On October 20th the Board of Education hosted a meeting at the Academy 20 District Building. The main points of discussion were the press for equality, how the board of education has brought positive outcomes to the district, and how the Academy 20 community can help reach new and positive goals for the future.  

 A returning representative, Jackie Lesh, came to voice her concerns about the importance of parental rights. 

“Everyone should be able to choose what is best for their child. Not all children, not everyone else’s child. Just their own,” Lesh remarked.

In order to keep these parental rights intact, the community should not use their personal rights to impact other children’s learning. This can help continue the goal of equality and provide the students with an equal chance at learning.

“The core mission, vision, and values of district 20 support meaningful inclusion honors diversity, and challenges schools to create a sense of belonging. Removing books from school libraries promotes the exact opposite. Instead, it tells our kids that their history is controversial or who they are as a human being is offensive,” Jennifer Bergstrom added. 

There are ways the community can find a solution to this, such as coming together as a community to discuss the chosen books discussed in class environments. This way, it can allow everyone to voice their opinion and get an equal and fair vote among all members of the district. 

With each meeting, the parents and teachers of the district bring their concerns to the board of education to not only help their kids but others as well. With this, the board members always bring positivity and equality to each meeting. 

“We work diligently to be respectful of each other and the community while balancing the variety of viewpoints,” Board of Education Director, Nicole Konz, remarked. 

Bringing positive energy to the meetings can provoke a positive attitude from the attendees and fellow members during the meeting. Allowing speakers to share their voices, experiences, and thoughts can lead to a more equal, safe, and positive environment. 

“The first thing for any community to establish positivity is setting firm and high expectations for respect of every single person’s unique value and dignity. Having an attitude of gratitude is also key to remaining positive,” Konz stated.  

Establishing a positive community not only comes from respect, but also derives from gratitude.

“We also must create a culture of love for learning and high standards for academic success. When we all commit to doing our very best in education, whether it’s students, staff, or parents, hope, excitement, and positivity are contagious and benefit everyone” – Konz added. 

As the Academy 20 district continues on throughout the years, it is important to come together as a community to create equal and positive learning experiences for every student, teacher, parent, and board member. This is how the Academy 20 community can bring positive change to the community, not just in Colorado, but for everyone across the country.