D-49 recall effort under way

"Take our district back."

That was the rallying cry of some Falcon School District 49 parents who gathered Saturday to protest their school board.

They want to take it back forcibly by recalling at least two members of the D-49 board at the ballot box and by backing opposition candidates for other seats that will be up for grabs in November.

About 100 people, mostly parents, attended the public bring-your-own-chair session in a vacant storefront on the city's east side.

No board members attended. But their ears must have been burning.

"We are looking at recalling Dave Martin and Kent Clawson," said Tom Harold, a D-49 parent and spokesman for the community group that organized the event. "We want to recall those two members."

After the meeting, one of the group's top targets was unrepentant.

"I'm not afraid of it. And I'm not going to be bullied into changing my principles," Clawson said. "This is the way the system is set up. If they need to do this, that's what they need to do."

Charlotte Lingard-Young, a D-49 parent, said the group would have to gather about 3,500 signatures each on separate petitions to recall Clawson and Martin, whose terms are up in 2011.

Saturday's meeting also allowed the public to suggest candidates to run against board members in November's election.

It was triggered by Tuesday's school board meeting that drew about 400 people.

The crowd was there to protest a firing spree by the board, which recently axed some top administrators and other employees and moved to end the employment of two popular principals.

Harold said some teachers and parents are fearful of not supporting the board.

"This is not about bashing, but I do have a list of things going on," said Ann Fletcher, a D-49 parent. "Our board hides behind executive sessions. We can only assume they must be hiding something. It's not the board's job to run our school district. That's the superintendent's job."

The board's actions created outrage in a district shaken by the recent departure of a superintendent who was on the job less than a year.

At Tuesday's meeting, the board wanted to decline new contracts for the principals - Mike Collins, of Sand Creek High School, and his wife, Sandy Collins, of Vista Ridge High School.

Student protests and a public outcry blocked the move.

The principals got a reprieve on the condition they come up with a plan to address student achievement. The board delayed a contract vote until April.

"What happened with Mike and Sandy put a face on the problem, but that is not the only problem," said Donna Arrington, a parent in the district.

Harold said board members were welcome to attend Saturday's meeting.

"I wasn't invited and had other plans," Clawson said.

Clawson's daughter goes to school with Harold's daughter.

"Our daughters are in the same class, and they get along," Clawson said. "It's like what someone said about Little League baseball. If you take the parents out, it's just a bunch of kids having fun."