I just saw this and thought it deserves to be shared. Here is a email I wrote a few minutes ago to the Board. Feel free to share it with others, etc. I dont mind. Im rooting for all of you tonight at the meeting. Dear BOE, My name is Austin Jolly, and I am a former student of Jeffco and an IB graduate of Lakewood High School - Class of 2012. I was fortunate to have spent all thirteen years of my K-12 education in the Jeffco public school system. I understand that you all are trying to eliminate AP classes from the curriculum, namely AP US History. Quite frankly, that is a bad idea. I took AP US History during my sophomore year at Lakewood under Katie Agard, a phenomenal history teacher. Not only did I learn of how our country was established and developed, I learned of the significance of this countrys history. AP US taught me to think critically, and to always question the validity of information. Perhaps most importantly, I learned how to write with direction, precision, and clarity. I am but one of countless students who have taken this course and have greatly benefited from it. I scored a 4 on the AP national test in May 2010, and received real college credit for my efforts. My success was acknowledged by the University of Colorado, where I am currently studying to obtain a Bachelors degree. Taking AP classes, as well as IB classes, shaped me to become an active student, and a self-sufficient individual. I cannot think of any good reasons to eradicate these classes. I would like to shed one more piece of insight onto you all. As I stated above, I am a student up in Boulder, so I have no firsthand experience of all of the issues that are being discussed with respect to Jeffco schools. Im not sure of the details that you all discuss such as funding, taxes, curricula changes, etc. However, I do know this: you are all doing something that is greatly upsetting your constituents. People dont trust you. I dont know about you, but I would feel really uncomfortable if I was a leader of an organization, and all of my constituents didnt agree with my decisions. I was Student Body President of Lakewood High School, and when I had an idea that not everybody agreed with, I was open to critiques. I recognized that my ideas may not always be the best, and that it is important to consider everyones thoughts. Again, I dont know all the fine details, but the I see the big picture very clearly: a few years ago, Jeffco was stable, and no dramatic issues emerged. Then, you three were voted in as the majority, and now parents question if they should move their kids to a new district. Thats a pretty dramatic change in events. I recommend you let that soak in for a moment. I would hope that as representatives of Jeffco students, you are all working to make Jeffco the best it can be. Evidently, youre doing something wrong, because nobody is on board with you. Sincerely, Austin Jolly
Posted on: Fri, 19 Sep 2014 02:02:41 +0000
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