In his March 29 guest column, Rodney Saunders makes the case that the current Woodland Park Board of Education is not providing students an education they need and want. He makes bombastic claims that the current BOE is ruling with what can be demonstrated to be part of a “Christian Nationalist” movement.

It’s hard to connect any of Rodney’s conspiracies and smears with any facts, for instance: the WPSD’s enrollment declined by 36% in the past two decades, during a period of time where the school aged population only declined by 8%. In just its first year in office, the BOE saw a 15% increase in enrollment, largely due to their fulfillment of school-choice and campaign promises – the first enrollment increase in two decades. They are delivering an education the parents want, who have brought their children back to the district in droves.

Rodney makes the case that the board ignores the demands of the “Concerned Parents” Facebook group, many of which are not even WPSD parents or even WPSD residents. Members and administrators of this group have advocated for drag queen shows at our schools, inviting the Satanic Temple to school functions and have complained that the school system indoctrinates children into white supremacy and capitalism. The vast majority of WPSD voters will appreciate this board not taking cues from this radical group.

Rodney provides a helpful definition for book banning, which he inaccurately claims that the BOE recently did. In reality, the administration removed the racist rant piece “Between the World and Me” because the CRT material was inappropriate for a high school class. Books are added and removed from curriculum for all sorts of reasons – this isn’t “book banning.” The book is still available in the school library shelves for check out. Two Pinocchio’s Rodney… Ironically, Rodney made a passionate case in a private email he wrote to a local media outlet begging them not to cover the removal of this CRT book from a high school course. In my opinion, Rodney is perfectly fine with censorship, as long as it’s something he doesn’t agree with.

Rodney’s political leanings are pretty clear. In the thick of COVID, Rodney wrote a Courier guest column where he disgustingly tied mask wearing to Christianity “If you cannot wear a cloth covering over your mouth and nose to save a neighbor, don’t ever, EVER try to talk to me about God….” During the destructive BLM riots, Rodney penned a column in support of the rioters. Rodney also participated in a lawsuit with four other plaintiffs against Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell, in an attempt to prevent the sheriff from cooperating with ICE to serve valid federal arrest warrants and detain criminal aliens until federal agents could pick them up.

It doesn’t take much analysis to arrive at what I assume is Rodney’s true complaint with the current Board of Education: they, like the majority of Teller County and the voters that elected this board, don’t align with Rodney’s left-wing ideology.

Jameson Dion is a Woodland Park School District voter.

Jameson Dion