog Coalition, a group committed to encouraging and enhancing broader community interaction and communication with the 9-R School District Board.

"Controversy continues to swirl around the school district's administration and its policy actions. In fact, they are in the midst of a public relations crisis," noted Betsy Lovelace, co-founder of the 9-R Watchdog Coalition. "The school board is charged with accountability to the entire community and it should be an instrument of the community in all aspects of our public educational system. In effect, the school board should have an inherent partnership with its community. Recent events signal a perplexing lack of responsiveness by the board."

Lovelace continued, "Many of us would like our school board to be better in tune with their obligations to maintain an appropriate level of distance from the administrator it supervises. Simply rubber stamping a paid administrator's policy and personnel decisions without questioning them or putting a strong emphasis on community input is poor governance of our school system, and has led to the current erosion of trust and community partnership so integral to our educational system," said Lovelace. "Throughout the community there are many pockets of people who are dissatisfied with the performance of the current administration for a variety of reasons. When you pull at the common thread amongst us it leads straight back to the superintendent and the school board. Through the establishment of this watchdog group we provide an opportunity for all to come together and work towards positive change."

9-R Watchdog co-founder Wanita Cooper concurred adding, "We have some significant work to do to address the growing problems at 9-R. One of our immediate focus areas will be examining the negative atmosphere at Durango High School , the underlying issues associated with that and providing solutions for the school board to consider. The board has to come to terms with the necessity of listening to its constituents and carrying out its mission rather than entrenching itself with an administrator that is failing. All problems are manageable, but the work to resolve them can only begin if the responsible decision-makers recognize that a problem exists. One of the purposes of this new community group is to help the school board understand that serious problems do exist and that turning a deaf ear to the issues is not an appropriate or satisfactory resolution."

Members of the 9-R Watchdog Coalition will meet on Tuesday, June 7, 2005 at 7:00 p.m. at the LaPlata County Fairgrounds in the Animas Room . Parents, students and taxpayers are encouraged to attend. At this meeting an election of officers will take place, along with subcommittee appointments.

"If we're to effect meaningful change within the schools here in Durango , it's important that the community becomes involved," said Lovelace. "It's time to take back our schools and provide a healthy learning environment for all students. This is no time for apathy. The issues are serious and our kids' futures are at stake. We invite everyone to participate."