April 27, 2022, R-C Letters to the Editor

Where are the rest of the letters?

Editor:

 I am responding to the man letters supporting the current Douglas County School board, especially the seats of Heather Jackson in District 6 and Robbe Lehmann in District 2. Someone must have put out a call to circle the wagons and call the calvary because the status quo is being threatened. The seven letters in the April 13 edition is also the same number of students that left the district last month, reported at the last Tuesday’s school board meeting. Another number is 58 students lost to date this year. Is that a good job to you? Seven letters of support seem paltry to me in the face of the real numbers. As the wife of one of those “interlopers” we are getting calls daily from parents that if they haven’t already pulled their kids, they are thinking about it. COVID proved that parents had other options than the local public schools and those numbers aren’t reflected in the 58. Several parents have expressed no interest in returning but others want reassurance that some of the more liberal agendas seen nationally are not coming here. Whether it is true or not that is many parent’s perception. I personally substitute taught in every elementary and at Douglas High School from 2018-2021. I am a retired teacher with a masters degree in curriculum and instruction with 28 years of elementary school experience. I was so impressed with the commitment and the caliber of instruction, the level of personnel support and the positive administrators at every school I worked at. This is a great district with great teachers. But the perception of parents, and others is that there is a faction of policies that many are uncomfortable with and would rather teach at home. My husband and I are trying to reassure and coax parents back to our public schools. 

But it is hard when meetings like the reviewing of sex education for third grade is presented as such at Minden Elementary on March 29.

Several parents were uncomfortable with the information shared at that particular meeting. This was just one subject area that candidates Burns, Dickerson and Jansen are up against. 

New “woke” ideas that traditional families do not support and thus are choosing to pull their kids out. Douglas County schools are very good and do not need outside influences that other schools are adopting nationally. If you support parent’s rights and school board transparency, then vote these candidates in. 

Leslie Burns

Gardnerville

Vote for our students

Editor:

As both a teacher and parent of students in the DCSD I believe that this year’s school board elections may be more important than ever before. This is why I write to urge voters to support Trustees Heather Jackson and Robbe Lehmann, and newcomer Roberta Butterfield. The past two years have been very challenging for us all. Closing schools and moving to a virtual environment took its toll on our students and DCSD staff. Now that campuses have reopened, we all have had to navigate how to deal with mask mandates and other COVID-19 protocols. As an educator I have seen this year become one where our teachers strive to close the distance we have all felt both physically and emotionally. During these trying times, the DCSD staff has held tightly to the most important aspect of education which is our students.

This school year, I have worked closely with Robbe Lehmann and Heather Jackson on our district grading committee. Both individuals have educated themselves on and questioned the district grading practices from elementary through high school. Working alongside district cabinet members, principals, and teachers they have respected our roles as educators and clarified the vision and direction when needed.

Trustee Jackson has been visiting both Valley and Lake schools. As a parent and volunteer, she understands the needs of our students and advocates for their success. At the April board meeting, Trustee Jackson listed off multiple site visits and shared amazing things happening in elementary schools as well as our Career and Technical Education program and culinary class at DHS. She stated that “schools were open and welcoming” and she “watched students learning in very interactive ways.” Her willingness and drive to educate herself and be involved with our schools is commendable.

Trustee Lehmann is also very involved in our community. Mr. Lehmann does not accept what is told to him but questions and researches all aspects of a topic. He is open to critical conversations especially when they are centered on the needs of our students. Trustee Lehmann is an involved parent who makes his children a priority. He knows the value of family and creating open dialogue to support his children.

Roberta Butterfield is an active member in our community. She has two daughters who have attended DCSD. She has also been involved as a parent and staff member with a commitment to collaboration and communication. Ms. Butterfield will keep the wellbeing of students at the forefront. Her experience with business and marketing will also be an asset to the DCSD School Board.

These candidates will work alongside Superintendent Keith Lewis and DCSD staff to ensure our students’ futures are the focal point of all decisions. I ask you to vote for these candidates in our upcoming primary school board elections. Their experiences, perspectives, and commitment to our district and community is of the utmost importance. Please vote for the health, safety, wellbeing, and success of our DCSD students and staff; vote for Jackson, Lehmann  and Butterfield.

Amy Carter

Minden

Letter storm

Editor:

Virginia Starrett’s April 6 letter to the R-C (“Marxists in the schools”) has generated more letters to the editor than I’ve seen in a long time. Ms. Starrett, a professional educator who has been attending local Douglas County school board meetings, has taken note of what is being taught to very young Douglas County school kids. 

Ms. Starrett expressed concern about the social-emotional curriculum in grammar school. The Federalist (2/8/21) defines social-emotional learning as pushing the “correct” attitudes, beliefs, opinions and behavior as defined by CASEL, the collaborative for academic, social, and emotional learning. CASEL curricula can include abortion rights, LGBT interests, climate change, Black Lives Matter, a left-slanted version of economics, and other social justice topics.

The Federalist points to Critical Race Theory (CRT), a subset of CASEL, that advocates “equity” - not “equality” - treating some groups of people more favorably than others based on their historical level of oppression. Members of the Caucasian race, for example, might be collectively guilty of “white supremacy” for having oppressed people of color. In what universe does it make sense to dump this sort of guilt trip on 5- 6 year-olds, or alternatively, assure them that their skin color automatically makes them victims?

 The R-C letters page has been dominated the last couple of issues with dispatches urging that we re-elect the incumbent DC school board members, who are being challenged for their seats, and one retiring school employee. One such letter from Lyndon Jacobson posits that a board trustee’s one unforgiveable sin would be to use their position to promote a political agenda. But could there be a more political agenda than to allow elementary school educators to indoctrinate grammar school students with a divisive political premise that he or she might be an oppressor or a victim because of their skin color?

Lynn Muzzy

Minden

The right school board stewards

Editor:

I am writing to you today because the governance of Douglas County’s School District is at an inflection point. I am a fourth-generation public school educator and a mother of a student in DCSD schools. My family has taught through many tragedies in the past: The Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War, Civil Rights unrest, 911, and now the COVID-19 pandemic. What got us through each of these inflection points were leaders who focused on the right issues: the health, welfare, unity, financial stability, and economic prosperity of their communities. During these inflection points, however, there were others who sought leadership by capitalizing on one’s fears and scapegoating others, to distract us from the real work that needed to be done.

Douglas County School District needs stewards who genuinely represent and promote the educational welfare of our students and staff. Simply put, we need DCSD Board members focused on each student graduating with a plan for their future, and who possess a social and civil skill set to be successful in life. Roberta Butterfield, Heather Jackson, and Robbe Lehmann have raised their families in our school community and have directly worked with our students, staff, and families. These candidates have genuine experience within our school systems, and they have each played an integral part navigating us through the stresses the pandemic placed on our school systems, students, and staff.  

There are real issues facing Douglas County School District: changes in state per pupil funding formulas, unfinished instruction that has led to widening gaps in academic achievement, staffing shortages, teacher recruitment and retention, and the social and emotional well-being of our students and staff. Roberta Butterfield, Heather Jackson, and Robbe Lehmann possess the productive mindsets needed to govern our school district through these difficult times. 

School board candidates running against Roberta Butterfield, Heather Jackson, and Robbe Lehmann are not focused on the real issues facing Douglas County School District. They are focused on disparaging our school community by alleging that our schools are teaching critical race theory, as well as asserting that social emotional learning is harmful to our students. We need educational stewards who will focus on seeking solutions to real problems and coordinating with experts in the field to handle current challenges.

For the above reasons, I am asking for your consideration in voting for Roberta Butterfield in the June primary and for Heather Jackson and Robbe Lehmann in the November election because they are pro-public school candidates. To learn more about these candidates, and how they plan to productively address the real issues and move our educational community forward, please come to their Meet and Greet at the CVIC Hall, at 6 p.m. April 28.

Linda Fields

Minden

People writing letters not paying attention

Editor:

There have been many letters to the editor backing the current school board in the upcoming election. It appears those writing the letters did not attend a particular school board meeting. They missed the impassioned plea from Paul Jensen, a school district librarian, to have the community wake up from the wokeness that is being taught in our schools. You do not have to be a parent to be aware and concerned of the current curriculum. The readers may avail themselves of this by viewing the very professional YouTube video Mr. Jensen created substantiating his claims. (https://youtu.be/lE8L-xDh-5U) 

Apparently, the current school board members running for re-election, are not informed of what is being taught in Douglas County schools.

The entire community should, and must be concerned about the district curriculum. Nevada has the dubious distinction of being ranked 49th nationally.

A post that was dated Feb. 17, 2022 by Ana Gutierrez of Las Vegas states:

“According to an in-depth analysis of 2022’s most and least educated states in America, Nevada tops the list of the least educated states, coming second to Oklahoma. 

Nevada also ranks 49th in educational attainment.”

Danna Meyer

Foothill Road

Genoa Speed Sign

Editor:

Thanks to a significant donation from the Friends of Genoa, the efforts of Town Manager Matt Bruback and the support of many residents, Genoa now has a speed radar sign near the Post Office, alerting drivers approaching from the south to their speed as they enter the historic town.

But while motorists may be able to see their speed, most don’t seem to get the message: Slow down! Maybe some increased ticket-writing by Douglas County sheriff’s deputies and Nevada state troopers would help, especially in the morning and late afternoon-evening hours when vehicle traffic is peaking.

The latest statistics from the radar sign tell the story: As of April 18, 18,127 vehicles entered Genoa from the south since the sign was installed. Of those, 16,211 were above the posted 25 mph limit. If you subtract those vehicles that were only a few mph higher, you still have two-thirds at least 6 mph above the limit. More than 3,600 motorists were driving more than 40 mph, 465 were at more than 50 mph, and 13 were at plus-60 mph.

The stats don’t lie. This is a clear public safety problem. In recent years two people have died in speed-related vehicle accidents on this stretch of road, between the Post Office and the center of town. Slow down and help prevent more tragedies.

Maggie Tracey and Brendan Riley

Genoa

Voting for Tarkanian

Editor:

When our founders wrote our Constitution, they ensured God given rights would never again be infringed or stripped from us. Today our unfortunate reality is that these same rights are under siege from within the walls of Congress. 

We sent Mark Amodei to Washington to represent us, to uphold the US Constitution, and to have Nevadans’ best interests at heart. 

He failed us. He failed you. He failed Nevada. 

Mark had the audacity to defend his vote for another trillion-dollar budget spending money we don’t have, saying, “Let’s be honest, it was going to pass anyway.” Is this guy serious? That monstrosity, Mark calls a mere “bill,” had provisions that horrifically infringe upon our 2nd Amendment rights, so much so that the Gun Owners of America called Mark a traitor.

In a world where BLM and Antifa are banging at our door, I won’t have the only way of protecting my family stripped from me. Mark’s votes to infringe our Second Amendment is the last straw. If you’re against the Constitution you’re meant to serve; then you have no right to serve my family, our community, or the American people

We need a strict constitutionalist who’s a fighter, not a swamp creature like Mark Amodei. We need Danny Tarkanian. 

Mike Gump

Gardnerville