A Face the State Exclusive investigation has uncovered a pointed email written from Rep. Mike Merrifield (D - El Paso County) to Sen. Sue Windels (D - Arvada) in which he states, "There must be a special place in Hell for these Privatizers, Charerizers, [sic] and Voucherizers! They deserve it!"
Merrifield made his comment during an email exchange in which he and Windels searched for ways to gut the state's Charter School Institute. The full version is available here. The Charter School Institute allows charter school applicants to appeal school districts that inappropriately reject applications by charter schools.
The email exchange shows that both Windels and Merrifield are opposed to parental choice in any form. Indeed, Merrifield's constituents who choose charter or private schools for their children certainly won't find solace in his harsh treatment of their decisions.
Update: The Rocky Mountain News has the story
...as does the Colorado Springs Gazette
...and Dan Haley at the Denver Post
Merrifield/Windels
On April 18th, 2007 mamatoby1 says:
Nice try, kulpc. 75% of 20% of eligible voters recalled the D-11 board members. Let's me honest, okay? And coincidentally, much of the "chaos" the recall organizers cited was email sent from Christen's home computer that they obtained through FOIA requests. Now, where's the beef? Merrifield got stung the same way Christen did. His comments weren't pointed at two singular people, he was referring to anyone who doesn't cheerlead for the current mediocre public education system.
Nice try
On April 21st, 2007 rich2350 says:
It is also true that Christen's 'home' computer was D-11 property. He kept the computer well after his expulsion from the board "...until his employer provided him with another..."
If Eric and Sandy were so darned good, where were the 80% of their non-voter 'friends'?
Merrifield made a mistake, but his target was specifically Christen and Shakes. Mike's comment pales miserably in comparison to the many arrogant rantings of Eric Christen.
Colorado Springs Recall
On April 21st, 2007 kulpc says:
All active registered voters in D-11 were sent a ballot to vote in the recall election; don't assume that those who did not mail them back did not agree with the over 70% who voted "yes" on the recall.
Those of us living in the community know that the "chaos" Shakes and Christen caused had more to do with serious misconduct such as:
--firing a new superintendent, who was highly respected and well-qualified, before she had a chance to prove herself
--wasting almost $.5 million in taxpayer dollars to get rid of her.
--constant infighting, bullying, disrespectful and barbaric behavior towards other members and the public,
--and inability to provide the leadership needed to move the city's largest District forward to address it's many challenges.
This is why the voters overwhelmingly choose to rid D-11 of “these privatizers, charterizers and voucherizers,” Michael Merrifield's accurate description of the defeated duo. Shakes and Christen did not support public education, they wanted to use tax payer dollars to pay for private schools, and they wanted to keep the school board as weak and dysfunctional as possible.
Far from "cheerleading for a mediocre public education system", the new board has the commitment, knowledge and leadership ability to work as a team to address the problems and improve the quality of education. D-11 also has 7 charter schools that the board has approved, and 3-4 others that the state Charter School Insistitute has approved, circumventing local control and public input.
"Spinning" Rep. Merrifield's Comments
On April 12th, 2007 kulpc says:
Although the title of your article claims that Rep. Merrifield's comment defames charter schools, and your commentary says, "both Windels and Merrifield are opposed to parental choice in any form", I find that you have ignored the context of his remarks and misconstrued them. He is clearly referring to two former members of the D-11 School Board, Sandy Shakes and Eric Christen, who forced the community to recall them in December due to their antics and the chaos that they generated.
He refers to the "evil twins" and uses the pronoun "these" privatizers, etc.... which clearly describes Shakes and Christen. Over 70% of the voters supported the recall, by the way, so Rep. Merrifield is not in the minority with his strong sentiments against these two.
Merrifield is not opposed to school choice, not against charter schools, and he is not defaming parents who send their kinds to charter schools.
Please pay more attention to context and journalistic integrity, rather than trying to "spin" his words to suit your biases audience. The fact is that the Charter School Institute is by- passing local school boards and imposing charter schools on us, when they may not be needed. Former Rep. Keith King has turned one into a nice paying job for himself. It's a little fiefdom up there and Merrifield and Windels are right to establish some accountability.
Do charter schools really work?
On April 2nd, 2007 Another skeptic says:
As I note in my Diary over at www.coloradopolitics.com, I'm very skeptical about the effectiveness of charter schools and vouchers even though I supported them before reading Freakonomics, a great book about datamining. See See link here.
I just think the whole education debate is focusing on the wrong issues and solutions.
Do charter schools really work
On April 3rd, 2007 mamatoby1 says:
I tried to access your recommended notes but was not able.
I am intrigued by your comment that the whole education debate is focusing on the wrong issues and solutions, yet you offer nothing new to support that statement. I am so willing to talk about what works with anyone that I ask this genuinely interested in what you have to say.
I disagree with you, however, that charter schools are ineffective. I am the proud parent of a charter school graduate who would certainly have dropped out of the traditional high school she attended previous to her charter school career.
As the saying goes, one child saved makes it worth it, and she wasn't the only, many of her classmates were in similar, dire positions when their parents exercised their right to take their child to a charter school.
Try this link
On April 8th, 2007 Another skeptic says:
http://coloradopols.com/showComment.do?commentId=76834
Here's my post:
Do charter schools perform or benefit from their demographics
Before you write anything about charter schools, be sure to read Freakonomics, which casts a huge and credible shadow over the charter schools and school vouchers movements.
Although it doesn't mention either charter schools or vouchers specifically, any reader will see the major point derived from sophisticated data mining of educational records.
That is, it's the parents, stupid. Their genes, incomes and literacy determine the academic success of their kids. It's their zip code that tells the story, not whether kids are bused to better schools or parents move to better subdivisions.
I also recommend that you read Judith Rich Harris' two out-of-the box books on nature versus nurture. The books are her latest, "No two alike, human nature and human individuality," and her 1998 book, "The Nurture Assumption, why children turn out the way they do."
I don't know how good the education establishment's studies of charter schools and vouchers are, but I suspect they're highly biased and lack credibility.
For an outstanding discussion of database mining bias and research bias, read the new book on the stock markets by David Aronson, "Evidence-Based Technical Analysis, applying the scientific method and statistical inference to trading signals." He includes strong chapters on statistical analysis and basic statistics as part of his argument that chart patterns don't tell traders anything about markets. The book's $60 on Amazon and worth the price just for the discussions about statstistics and data mining, both of which are critical to your study of charter schools, imho.
So, what I'm saying, is that I have trouble believing either the school unions or the advocates of charter schools and vouchers because I doubt the credibility of their studies and data mining. You have an opportunity to break some new ground, if you have the skills, knowledge, integrity and resources to do some heavy lifting.
Looking forward to your diaries on charter schools.
Merrifield/Windels
On April 2nd, 2007 mamatoby1 says:
As a longtime watcher of Colorado Springs District 11 Board of Education proceedings, I have to share that Windels is lying. Flat out lying. At no time was the former (pre-recall) board considering turning over a high performing school to a charter. Ask yourself, what sense does that make? If she was twisting facts to impotently defend Mike "Steal Signs" Merrifield's hateful comments, she went too far. She says he was riled up over the D-11 board considering turning over a high at risk population school that was doing WELL to a charter? LIE. Hopefully people will see how dishonest the union hacks can be and will not support their reelections and perhaps even get riled up enough to start a recall. Merrifield has no problem schmoozing with high level public school executives, even those who privately educate their own children. Imagine that! These folks are public servants, earn plenty enough money to send their own children to the best private schools in town, then tell the rest of us to take what we get and stop asking for more choices (charters, vouchers, on-line, etc). Merrifield obviously believes that some children are more deserving of a quality education than................................well, my working class kids.
Charter Schools
On March 31st, 2007 mamagetsajag says:
Merrifield, shame on you. My children's education is worth more than your closed mindedness and arrogance. You should step down from the committee.
The tip
On March 31st, 2007 swiftfox says:
How did 'Face the State' find out about the existence of this email? That's a lot more interesting than Merrifield's mouth-off. I imagine that every legislator's email will be closely scrutinized now.
Finding the `existance' of this email... AKA `The Tip'
On April 6th, 2007 ffusmucker says:
Actually "FTS" didn't know about it until afterwards when they received the results of their FOIA request. One of the `interesting' things about being a legislator here is that *if* you discuss something that has to do with your `business' of being a legislator via `outside' e-mail it *still* falls within the pervue of `State Business' and therefore is a legtimate article for a FOIA. (If said legislator wants to talk about their `private preferences', where they are taking their family on vacation, hopefully at their *own* expense, or something else *not* `related to State Business' then it doesn't fall within the guidelines of a FOIA. [Of course, like everyone else's e-mail all bets are off if it is a `Governmental Entity' that is perusing so-called `private e-mail'. {WAN GRIN!} All that has to be done there is for said `entity' to wave around a piece of paper they say is a `warrant' and they have whomever they are `interested?' in by their `short curlies'. In that situtation `private' e-mail is just as `private' as one's cellphone conversations despite the ECPA and other such nonsense. {GRIMMACE!}]))
It is quite refreshing that MS. Windels, as the `administrator' of the FOIA, seems to know and respect the law that covered the FOIA. How much of that `respect' was actual `respect' and how much of it was basically CYA politically is probably something we will most likely never really know. But... "FTS" wasn't `fishing' around for what they got from MR. Merrifield in either the e-mail itself or the great `advertising'. The word that best describes this I suspect is `serendipity'. {VB GRIN!}
Fred Fusmucker
Legislators' e-mails sent through the state sysem are public
On April 2nd, 2007 Another skeptic says:
News reports are that FTS went to the state and got the e-mails, which is fair and good reporting.
Look for legislators to use their gmail.com accounts for e-mail instead of the state's system. They'll also probably try to pass a bill making their e-mails off limits to reporters and the public.
Legislators' e-mails...
On April 6th, 2007 ffusmucker says:
As I eluded to in a prior MS it is *not* going to make any difference if they use a Gmail account if it is `State Business' that is the subject of the e-mails. Also... "FTS" did not go specifically after the e-mail. Because of the FOIA's `subject content', IE: `State Business', the `net' that was cast caught it.
And... Yep! It is `fair and good reporting' on the part of "FTS" to have brought to our attention. Kudos to "FTS"!
Fred Fusmucker
Online Schools
On March 30th, 2007 E. Juniper says:
A special place in hell.......WOW!!!! Guess me you and wendels are gonna have alot to talk about when you get there!!!!! LOL Guess your a proud product of the public schools!
Have the thugs...err....ummm... I mean the teachers union brain washed you that bad??? Or just paid you off that well!!!
It is you and Wendels that are the "EVIL TWINS" my friend. And here's a rude awakening for you. Have you ever stop to wonder why parents are fleeing the public school system?? GO LOOK IN THE MIRROR, my friend, you AND Wendels AND the teachers union!!!!!
Your only concern is getting the money back so you can suit your own best interest....not the children.
Now honestly Mike, and Sue....Who do you think is going to "ROT IN HELL"!!!!!!! R O F L M A O
In closing, It is my right to see to it my son is properly educated, and until you recognize that fact, it will be a cold day in hell before my son ever steps foot back into a brick and mortar!!!!!
Charter Schools
On March 30th, 2007 bootes says:
I support charter schools and I was a public school teacher and belonged to "the teacher's union" proudly. Our school district supports three charter schools and realizes the place they have in the education of children. Public school systems are quite willing to support charter schools.
I do not support what "Face the State" has done. I don't believe charter schools need be supported by the "selective" reading of e-mails and taking quotes out of context from legislators (I suppose that e-mail from Democrats will only be read in this cowardly endeavor). Face the State could make me a very evil person by selecting quotes from my own e-mail for their own "heavenly "purposes.
Who is "Face the State Inc" anyway. Methinks another "duck and cover" institute supported by the Colorado Republican Party like that Independence Institute that gets funds from the Elephant Fat Cats and calls themselves non-profit and tax exempt at public expense.
Come on Face the State, who are you really?
Face the State . . . . .Face the Music.
Charter Schools?
On April 6th, 2007 ffusmucker says:
(Quote bootes:)I support charter schools and I was a public school teacher and belonged to "the teacher's union" proudly. Our school district supports three charter schools and realizes the place they have in the education of children. Public school systems are quite willing to support charter schools.(End Quote:)
Hmmmm... *Maybe* the district where you worked was one of the rare exceptions though I suspect that what `support' there may be is more of the grudgingly kind if one looks closely behind the scenes. Hopefully I am wrong and that isn't so but, historically, even quite a few of the ones held up for examples really do not completely support charter schools, vouchers, ETC..
(Quote bootes:)I do not support what "Face the State" has done. I don't believe charter schools need be supported by the "selective" reading of e-mails and taking quotes out of context from legislators (I suppose that e-mail from Democrats will only be read in this cowardly endeavor). Face the State could make me a very evil person by selecting quotes from my own e-mail for their own "heavenly "purposes.(End Quote:)
Hmmmm... `Selective reading'? `Taking quotes out of context'? I suppose that you would not put this e-mail before the `public' no matter what your political persuasion may be even though it *definitely* gives lie to a carefully crafted `public persona' we are supposed to be seeing? ("Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain."?) As for only Democrat's mail being read... I suspect that if it was something similar from a Republican "FTS" would `publish' it. From reading the `About:' page on this site the impression is that "FTS" is trying to lay out the assorted `bits-n-pieces' of what is all around us that we can not always find the time to read or can afford to go out and purchase. As for taking *your* e-mail... *If* you are afraid of having someone `make something out of *your* emails' then you just may want to re-think whether or not you should be using e-mail in the first place. (And... It *isn't* "some reporter" that you should be worried about.)
(Quote bootes:)Who is "Face the State Inc" anyway. Methinks another "duck and cover" institute supported by the Colorado Republican Party like that Independence Institute that gets funds from the Elephant Fat Cats and calls themselves non-profit and tax exempt at public expense.(End Quote:)
Did not bother to read the `About' page, did you? As for the disingenious `smear' attempt... While there was a chance of accepting the first segments of your `screed' as being possible `points to ponder' or just another `Olde Fat's' 2¢ worth this paragraph blows it all to `kingdom come'. Dang! Another case of `blown cover'. {CHORTLE!}
Just an `Olde Fart's' 2¢ worth.
Fred Fusmucker
Charter Schools
On March 30th, 2007 Shawn says:
Why is it you are so quick to side step the issue at hand and attack the the forum provided? It seems to me you have a much bigger axe to grind and really care nothing about charter schools at all. Choice is what makes our country great and to have someone who represents our state say that parents should go to hell because they want to choose what is best for their children should really examine their own life. The problem lies with him and not this forum.
" A Special Place in Hell........................"
On March 30th, 2007 Jarmo Sadelin says:
Real nice. What a statesman. Mike have you ever been in a BAD public school?
So according to HOUSE EDUCATION CHAIRMAN Mike Merrifield I and other PARENTS deserve to go to hell for wanting to give my children the best PUBLIC education possible? Hmmmmmmmmmmm. I beg to differ Mr. Chairman.
Of course what do you expect from a Democrat who is completely bought and sold by the Coloarado education lobby. I think the TEACHER and SUPERINTENDENT UNIONS are the ones that will be going to hell for DENYING low-income FAMILIES the right of giving their children an alternative to failing UNION-RUN schools just to protect thier jobs.
Step down Mike. For the sake of parents like myself and our children you are denying them a better education. It's the right thing to do.
Merrifield & Windell are duplicitous
On March 30th, 2007 pfwag says:
Merrifield's comments are in line with his mostly open and vitrolic hatred of charter schools. Some how he doesn't grasp the fact that charter schools are public schools, any taxes collected for education should be to educate ALL kids, it cost about the same to educate kids regardless of where they go, that the regular public schools are doing a terrible job with a large percentage of kids, and choices provide educational alternatives allowing some of those kids to flourish outside of neighborhood, one-size-fits-all, schools..
Windell puts on the "it is for the kids" smile and then torpedoes most any effort that is outside of regular public schools. To illustrate just how duplicitous Windell is, besides the fact she is the Chair of the House Education Committee, she also represents Jefferson County . Jeffco's back to basics choice elementary school, Dennison, which is usually the #1 school in the state, has had a waiting list a mile long for 30 years but Jeffco won't build another, sends it busses into the high-end enclaves of Jeffco - where the neighborhood schools are among the best in the county - to pick up mostly white and priveleged kids to take them to Dennison. While Dennison is located in an area of the county with higest minority and disadvantaged kids, Dennison has almost none of either attending the school. But then maybe minority and poor parents just don't want to send their kids to the best school in the state. Or maybe they can't.
Sue Windells has allowed a school district to use reverse busing to establish a school within a school for the priveleged while denying similar opportunity to the parents that need choice the most.. I would venture that if the public knew whose kids are going to Dennison that Sue Windell and the Jeffco School Board would not be re-elected.
Basically both Merrifield and Windell represent the status quo espoused by the teacher's union and put politics above what is best for kids and parents. If there is a special place in hell, it will be for these two hypocrites.
What is the whole enchilada?
On March 29th, 2007 Charerizer says:
Does Merrifield want to completely ban private schools or charter schools? What does he mean by the whole enchilada? What does this guy's ideal world look like with "Charerizers" like me "deserving" to go to hell? Hell! Way too many questions raised by this intemperate self-righteous scum who has power over our children. Thank God we know what he and the rest of the teachers union types really think about school choice. Go to Hell, Mike and Sue! Leave my children alone!
True Democrat Face
On March 29th, 2007 Peter says:
It is refreshing to have Democrats reveal their true nature: hatred for parental choice and educational freedom. These people would rather have kids suffer in awful schools then have a chance for a better life. A specal place in hell for sure, Mr. Merrifield, but not for parents who love their kids.
By the way one of the people that Merriefild refers to as an "evil twin" is Eric Christen, a brave District 11 board member in Colorado Springs who stood up for kids and school choice and stood up to Merrifield and his band of educrat thugs. Christen was recalled along with one other board member for their efforts but fought the good fight until the end. Now D11 is in the hands of the usual suspects with no hope for reform.
Ironically the charter school Merrifield refers to is Ceasar Chavez, one of the finest schools in the state. It will be opening up in D11 now no thanks to the likes of Merrifield and his ilk on the D11 board who voted not to have it be a D11 school! So it will be in D11 to help the kids there, most of whom receive a terrible education, but it had to go through the Charter Institute to get approved. So now you see how this all comes full circle.
Union Thugs
On March 29th, 2007 Charerizer says:
Windels and Merrifield are just union thugs. All they care about is taking away choices for children so that teachers or union officials (like Windels) can make more money running the government monopoly on schools. Monopolies don't work. Anyone who is satisfied with the current public schools needs immediate psychiatric help. Windels has a conflict of interest on any education bill because it directly affects her pocketbook because when her political career is over, soon hopefully, she'll go back to being a paid union thug.
I didn't think Democrats believed in Hell, anyway. If a Republican said the other side was evil and going to hell, imagine the howls of the media that Republicans believed in theocracy, etc. I'd like to ask Merrifield why "Charerizers" should go to hell. Does he think the children in these schools that regularly outperform regular schools and that those poor dumb parents just want to put their children into and there isn't enough room to meet the demand should go to hell? Does he think all private school children should go to hell? What about the teachers in these schools? Should they go to Hell also? Who made him God? What a judgmental asshole. I can't believe that somebody like that could be elected to anything in Colorado. Windels is just as bad, she got the email but did nothing to correct Merrifield's irrational hatred of children who just want better schools. If Windels and Merrifield are in heaven, then I don't want to go.
merrifield email
On March 29th, 2007 spih says:
I think Windels must have purposely let Face the State get this email so she could look more responsible by comparison.
Charter Schools Deserve Gutting
On March 29th, 2007 Bryan Cary says:
This is another example revealing the deceitful methods some Democrats in our State Capital are using to secure re-election from their base. They support the teachers union in fearing Charter Schools, Home Schooling, and Vouchers that allow parents freedom of choice to avoid the less than stellar performance of some public schools. Without the support of the teachers' union, these politicians wouldn't have a chance of being re-elected to office.
The reason the teachers' union condemns freedom-of-choice-in-education for parents is simple.
The more children there are in private schools, home schools and I suspect, charter schools, the less money-per-student public schools get. Thus, some leaders in their union are threatened with losing their union (dues paying) members and their influence over politicians.
Some may deserve a special place in hell, but it is not our parents wanting the best for their children. The right and responsibility for educating children lies with them and government should be helping rather than usurping this responsibility.