For the first time in more than 50 years, Colorado Springs’ oldest school district, District 11, will be governed without a master contract tying the D-11 school board to the local affiliate of the National Education Association. It’s a pivotal point in district history. It means the district finally can act with the independence and flexibility needed to improve academic outcomes, modernize career paths, reward great teachers and truly change public education for the better.

But those opportunities only will be realized if competent, reform-minded independent board members are elected in this fall’s ballot.

D-11’s academic results make clear what must come first. Too many students are falling behind in reading and math — particularly in the early grades. The district, free from its political fetters under the old contract, must be laser focused on improving academic outcomes. 

Every K–3 student ought to learn how to read with evidence-based phonics instruction. Teachers should have the training, materials and time to do it right. D-11 has the opportunity and the responsibility to rebuild confidence among families and teachers that it can once again be a premier district of choice in the Pikes Peak Region.

Across the country there is a growing crisis in education. The work many students do in school does not necessarily translate into the key to their careers and passions. The future of education cannot look like the past. The next chapter in D-11 history should expand its career and technical education, apprenticeships and partnerships with local employers and higher education institutions. 

Every student should graduate with a direction — whether that’s in skilled trades, STEM, health care, business or service. Colorado Springs is home to extraordinary industries, but too often, D-11 students don’t see the connection between their classroom work and the world waiting for them. The district can change that by linking academics to real-life pathways through dual credit programs, internships and technical certifications that equip students for success the moment they graduate.

For years, the old master agreement tied the district’s hands when it came to attracting and retaining top teaching talent. It prevented differentiated pay, limited innovation and slowly lost teachers and students. 

Now, D-11 has the chance to hire and train the very best teachers for the hardest-to-fill positions. Rather than falling behind the wealthier and more flexible districts surrounding it, D-11 can compete for the sake of its students and staff.

Meeting these challenges requires more than good ideas — it requires leaders who understand education from the inside. That’s why The Gazette editorial board has endorsed Bruce Cole, Jeremiah Johnson and Michelle Ruehl as the right team for this moment. 

Bruce Cole taught in D-11 for 18 years, guiding students through U.S. history and government. He knows firsthand the challenges teachers face and the reforms that actually make classrooms work. His top priority — getting every student reading proficiently by third grade — is the single most important foundation for D-11’s success. 

Jeremiah Johnson has spent years serving as a D-11 executive professional, working on operations, safety and career readiness. He understands how to connect district policy to real-world outcomes and how to make the system work for both teachers and families. 

Michelle Ruehl, a retired Air Force colonel and former instructor at the Air Force Academy, brings deep experience in education. She knows that preparing students for life means developing not just knowledge, but character and confidence. 

Together, these three combine classroom experience, administrative know-how, and strategic leadership — exactly what D11 needs to make the most of this new era.

Let’s move the D1-11 board forward, not backslide to the days it was dominated by union-backed political activists with no real classroom experience, whose agenda was to restore union power and inject national politics into local schools. That would squander the district’s historic opportunity for reform and pit teachers and parents against each other once again. D-11 needs a board that governs for students, not special interests. 

In other words, D-11 needs stability, focus and proven leadership. Vote for Bruce Cole, Jeremiah Johnson and Michelle Ruehl.