The Dec. 5 District 11 school board meeting in Colorado Springs, Colo., revealed the union’s true priorities — and it’s not the children or their families.
While the evening should have celebrated the hard-earned accomplishments of students, union teachers in red turned it into a shameful spectacle of self-interest and disruption.
The first three rows of the room were reserved for children receiving awards and their families. But as the ceremony began, union teachers started sneaking in, one by one, claiming they were “with someone” to secure seats that weren’t theirs.
Parents and children who deserved to be front and center for this special moment were left sitting on the floor at the back of the room.
I’ll never forget one parent’s quiet words as she tried to capture a picture of her son: “I guess I’m just going to be that parent.”
She hunched down, navigating the crowded room, just to get close enough to photograph her child, only to return to the floor — her rightful seat taken by teachers who cared more about their agenda than the people they serve.
This blatant disregard for families culminated after public comments ended. Teachers, there only to push the board to renew the union’s master agreement, rose en masse and walked out mid-meeting.
They disrupted the proceedings, made their demands and left — making it clear their presence was performative, not productive.
Why does this matter? Because in Colorado, collective bargaining isn’t guaranteed by state law. It’s at the discretion of local school boards to determine if a union’s master agreement serves the district’s needs.
District 11’s new school board is considering letting its vurrent agreement expire — a move that would give them the freedom to address pay structures, policies and other issues unions have historically blocked.
For years, the union’s master agreement has usurped the power of school boards to act in the taxpayers’ best interests. By design, it forces elected officials to relinquish control to the union, leaving taxpayers and families without a voice.
Last week’s display of entitlement and petulance should remind us all why this fight matters.
The union isn’t protecting kids. It isn’t representing teachers. Its leaders are protecting themselves — and they’ll do so at any cost, even if it means taking seats from the very families they claim to support.
It’s time for District 11 to prioritize parents, students and taxpayers. Letting the master agreement expire isn’t just the right decision, it’s a necessary step toward restoring accountability and professionalism in our schools.
