Kid, I can't wait to tell you about the time society shut down during a pandemic and you slept on mom's lap, drooling on her shoulder with a double ear infection, while she filed stories and thought of ways to let you know it was all going to be OK.
Iโm in Castle Rock where a rally in support of local police will start in about 15 minutes. The crowd is gathering in Festival Park and will march to the veteranโs monument a couple blocks down, then finish at the steps of police headquarters and cheer for CRPD.
Parents and students said masking should be a personal choice. Linda Potter attended in supporter of her freshman son Michael Davy.
Of the students, Potter said: โThey are very passionate speaking with their own voice and their own constitutional right.โ
Hey journos, can we give this teen some props? Olivia, 15, wants to be a photojournalist. So she covered a Castle Rock BLM protest, then pitched the photos to her local paper.
Catch her B&W photo essay here. It's her first time being published.
Morning, folks! Some personal news to share. Happy to say I've joined
@DenverGazette
and am kicking off my first week. I'll be serving up lots of Aurora news but you can catch some Denver coverage from me as well. Excited to get started! Send your story ideas my way.
We sought more detail of the day Corey Wise was privately asked to step down as DCSD's superintendent.
From surprise text messages from Erin Kane to recorded phone calls among the board, read and hear more about how the day transpired here.
Alright, folks. Some personal news. After nearly six years here, this is my last week at Colorado Community Media.
Whatโs next?? Well, Iโm stepping away to spend time on freelancing work and some personal writing projects.
Back to notes from the LHS rally. Potter's son Michael said he did not comply with the mask mandate this morning. He observed fewer than 50% of students masking, he said. He does not believe healthy people should be required to mask and does not believe masks work effectively.
OK, I'm back online after a quick run around the county. There were multiple walkouts taking place at Doug Co schools this morning. I'm told Legends was still going strong around 11 a.m. Drove past RCHS as another was winding down and
@ElliottWenzler
confirmed one at Ponderosa.
Folks: I'll be helping run our DCSD web coverage today. Our reporter Thelma Grimes is on the ground at the rally outside district headquarters, where hundreds are gathered. I'll share scenes of the day here, and we'll be updating coverage throughout the afternoon.
Student walkout underway at Legend High School. Walkouts were organized at several schools over the weekend in support of ousted Superintendent Corey Wise and to urge board transparency in DCSD. Crowd grew some after this photo.
NEW: Corey Wise is breaking his silence. The ousted DCSD superintendent is suing his former employer alleging discrimination, retaliation and that his infamous firing was illegal.
Hey, all! Happy to share my role with
@ColoradoNewsCCM
is changing a bit. As of today I've moved into a senior reporting position. And it comes with a slight change in assignment.
Other signs read "I can't breathe" and "I can't do this again."
I spoke to a teacher yesterday who in preparation for walkouts today said they would respect students' First Amendment rights to protest but would go on with their lessons as planned.
Another student protester, 16-year-old Zackary Taylor, also said masks are ineffective. He does not think COVID is a big deal. His family came down with it and got through OK, he said.
"I do get that there are people who need to wear masks because of family members," he said.
NEW: Legal representation for former Superintendent Corey Wise has contacted DCSD seeking numerous records and issuing a notice to preserve evidence that might be relevant โfor future litigation.โ
Anchor
@KyleClark
and
@9NEWS
are suing DougCo School Districtโs records custodian for refusing to disclose a CORA request that sought the names of teachers who called in sick Feb. 3 to protest actions by majority members of the school board.
#copolitics
NEW: A judge will issue a written order regarding a preliminary injunction sought as part of the Sunshine Law lawsuit against DCSD board members. The suit alleges four directors broke open meeting laws and seeks to prevent them from using โdaisy chainโ meetings moving forward.
Records show long-time DCSD employee Sid Rundle resigned hours after former Superintendent Corey Wise was fired in condemnation of the board majority's actions.
IโM BACK. First day in office following baby leave. Treated myself to some fresh notebooks from the supply closet and am ready to tell your stories!! Let me know whatโs happening, Doug Co.
Hello! We have some exciting news to share. The Colorado Sun and The National Trust for Local News have bought
@ColoradoNewsCCM
and its 24 Front Range newspapers.
Morning! Iโm at Highlands Ranch High School for DCSDโs first day back under 100% in-person learning. Thereโs a welcoming committee for kids as they arrive and plenty of fist pumps from Principal Chris Page.
Hey all. I'm at this evening's Douglas County School Board meeting, which will start in a few minutes. It's already a packed house after the ruling in today's lawsuit hearing. The meeting room is at capacity and there's a crowd of folks outside waiting for seats to open.
I've also heard from parents in support of and in opposition to mask mandates. An Arap Co mother who moved her first grader to a DCSD charter school hoping they could avoid mandates because of county commissioners' stances. Other parents who fear spread among unvaccinated kids.
Morning, folks! Some personal news. Thrilled to begin covering state and local gov for
@denbizjournal
, in addition to transportation. Please say hello! DMs and inbox always open.
tps://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2023/11/16/denver-business-journal-jessica-gibbs-reporter.html
Hey, folks. I'm at the Douglas County School Board meeting tonight. Board President Mike Peterson began this evening with a moment of silence in honor of Kendrick Castillo.
UPDATE: Former DCSD chief Corey Wise speaks out in defense of his short-lived superintendency. Wiseโs legal complaints also makes aiding and abetting charges, and will seek a whistleblower claim
BREAKING: The Douglas County School District will begin requiring masks for all students in preschool through sixth grade, and staff who work with this age group, beginning Aug. 23.
Masks will be optional for older students, but strongly encouraged.
I'm at the Douglas County School Board's study session this evening. It's sparsely attended โ two people in the audience right now โ and one is Carolyn Williamson.
She's dressed in the red costume from The Handmaid's Tale.
From his resignation letter:
โDespite their propaganda, they do not value loyalty, hard work, dedication, relationships, decency, humility, or integrity. Instead, they showed themselves to be firmly yoked to political influence, arrogant ideology, and a disdain for due process.โ
Hey, all. I'll be covering tonight's Douglas County School Board meeting. Among the agenda items is a resolution offering the superintendency to a sole finalist.
Yesterday this reporter for hours covered a story that was almost too heartbreaking for me to read, and this was his scene today. Please support your local journalists who work so hard to bring you your information.
INBOX: Due to the number of staff calling out, DCSD will have a "no-student contact" day tomorrow. Students will not report to schools, although buildings will be open for a teacher/staff work day.
This comes ahead of a rally planned outside district HQ tomorrow.
And almost immediately after getting huge news this morning about their company, CCM journalists were right back to work.
Phones are buzzing. Interviews underway. Local news getting reported. I wish our communities could feel the energy in their local newsroom right now.
Paging
@DavidGilbert4U
. I sit in your old desk now and itโs weird because youโre not here and we miss and love ya too, buddy. Go do great things for
@ColoradoSun
. Colorado is lucky to have you telling its stories.
Hey, all. Iโm officially back in the newsroom. Finally happened โ our family got COVID. Between getting through it myself and looking after quarantined kids, itโs been an eventful couple weeks! Big thanks to my editor Thelma for helping out. So glad to be back. DMs/inbox open.
INBOX: The Douglas County School District is reinstating its universal masking mandate. Masks required in PK-12 schools unless someone has a written medical exemption. We'll be updating our story about today's court hearings momentarily.
Today's my 5-year anniversary with CCM. Made me emotional this morning! A massive thank you for letting me tell your stories. It's an honor every day to work in local news.
Fun fact: My prof is baby Jess about the time she accepted the job offer. Oh the things that would come.
THREAD: Hey, Doug Co. Wanted to say I've had lots of reader engagement recently. Folks asking to talk, urging us to cover this and that. This is so exciting to me. Really, thank you. We WANT this.
I also want to share some about the pressures your local journos are under.
DCSD's special education services officer Sid Rundle will be leaving the district on Feb. 18, according to school board Director David Ray. Rundle has been with the district since 1992, his entire educational career.
Stay safe out there! Tried taking I-25 north from Castle Rock about 15 mins ago. Decided to pull off because of near whiteout. Terrible visibility. Slick roads. Got emergency alert about two minutes after exiting.
Hey, all! I'm at Doug Co school board tonight. You can follow along here for updates. Agenda includes talks about acquiring the CU South campus, masking policies and the common communicable disease policy.
Folks: I'm covering the meeting among DCSD board directors David Ray, Susan Meek and Elizabeth Hanson tonight. They are pushing back from 5 to 5:30. Ray said they need a new zoom link to accommodate the number of people wanting to join. About 300 were tuned in as of 5 p.m.
A special report: Eight current and former Black members of the DCSD community are sharing their experiences in the predominantly white district. Here are their stories.
I have requested further comment from Rundle and board majority members Mike Peterson, Becky Myers, Christy Williams and Kaylee Winegar. I will update this story as I can.
Evening, folks. I'm covering this evening's special meeting of the Douglas Count Board of Education. On the agenda is approving the contract for DCSD's next superintendent, Erin Kane.
"Countless journalists have left the industry over the past year...Theyโve reflected on how when the day-to-day distractions fell away...it became harder to justify low salaries, job instability and vicarious trauma..."
Iโm at Festival Park in Castle Rock where a protest is about to start. Organizer Janine Reid, a town resident, said she hopes to foster learning, community conversations and decry racial injustice.
A tangible example of the change community journalism can bring:
#DougCo
and
#LoneTree
had stopped recording certain public meetings. But after legal questions raised by
@ElliottWenzler
, the two entities are again making government more accessible.
I'll still be covering the Douglas County School District, although you'll see the rest of our intrepid Doug Co team tackling ed news as well. Keep an eye out for bylines from me,
@ElliottWenzler
and our newest reporter
@McKennaHarford
(give her a follow!) for all things DCSD.
Iโll be covering tonightโs Doug Co school board meeting, where the board is expected to announce finalists for superintendent. The public portion of todayโs meeting starts at about 4:30, doors opening at 4:15.
Thought about breaking up with social media? I talked with several people around Denver who have taken short-term "digital detoxes" or decided to leave a platform forever.
Asked why, all offered the same word: Toxic.
Ray, Meek and Hanson are alleging Board President Mike Peterson and VP Christy Williams on Friday asked Superintendent Corey Wise to resign or be fired. The three are alleging this action took place without formal board approval, in violation of board policy & open meeting laws.
There were cheers and chants of "We support our teachers!"
Earlier in his career, Wise opened Legend High School as its founding principal before taking a job in district administration.
DCSD community members turned out at Castle Rock Middle School and Castle View High School today to show their appreciation for teachers. Educators came outside to soak up the show of support, which brought some to tears. Story to come.
Legal representation for the plaintiff told the judge thatโs not true โ that the request for an injunction specifically asks the judge to ban three or more directors from using serial meetings to avoid quorum rules. Full story coming.
How is in-person learning going at DougCo schools?
Two weeks in, the health department temporarily shut down one high school amid multiple outbreaks in its building and several more schools could soon be required to close as well.
Current speaker says he has serious concerns about the board's transparency. He says it seems obvious majority directors pre-selected Kane to replace Wise.
"It was wrong for you to fire Corey Wise the way you did."
Folks, we've updated this story to reflect three additional schools instructed to go remote.
They are Castle View High School in Castle Rock, Rocky Heights Middle School in Highlands Ranch and Sierra Middle School in Parker. The first to shutter was Mountain Vista High School.
How is in-person learning going at DougCo schools?
Two weeks in, the health department temporarily shut down one high school amid multiple outbreaks in its building and several more schools could soon be required to close as well.
Someone brought a crockpot full of McDonaldโs fries to our company potluck. Ketchup packets included. Iโm only mad Iโve never thought of this myself.
Celebrating one year of marriage this week. Not the date weโd have expected (dressing up for dinner on the back porch) but happy to report I love that man more everyday. We have our health, our love and each other. And the cutest little man, who still hates pics. Here to 50 more.
All it took was the ring of a doorbell for Sarah Tunebergโs 10-year-old son to burst into tears...
โAre they here?โ the boy asked through tears. โWhoever posted your name on the internet?โ
DCSD director David Ray will not attend tonight's meeting to approve the super contract in protest of what he called "a deeply flawed" process.
"I believe this meeting is the culmination of a series of unethical and unacceptable practices," Ray said.
We also spoke with some of the people who've raised allegations or are protesting. A former student of Supt. Wise launched a petition calling for recalls of the board majority. Got approximately 7,000 signatures in under 24 hours.
?
I get what this reporter is saying. Every reporter in the
@ColoradoNewsCCM
understands what they're is saying. We've all had those stories that suddenly draw the attention of regional/national outlets. We've all been looked at like the insignificant little guy in the press pool.
I'm also going to work on more regional and depth projects for our entire CCM coverage area. From Westminster to Littleton to Castle Rock and all our communities in-between. I'm looking for important stories that are affecting our Denver metro area. DMs and inbox open.
NEW: Records show DCSD's financial chief is the second cabinet official to leave out of concern with the board majority's actions.
She voiced support for educational equity and said it's clear "nothing will stand in the way of (the board's) agenda."
Douglas County School District sues county health department over masks: Health order allowing opt-out of masking mandates violates civil rights, lawsuit alleges
Evening, all! We're more than 2.5 hours into tonight's DCSD board of education meeting and just closed public comment a moment ago.
I'm going to do by best to summarize what's been a fraught discussion so far regarding second semester plans.
This is a newly-created reporting position in the newsroom and I'm extra grateful to my editors
@tjgrimes
and
@lschlichtman
for trusting me with launching it. Ready to get to work!
A woman said she questions the rigor and validity of this super search when Kane was contacted about the job before former Superintendent Corey Wise was fired.
"It's a sham, and we all knew it's a sham."
Wise also confirmed to Colorado Community Media that he recorded his Jan. 28 meeting at a coffee shop with the board president and vice president, where he was asked to retire or face removal. Direct quotes from that conversation are used in his legal complaint.
One woman who spoke asked the board to consider the cost of appealing a judge's injunction granted in the lawsuit alleging Sunshine Law violations, asked them to imagine how $ spent on those attorney fees could be used if provided to educators instead.
Iโm in Castle Rock where Arthur Brodin, 97, is about to be presented with seven medals he never received after serving in WWII.
Arthur lived the past 75 years not realizing he qualified for medals. He survived a glider crash on D-Day and fought in Battle of the Bulge.
For some reason thinking about the amount of news that needs telling is overwhelming me tonight.
The sheer volume of newsworthy stories, told and untold, has been overwhelming for months but tonight that fact is hitting different. It's sinking in more. Not sure why. Just is.
Incredibly proud to work at my company. In case you missed it, ALL of our stories are in front of the paywall during the pandemic, not just COVID-19 coverage.
Also, incredibly proud to work in a state served by journalists with this much heart, dedication and resiliency.
โBelieve whatever you want about us, but the reality is that truth is our stock in trade. So this coronavirus outbreak is wild for us reporters, because the truth is constantly changing.โ
We've heard a couple mentions now about Children Hospital Colorado's announcement earlier this year declaring youth mental health a crisis, linking it to masking.
Again, Children's has addressed this. There is no evidence linking masking to the mental health crisis, they said.
With that said, paging all editors! Iโm a dynamic reporter and enjoy covering all kinds of news. Seriously. Profiles, features, culture, government, business, education, breaking, deep divesโฆIf youโve got a story that needs to be told, Iโm ready to knock it out of the park.